A Special Return

In 1936 Buick, like all car makers, was doing what they could to sell their wares during the throes of the Great Depression. That was the year Buick introduced a new full-sized car, the Special. Unfortunately for the mid to high end manufacturer (they were slotted just beneath Cadillac in GM's hierarchy) people weren't buying. So the Special, which wasn't so special. was pulled from Buick line.

Two years later, in 1938, the Special returned but it was far from the same car. It had been downsized to a mid-size and came in as Buick's least expensive offering. In reality this Special had more in common with the Series 40 that had been around since 1930 than to it's full sized name sake.

This was a true entry level car for an up scale brand. It rode on a comfortable 118 inch wheel base and was initially powered by a 233 cubic inch in line eight.  By the time the Special was re-introduced, while called a mid size, it had grown in both wheelbase and in engine size. As the 1938 model shown here rolled off the line and onto the streets it was gliding on a 122 inch wheel base and was being pushed by a 248 cubic inch in line eight engine.

Expected changes were made with this re-introduced generation of cars, including new trims that offered shorter wheelbases. But other than cosmetics, this is the Special that Buick rode through the 1949 model year.

The Special name ran through 1979, by then as a trim of the Century. It made a brief return in the early 1990s as part of the Century line.

While the Depression hampered sales for all manufacturers, Buick made the right decision in creating the Special as an entry level car. It helped them weather those economic hardship years. One look at the 1938 model seen here and you can see why buyers from that era wanted to step up to a Buick.