1936 Buick Limited Sedan Limousine - Model 90L 🇺🇸

The most expensive offering from Buick in 1936 was the Limited eight-passenger limousine, with a base price of $1,945. For the first time, there was a Buick more expensive than a base model Cadillac, a situation that would create problems in the near future. 709 of these Buick limousines would be sold to value minded luxury car buyers.

The history of this car is largely unknown but it was stored for at least 50 years before reemerging into the light as a well preserved, low mileage survivor car. Acquired by the NB Center in August, 2013 the car required a rebuild of the engine and transmission and recommissioning of all the other mechanical systems. The remainder of the car, with the exception of the rear carpeting, was retained as original. 

Company
General Motors

Make
Buick

Model
90L, Limited

Body Style
Limousine , 4-door, 8-pass.

Body Manufacture
Fisher Body Company

Model year
1936

Wheelbase
138 inches

Length
N/A

Engine
inline-8, OHV,  320.2 cid

Horsepower
120 bhp @ 3200 rpm

Transmission
3-speed manual

Original Base Price
$1,945

Brand Production
157,623 + 10,973 export, model year

This Car Production
709

In 1933,  the year Harlow Curtice took the helm of Buick, Buick accounted for just 2.9% of American auto industry production. By 1938 that figure would rise to 8.8% and the 1936 cars played a big part in that major turn around. Curtice, nicknamed “Red” because of his reddish blond hair, threw everything Buick had into fresh styling and engineering for the 1936 model year. It was a big gamble but it paid off handsomely.

The list of engineering improvements and new features at Buick for 1936 is long but the highlights include, the engines now had aluminum pistons, the independent front suspension was updated and refined, headlight  switches moved to the dashboard, the bodies were now all metal including the new “turret top” metal roofs on sedans and integrated trunks, dual tail lights and dual wipers all became standard. All of these changes aside, the public loved the new styling. The single piece wedge-shaped grille topped with a stylized hood ornament, the modern flowing skirted fenders, the raked V-shaped windshields, the bullet shaped headlights and the art deco inspired trim resulted in a modern classic that was as far removed from the previous model year cars as it could be.

The 1936 cars  made it very clear Buick  was heading in a new direction and the sales proved it. Not only did Buick produce their 3 millionth car ever in May of 1936, they produced 168,596 cars total for the model year, the most since 1930 and more than three times as many as they produced in 1935.

Buick assigned model names to their cars for the very first time 1936. The series 90 luxury cars were now called the Limited. The Limited was well chosen name for what remained a niche product for Buick with just over 4,000 Limited model cars produced, less than 2.5% of all Buick production in 1936.