1941 Buick Series 40 Special

Buick Motor Car Company was first established in Detroit in 1903, and the following year it moved to Flint, Michigan, and by 1908 it had become one of the original companies in William C. Durant's new General Motors. Buick's reputation was quickly established as a builder of stylish, durable, reliable, and slightly higher-priced automobiles. In 1938 Buick and Harley Earl produced GM's first 'Dream Car.'

1941 GM Hierarchy Comparison
Within the Buick hierarchy, Buick was above Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile, but below LaSalle (1927 through 1940) and Cadillac. 1941 Oldsmobiles were powered by both six- and eight-cylinder power, and had wheelbases of 119- and 125-inches, with prices from $850 to $1,230. The six-cylinder engine had a 238 cubic-inch displacement and delivered 100 horsepower, and the 257 CID inline-8 produced 110 horsepower. The Series 61 and Series 63 joined the Cadillac lineup to help fill the void left by the departure of the LaSalle marque, with all Cadillac models now powered by eight-cylinder power. Prices ranged from $1,345 to $4,050. The 346 cubic-inch eight-cylinder engine delivered 150 horsepower, and wheelbase sizes included 126-, 136-, and 139-inches. A 163-inches was available for commercial applications.

All 1941 Buick models were powered by eight-cylinder engines and prices ranged from $915 to $2,465. the 248 CID inline-8 delivered 125 hp and the 320 CID inline-8 produced 165 hp (15 more horsepower than the Cadillac). Wheelbase sizes included a 118-, 121-, 126-, and 139-inch platform which was similar to Cadillac and Oldsmobile sizes. The 1941 Buick represented a tremendous bargain compared to the Cadillac, with more horsepower, similar size, at reduced prices.

1941 Buick Models
The Buick Special Series 40 (40-A and 40-B) served as the entry-level model, with prices that ranged from $915 to $1070. The Estate Wagon tipped the scales at $1,460. Its wheelbase measured 118-inches and its length was 202-inches. Power was from the 248 cubic-inch inline-8 with overhead valves, 6.15:1 compression, five main bearings, mechanical valve lifters, and delivering 115 horsepower at 3,500. With optional compound carburetion, horsepower rose to 125 bhp.

The Super Series 50 came standard with the 248 CID inline-8 with compound carburetion and rested on a 121-inch wheelbase. Prices ranged from $1,115 to $1,560 and 92,067 examples were built.

The Century Series 60 was powered by a 320.2 cubic-inch engine with 165 horsepower. This engine was shared with the Roadmaster Series 70 and the Limited Series 90. The Century and Roadmaster used a 126-inch wheelbase and the Limited measured 139-inches. Three body styles were offered with the Century with prices ranging from $1,200 to $1,290, and production was 20,768 units. 15,372 examples of the Roadmaster and 3,006 of the Limited were built-in 1941. The Roadmaster was priced from $1,280 to $1,460 - the Convertible Coupe listed for $1,775 - and the Limited ranged from $2,160 to $2,360.

Buick Special
Buick introduced the Series 40 designation in 1930 on a six-cylinder model representing the lowest priced option within the lineup. The designation was not used in 1931 through 1933, returning in 1934 and resuming the entry-level position, this time with eight-cylinder power. In 1936, it gained the 'Special' nomenclature, new styling and turret top bodies, bullet-shaped headlights, wedge-shaped radiators, slanted vee-type windshields, and hydraulic brakes. The following year, the height of the Buick Special was lowered by 1.5-inches and the floor was lowered by 2.5-inches. The front received a divided grille with horizontal bars, streamlined headlight shells, and fenders with squared-off ends. Its wheelbase now measured 122-inches and its engine displaced 248 cubic-inches (an increase from the previous year's 233 CID). The 1938 Buicks received coil springs on its rear suspension and an optional semi-automatic transmission (Automatic Safety Transmission). The engine received crowned head pistons which raised the compression ratio to 6.15:1 and horsepower increased to 107 bhp at 3,400 RPM.

The 1939 Buick models wore a new two-piece 'waterfall grille, a narrower hood, larger hubcaps, and a larger window area due to thinner door panels. The wheelbase of the 1940 Special grew to 121-inches which allowed the optional spare tire to be mounted in front of the door. The sport coupe body style received a full-width rear seat.

The 1941 Buick models wore updated styling, with the previous running boards, fender-mounted spare tires, and door hinges being a thing of the past. Hoods could be opened from either side. All bodies wore two-tone color combinations with 19 selections at no additional charge. The Special and Century models wore new front fenders that extended nearly to the front door with headlights that were almost completely integrated into them. The 'Fireball' engine received dome-shaped pistons and combustion chambers. Various rear axle ratios were available as a no-cost option.

The 1941 Buick Special included the Series 40-A and the 40-B. The 40-A body styles were introduced early in February of 1941, used a 118-inch wheelbase, and included a business coupe priced at $915, a $980 sport coupe, a $1,020 touring sedan, and a convertible coupe listed at $1,140. Buick built 3,258 examples of the business coupe, 5,269 of the sport coupe, 4,282 of the convertible coupe, and 13,992 units of the touring sedan. The combined production of the Series 40-A was 26,801 units.

The Series 40-B, similar to the body styles offered on the 1940 Buick Special, included a touring sedan priced at $1,050, a business coupe at $735, a two-door Sedanette at $1,005, a four-door sedan, and an estate wagon at $1,460. These body styles rested on a 121-inch wheelbase like the previous year. The touring sedan proved to be the most popular Buick in 1941, with 91,138 examples built, followed by 87,687 examples of the Sedanette (plus 9,591 with the 'Sup.' equipment), 13,378 of the sedan, 9,185 of the business coupe, and 838 of the estate wagon. The wagons were built by the Hercules Body Company in Evansville, Indiana from 1941 through 1948. Initially, the softwood bodies were supplied by a Canadian company instead of the hard maple specified, and the deterioration of the wood was rapid. Total production of the 1941 Buick Series 40-B was 211,817 units.

The combined 1941 Buick Special production was 238,618 units, greatly exceeding the 112,974 examples built in 1940 and the 166,349 built in 1939.

The Buick engines were backed by a three-speed sliding gear transmission with a single dry plate clutch and column controls. A 4.4:1 axle ratio was standard with the single carburetor and 4.1:1 with the compound carburetor. Hydraulic drum brakes on all four wheels were standard equipment and the 'No Rol Hill-Holder' was a $9 extra. The Compound Carburetor, available on all body styles except the Sedan (41SE) and (46SSE) Sedanette with 'Sup.' Equipment, for an additional $15.40. Additional optional equipment included an electric clock, underseat heater and defroster, vacuum pump windshield washer, fog lights, Sonomatic push-button radio and antenna, dual defroster, and deLuxe dash heater.

The Buick Special would remain part of the Buick lineup through 1958, and then from 1961 through 1969.

by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2021