For Sale: 1940 Buick Limited in Morgantown, Pennsylvania

1940 Buick Limited Model 81 Eight

The Limited was Buick's flagship Series between 1936 and 1942 and, during model year 1958 during GM's Fiftieth Anniversary, the halo car for Buick. After the vehicle was retired in 1959, Buick has intermittently used the "Limited" name for several decades to denote those models which featured a high level of trim and standard options in its various model ranges. Vehicles given the Limited nameplate were in direct competition with Cadillac senior sedans for clientele who wanted a GM luxury sedan but regarded Cadillac as "ostentatious" or "flamboyant" as Buick had over time earned a reputation of low-key conservative appearance while focusing on durability and reliability.

For consignment, "look up in the sky it's a Cadillac!" No! it's a Buick Limited from 1940 and its now gracing our hallowed halls in all its black painted and big chromed style limousine length. This fine example is recognized by the CCCA as a full classic. Originally restored in Germany 30 years ago with an "open checkbook" it has been fully chronicled, and the restoration has held up swimmingly! Some recent refreshing of normal wear items has been performed over the course of the last 2 years, and 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 black 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. Fenders which are now melting into the sides have a bullet style headlight casing which is nearly engulfed by each front fender. Atop are some rocket styled chrome trimmings. A central vertical trim piece falls from the hood down the center, and as it reaches the bottom of the front grille it has "Trippe" lights which now serve as the turn signals. These float 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 an inset spare tire covering which has nearly fully melted into the side of the hood. Just above a stainless-steel trim spear runs from stem to stern and then the passenger roofline and windows take over with all excellent glass and their respective trimmings. 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 split glass window, has some beautiful badging which houses the turn signal lamps and 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 tan door panels, we see shiny cranks and handles with bakelite knobs. 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 spin pattern panels for the instruments and glovebox. A wonderfully aged deep creamed coffee colored bakelite steering wheel with banjo styled shiny ribs and a chromed horn ring fronts the dash. The round instruments are on the machined panel behind the steering wheel. A round clock is inset into the glove box machined panel. In front and rear are two beautifully covered large overstuffed benches bathed in ribbed tan broadcloth with slightly darker upholstered "tubs" on their sides and backs. The back seat has leg stretching room and offers up a gracefully aged wood cased tube radio which sits atop a tiger maple lacquered liquor cabinet. The amenities continue on the arms of the rear bench with an inset armrest with lighter and ashtray for either side. Pillar panels and headliner are near perfect broadcloth in a dark tan broadcloth and are shown in tight panels. Dark tan carpeting very clean shows throughout on the floors. To the ball Jeeves...

Drivetrain
Under that big hood is a big 320ci inline 8-cylinder engine. It's fully restored and is badged with BUICK 8 Dynaflash oil cushioned valve in head on the valve covering which is bathed in gray. All shiny 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 single 2-barrel carburetor. On back is a rebuilt 3-speed manual transmission. Still operating on its 6 volt electric system.

Undercarriage
Also fully restored with little surface rust and a black painted X frame, solid floor pans and rockers inside the frame. Independent coil springs are in front and a 3 link with coil springs rear suspension is on and looking like new. Our consignor states that if he were to keep the car he would replace or rebuild the front shock absorbers.

Drive-Ability
This car is a wonderful piece of automotive art and a true pleasure to drive. All is working famously, and it performs like a Buck Rogers Rocket. The rear heater has been bypassed, so stock up on the liquor!

A very nice piece of rolling automotive styling and art form straight black 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.

TRIM TAG
MODEL NO 81-Model 81
STYLE NO 40 4819-1940 Series 80 Limited Touring Sedan
BODY NO 965-Flint Body #
TRIM NO 811-Tan Wool Broadcloth
PAINT NO 541-Black

Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 650 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.