The Buick Y-Job was a
convertible
A convertible or cabriolet () is a Car, passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary across eras and manufacturers.
A convertible car's design allows an open-air drivin ...
car developed by American manufacturer
Buick
Buick () is a division (business), division of the Automotive industry in the United States, American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American automobil ...
in 1938. It was the auto industry's first
concept car
A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle or show vehicle) is a car made to showcase new styling or new technology. Concept cars are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not ...
, a model intended to show new technology or designs but not be mass-produced for sale to consumers. Designed by
Harley J. Earl, the car had power-operated
hidden headlamps, a "gunsight"
hood ornament, electric windows,
[''Concept Cars'' by Larry Edsall pp19 Edizione White Star ] wraparound
bumpers, flush door handles, and prefigured styling cues used by Buick until the 1950s and the vertical waterfall grille design still used by Buick today. It used a
Buick Super chassis, indicated by the word "Super" located above the rear license plate.
The car was driven for a number of years by Harley Earl, until he replaced it with a 1951 model car. Sometime after that, the car was restored at the
Henry Ford Museum, until 1993 when it was returned to the GM Design Center.
The "Y" in the name has two explanations:
* All experimental cars were called "X", so Earl simply went to the next letter in the alphabet.
* The "Y" designation was selected by Earl because it was used extensively in the aviation industry denoting the most advanced prototypes.
In 2001, Buick recreated the Y-Job with modern advancements called the
Buick Blackhawk drawing extensively from the Y-Job.
Specifications
According to the GM Heritage Center, specifications for the 1938 model were:
Engine: 320 c.i. Inline Eight
Horsepower: 141 @ 3600rpm
Transmission: 3 speed manual
Steering: Bendix power steering unit
Measurements: 208in in length and 74in
Other: Electronically controlled windows and convertible top
Gallery
References
External links
Why the 'Y-Job' — Harley Earl and the Buick Dream Car{{Buick Vehicles
Y-Job
Cars introduced in 1940
Sports cars
Convertibles
Cars discontinued in 1938