1940 Buick Limited

Description

This 1940 Buick Series 80 Limited represents a huge amount of car for the money. It's got one of the most powerful eight-cylinder engines you could buy in 1940, the most sophisticated suspension of the era, and it's recognized as a Full Classic by the Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) so it's eligible for all the big events. If you want a pre-war car that you can really drive and enjoy, there aren't many bigger bangs for the buck than a Buick Limited.

Restored a few years ago, you can imagine the bill for straightening this much sheetmetal. The 80-Series cars were the second-largest in Buick's lineup in 1940, exceeded only by the gargantuan 90-Series limousines, but that's just overkill. Sidemounts appeared for the last time, and the 80-Series cars were the only ones big enough to carry them gracefully, so they look fantastic, giving the car an old-world elegance that would vanish in the jet age. The burgundy paint is exactly the right choice for a formal car like this, handsome but not flashy and always timeless, so you'll look as good driving this car in 20 years as you do today. All four doors open and close with a reassuring solidity that only an old car can deliver and the view down that long, long hood is worth the price of admission all by itself. Chrome and stainless trim can be insanely expensive to restore on one of these cars, so you'll be relieved to know that it's all in very good condition, especially the pot-metal grille and parking light housings, which are always the first to show pitting. This is a really nice car.

The interior was designed for the owner/driver, not a chauffeur, so you got lots of space for the family, comfortable gray broadcloth upholstery, and a tasteful look. All the upholstery was new when the car was restored and today shows only very minor wear. The plastic steering wheel tended to deteriorate over time (plastics were still in their infancy in 1940 and didn't stand up to UV rays very well), so it has obviously been restored at some point, although the gauge faces, which are made out of the same stuff, look to be original. The lovely woodgrained dashboard and garnish moldings are actually painted steel and the instrument panel's gorgeous engine-turned panels are in excellent condition. The only possible demerit inside is the trunk, which is a bit discolored, but it's massive enough for a two-week vacation with the whole family.

Buick's 320 cubic inch straight-8 engine made 140 horsepower in 1940, which was quite a bit for 1940. But where the big Buick really works well is torque, and this big sedan will crawl along at idle in high gear, nearly silent, and accelerate smoothly without bucking. That's torque working for you. The black engine isn't quite correct for 1940, but it does wear a proper air cleaner, 2-barrel carburetor, and "Dynaflash" decals on the valve cover. You'll also note the cold air hose, the factory oil filter, and twin horns up on the firewall. It starts easily and has a wonderful eight-cylinder exhaust note that's uniquely different from a familiar V8. The 3-speed manual transmission shifts easily and has light clutch action and the suspension feels buttoned-down and the ride is superlative. Manual drum brakes are reasonably powerful and you'll be shocked by just how clean this car is underneath. Wow! Big 16-inch Lester wide whites give it that old-school look that everyone loves.

You can't get more pre-war car for your dollar than this big Buick. If you like how it looks, you're going to love how it drives. Call today!