Buick Century 60 – First Generation Origin
Buick Century was the name of a series of premium full-size cars manufactured by Buick (A division of General Motors) from 1936 to 1942 and 1954 to 1958, as well as a brand of mid-size cars produced by Buick from 1973 to 2005. The first Buick Century was introduced as the Series 60, which was then rebranded as the Century in 1936 as a shorter and lighter model with the same engine as the larger Roadmaster and Limited series, providing it more performance while using the Buick Special’s shorter wheelbase body.
It was Buick’s counterpart to the top-of-the-line Roadmaster during the 1930s and 1940s, and it came in 2-door, 4-door, and convertible body styles. The Century name appeared on six generations of automobiles of varying sizes, performance, and trim levels, and Buick introduced the Century Cruiser concept car in 1969. The Century Regal became a separate model in the 1970s, and the market positioning of the two products shifted from year to year based on sales.
The vehicle was upgraded to a front-wheel drive in 1982 and was Buick’s 2-door coupe, 4-door sedan, and station wagon body styles. It also had the opportunity to be improved as there were continuous revisions and feature enhancements as customer preferences evolved over time. Stay with me as we turn back the clock in our bid to get the full lowdown on this classic car.
Buick Century 60 – First Generation Overview
The Buick Series 60 was succeeded by the Buick century. They represented the first generation of Buick century vehicles spanning from (1936-1942). Buick rebranded its entire model series for the 1936 model year to reflect engineering and design advances over the 1935 models, resulting in a more streamlined appearance.
Buick’s Series 40 model line was renamed Special, while the Series 60 was dubbed Century. The Series 80 was renamed the Roadmaster, while the Series 90, Buick’s longest and most exquisite vehicle, was renamed the Limited. Cadillac used the terminology “Series 60” and “Series 70,” while Oldsmobile used “Series 60,” “Series 70,” “Series 80,” and “Series 90.”
The fundamental strategy for the Century from 1936 to 1942 was developed by combining the shorter wheelbase special bodies to the larger displacement straight-eight engine of the Roadmaster. The Century offered four different 2-door body styles, including convertibles, and only one 4-door sedan, with coupes outnumbering sedans until 1938 when there were three coupes and three sedan options. The relatively long Roadmaster body was combined with the smaller displacement Special engine in the 1940 Series 50 Super.
While the Special was powered by Buick’s OHV 233 cu in (3.8 L) straight-8 engine, which produced 93 hp (69 kW) at 3200 rpm, Centurys manufactured between 1936 and 1942 were powered by the OHV 320 cu in (5.2 L) straight-8, which produced 141 hp (105kW), which made the Century (100) the fastest Buick of the period, capable of consistent speeds of 100 mph (161 km/h), earning it the nickname “the banker’s hot rod.”
Buick Century 60 – First Generation Production
Production of the Buick century First-generation spanned a period of 6 years from (1936–1942). The vehicle was discontinued at the end of the shortened 1942 model year as a result of World War II, when passenger vehicle production ceased on February 4, 1942, with total model production accounting for only about 10% of Buick’s total output despite the improvements on its engineering and design.
Buick Century 60 – First Generation Price
As at the time of production, the Buick century sold for Prices ranging from $1,055 for the 2-door Victoria Coupe, which is equivalent to $19,676 today, to $1,135 for the 2-door Convertible, equivalent to $21,117 in today’s market. By 1940, prices for the Sport Coupe had risen to $1,175, which is $21,705 today, and the 4-door Convertible Phaeton had risen to $1,620, equal to $29,926 today.
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