1942 Buick Super Series 50

Many of the styling and design elements of the Harley Earl-designed Buick y-Job Concept of 1938 were incorporated or influenced the appearance of the 1942 Buick models including the restyled front end with an almost literal adaptation of that car's chromed 'waterfall' front grille with twenty-nine thick vertical bars positioned within a prominently contoured frame over a stout bumper. They had an Airfoil fender design and twin parallel chromed strips, dubbed 'speedlines,' traversed the entire length of the front and rear wheelhouses.

By the early 1940s, with the absence of the LaSalle marque, General Motors began positioning its Buick and Cadillac models to fill the void, resulting in some overlap between the two, with the top-of-the-line Series 90 Limited encroaching well into Cadillac territory.

The 1942 Buick models were introduced on October 3rd of 1941, just two months prior to the Pearl Harbor attack that began the United State's involvement with World War II. In support of the war effort, large automotive companies transitioned their factories to support the war effort, resulting in civilian automobile production ending early in 1942. On January 1st of 1942, the government prohibited the use of chrome trim, causing most manufacturers to paint most of the trim. Despite the short 1942 production year, Buick built nearly 95,000 vehicles.

Buick dropped a number of body styles for 1942 along with the Series 90 'Limited.' A new interior intake was placed near the front grille, eliminating the previous cowl-level ventilator.

The 'Special' (Series 40-A and 40-B) was the entry-level Buick for 1942 and rose on a 118-inch wheelbase and equipped with a 248 cubic-inch inline-8 with five main bearings, compound combustion, mechanical valve lifters, and offering 110 horsepower. Pricing on the 40-A ranged from $990 to $1,260, and the 40-B ranged from $1,200 to $1,450.

The 'Super' Series 50 had a 124-inch wheelbase and equipped with a 248 CID inline-8 with 118 hp. Body styles included a sedanette priced at $1,230, a touring sedan at $1,280, and the convertible coupe at $1,450. Styling features on the Sedanette and convertible included swept-back fenders. The most popular body style was the touring sedan with 16,001 examples built, followed by 14,579 of the sedanette and 2,454 of the convertible coupe.

The Buick 'Century' Series 60 rested on a 126-inch wheelbase and shared its 320.2 cubic-inch inline-8 with the Roadmaster Series 70 and the Limited Series 90. The engine had overhead valves, five main bearings, mechanical valve lifters, and a Carter or Stromberg carburetor with 165 horsepower and 278 lb-ft of torque. All 1942 Buick vehicles were equipped with a three-speed sliding gear transmission with a single dry plate clutch and column controls. Hydraulic brakes were located behind the pressed steel wheels and the 'No Rol Hill-holder' feature which held the brake until the clutch is at the friction point, easing uphill starts.

The Century was offered as a sedan priced at $1,350 and a two-door sedanette priced at $1,300. The 'Roadmaster' Series 70 had a 129-inch wheelbase and the 'Limited' Series 90 used a 139-inch platform. Prices on the Roadmaster ranged from $1,365 to $1,675, and the Limited was priced from $2,245 to $2,715.

Production of the Super Series 50 accounted for nearly thirty-six percent of Buick's 1942 production. The 33,034 examples of the 1942 Buick Super were slightly less than the 34,870 examples of the Special Series 40B.

When civilian automobile production followed World War II, the Super remained part of the lineup and would remain in continuous production through 1958. Following a lengthy retirement, the name was revived in 2008 and continued through 2011.

by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2021