1939 Buick Century

1939 Buick 61 Series Century Touring Sedan Buick Century is the model name used by Buick for a line of upscale performance cars from 1936 to 1942 and 1954 to 1958, and from 1973 to 2005 for a mid-size car. The model name Century came about when Buick was designing its first production automobile capable of reaching a speed of 100 mph. The division needed to come up with a name. One of the Buick executives had returned from a recent trip to Britain, and told the other executives that the British referred to going 100 mph as doing the century. The executives liked the Century name and it stuck.  The Century was sold as the Buick Regal in Japan, as Toyota owns the right to the name Century. Buick renamed its entire model lineup for the 1936 model year to celebrate the engineering improvements and design advancements over their 1935 models, introducing a streamlined appearance. Buick's Series 40 model range became the Special, the Series 80 became the Roadmaster and the Series 90-Buick's largest and most luxurious vehicles, became the Limited. The Century took the place of the Series 60.  The basic formula for the 1936 to 1942 Century was established by mating the shorter behind the engine cowl Special bodies to the Roadmaster larger straight-eight engine, (and consequently longer engine compartment). While the Special was powered by Buick's 233 cu in inline-8 was rated 93hp at 3200 rpm, Centuries produced between 1936 and 1942 were powered by the 320-cubic-inch producing 165 hp, making them the fastest Buicks of the era and capable of sustained speeds of 100 mph, hence the name Century, (100), earning the Century the nickname the banker's hot rod. The Century was discontinued at the end of the abbreviated 1942 model year, during which total model production only accounted for about ten percent of Buick's total output.  For consignment, look up in the sky, it's a Cadillac!. No! It's a Buick Century from 1939 and it's now gracing our Hallowed Halls in all its dark green painted and big chromed style glory. This 70,143 non actual mile example is wearing an older restoration and has recently undergone some mechanical maintenance work to ensure it continues to perform exactly as intended. It's a turnkey and impress the pants off your neighbors and car show enthusiast's showpiece. Exterior Caressing this fine automobile with my eyes nearly brings a tear to them with its deep end of the pool Verde Dark Green paint highlighted by an overabundance of tastefully adhered chrome. It has a grandfather's mustache style grille which rises to a bulbous hood which is nearly a mile long. The fenders which are now melting into the sides have a bullet style headlight casing which is nearly engulfed by each front fender and above are more melt-away turn signal pods. A central vertical trim piece runs forward on the center of the hood from the windshield and ends in a rocket style ornament with the Buick crest below. This all floats above a shiny curved bumper with a trio of vertical bars spaced evenly across the shiny chrome. As we go past the pontoon fenders which frame wide whites with shiny moon caps and polished trim rings we run into a stainless steel trim spear running from stem to stern and then the passenger roofline and windows take over with all excellent glass and their respective trimmings. The doors share a common latch pillar making the rear doors suicide style. Another pontoon fender on each side of the back of the car which gracefully lowers to form the rear fender housing the small taillight. These are on either side of a humpback trunk which is below a rear oval glass window and has some beautiful badging which houses a handle in the center and another curved shiny bumper with 2 vertical add ons for the bumper. Quite the car I'd have to say! Interior More luxury for the eyes and of course more tears for this beautifully appointed and restored interior. Slipping past fuzzy padded broadcloth cov