A Special Buick

            In 1936 Buick introduced what they considered to be a rather special car. The Buick Special became their entry level full size car and, not only one of their best-selling models, but also one of the top selling automobile lines in the country.

            While the Special wasn’t as popular as say Ford’s V 8 during the 1940s or Chevy’s Bel Air during the 1950s, it evolved over its life span and changed with the times, always offering buyers a dependable option.

            The Special pictured here is a beautiful 1953 model that featured Buick’s toothy, grinning grill and quad torpedo tail lights. While this is a four-door sedan, the Special also came in two-door coups and convertibles as well as a four door station wagon.

            In many ways Buick, which was originally established in 1899 and led to the creation of General Motors in 1908, is often lost between the luxury of such companion firms as Cadillac and the affordability of, say, the Chevy. Still, with all of GM’s engineers behind it, the Buick brand and the Special in particular was always a solid machine.

            While their V 8 motors don’t have the same cache as Ford’s Flathead V 8 they still have managed to flex their muscle. In the late 1950s a Special right off the assembly line was turning zero to sixty in just over 11 seconds while still maintaining about 17.5 miles per gallon in fuel efficiency.
           In 1959 in an attempt to update the line, Buick changed the name of the Special to the LeSabre, which was the name of a 1951 concept car that didn't move down the assembly lines. 

            You are more apt to see a Chevy or a Ford when you are wandering through car shows but if you do happen across one of these Buicks, know that you are seeing something special.