1939 Buick 61 Series Century Touring Sedan
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 covered mauve taupe door panels, we see shiny cranks and handles with bakelite knobs. The window surrounds are in brown and sport some faux painted wood grained metal. The dash is a work of art unto itself utilizing a brown painted metal dash top and some machined spun gold pattern panels for the instruments. A wonderfully aged brown leather wrapped steering wheel with banjo styled shiny ribs and a chromed horn ring fronts the dash. The rectangle and half round instruments are on the machined panel behind the steering wheel. A rectangular clock is inset into the glove box machined panel. Dash central holds the bakelite buttons for the factory AM radio and above is a chrome waterfall speaker grille. In front and rear are two beautifully covered large overstuffed benches bathed in ribbed mauve taupe broadcloth with ivory piping with matchy matchy upholstered "tubs" on their sides and backs. The amenities continue on the arms of the rear bench with an inset armrest with lighter and ashtray for either side. The pillar panels and headliner are near perfect broadcloth in more mauve taupe and are shown as tight panels. Tan carpeting, very clean, shows throughout on the floors and above is a lighter tan headliner. To the ball Jeeves...
Drivetrain
Under that big hood is a big 320ci inline 8-cylinder engine. It's a fully restored BUICK 8 Dynaflash oil cushioned valve in head engine which is bathed in gray. All clean tubes and wires along with an oversize air cleaner covering in black are hanging from the passenger's side of the engine. It cleans air for a new single 2-barrel carburetor. On the back is a 3-speed manual transmission with a new clutch and throw out bearing that sends power to a rear 4.18 geared rear axle. This car is still operating on its 6 volt electric system.
Undercarriage
Also fully restored with a surface rusted X frame, floor pans and rockers inside the frame, all of which remain structurally solid. Independent coil springs are in front and a 3 link with coil springs rear suspension is on and looking like new. Drum braking in on all 4 corners and a stock style single exhaust is on for the mighty exhale.
Drive-Ability
This car is a wonderful piece of automotive art and a true pleasure to drive. It performs like a Buck Rogers Rocket with good acceleration, bias free braking, and lumbering but apt handling. We note the wipers, radio, clock, and turn signals did not function during our time behind the wheel, along with the car pulling to the left while braking. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
A very nice piece of rolling automotive styling and art form finished in Verde Green painted and chromed steel. Even better than a Cadillac, and GM eventually ordered Buick to stand down because it was outshining the more expensive Caddy of the era. Hurry on in, these do NOT last very long.
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person. There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee is not included in the advertised price.
