1936 Buick Series 60 Century

The first Buick to reach 100 MPH was the appropriately named Century, in 1936. It shared a new 320.2 cubic-inch straight-eight with the Roadmaster (Series 80) and the Limited (Series 90). It rode on a fairly short wheelbase, measuring just 118 inches, and featured rearward sweeping lines with a rounded grille in the front.

The most popular Century body style was the 4-door sedan which saw 17,806 examples produced. Just 717 examples of the convertible coupe were built, selling for $1,135. Other body styles included both a 2-door sport coupe and a 2-door Victoria coupe.

The overhead-valve, 320.2 cubic-inch engine had five main bearings, mechanical valve lifters, a two-barrel Stromberg downdraft carburetor, and delivered 120 horsepower at 3,200 RPM and 238 lb-ft of torque at 1,600 RPM. It was backed by a three-speed sliding gear transmission with floor shift controls and a single dry plate clutch. Hydraulic brakes on all four wheels provided the stopping power.

The total Buick Century models produced in 1936 were just under 24,400 units accounting for approximately 15 percent of Buick's total that year. This was a rather monumental year for Buick as they built their three millionth vehicle, a Series 40 Special sedan constructed on May 28th of 1936.

Buick's 1936 model range included the Series 40 Special, priced from $760 to $890, the Series 60 Century ranging from $1010 - $1,140, and Series 80 Roadmaster (available as a convertible Phaeton ($1,570) or a Sedan ($1,260), and the Series 90 Limited priced from $18,000 to $1,950.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2013