1942 Buick Special Sedan - Model 41 🇺🇸

This 1942 Special Touring Sedan has been part of the collection for a very long time. It was purchased in good condition, ready to drive, but received upgrades for more adventuresome driving.

The optional “compound carburation” system was added. Compound carburation was an intake that had two carburetors with progressive linkage. The system increased horsepower on the Special to 118. Iit was not popular with buyers since it increased  fuel consumption and made the car more difficult to keep in tune. Even the dealers are rumoured to have not liked it. This system was standard on the bigger models.

This car also was fitted with electric fuel pumps, upgraded suspension, radial tires, and auxiliary electric fan so it could handle very long drives in any conditions. Factory options of radio, heater, fog lamps and spotlight round out the equipment on this car. 

Company
General Motors

Make
Buick

Model
Special, 41

Body Style
Sedan, 4-dr., 6 -pass.

Body Manufacture
Fisher Body

Model year
1942

Wheelbase
124  inches

Length
202.53  inches

Engine
inline-8, OHV, 248 cid

Horsepower
110 hp @ 3400 rpm

Transmission
3-speed manual

Original Base Price
$1,203

Brand Production
94,442

This Car Production
17,187

1941 was Buick’s best ever sales year and they had high hopes for 1942.

Under the brilliant leadership of Harlow “Red” Curtis, the newly appointed President  of Buick in 1934,  Buick production rose from a devastating low in 1933 to an impressive run of sales success from 1936 onward. By the end of 1941 Buick had gone from 8th in the industry to 4th. Chevrolet, Ford and Plymouth, in that order, occupied the top three spots and all of those companies produced cars at a lower price point than Buick. 1942 was shaping up to be another stellar year.

The price leader for Buick was the Special. Unsurprisingly, it was also the volume leader. As it had for 1941, the Special came in two variations, the series 40A and the 40B. Unlike the previous model year, both variations of the Special came on the 118 inch wheelbase chassis. The difference between the two Specials was just cosmetics and trim levels with certain bodies only available on one or the other series.

Hopes aside, the declaration of war by the United States curtailed the model year shortening production to just five months. In the truncated production year, the best selling Buick of all was the Special Touring Sedan model 41. This was a 40B series car and came in the base configuration or for another $85 could be ordered with a  special interior that reduced seating capacity.

Following the declaration of war on December 7, 1941, the government ordered an end to production of civilian automobiles and a transition to manufacturing exclusively war material.  February 2, 1942 was the last official day of Buick production. Buick quickly switched to manufacturing airplane engines. Curtis was so adept at managing efficient production that the Army considered making him a general but he respectfully declined.