Vehicle Description
In the late 1920s, Buick was the go-to brand for understated luxury
at General Motors. Cadillac always sat atop the throne at GM for
style, equipment and flash, but Buick quietly offered several
luxurious and advanced vehicles through the years that were often
priced to compete with their luxury-centric siblings.
Eight-cylinder engines were the fashionable choice for luxury cars
at the time, though Buick was lagging behind the competition with
its effective but pass� six cylinder units. Rather late to the
party, Buick launched three different straight eight engines in
1931. The three engines were outwardly similar but surprisingly,
they shared very few common parts. At the entry level, for the 40
and 50 series got a 221 cubic inch unit. From there, the 60 series
received a 272.6 cubic inch eight (later increased to 278.1), and
the range topping 80 and 90 series were fitted with a big 345 cubic
inch powerplant that developed a healthy 104 horsepower. From 1931
through the next three decades, Buick would be solely dedicated to
producing eight-cylinder cars. In spite of the exciting new range
of engines, Buick struggled in sales due to the dire economic
conditions brought on by the Great Depression, and they desperately
needed a boost. After plummeting sales through 1933, Buick
introduced a very important new innovation: "Knee Action"
independent front suspension. Developed by General Motors, Knee
Action suspension was featured on Buick, Olds and Cadillac. It was
a short/long arm design that was developed by a British-born
engineer named Maurice Olley. The system used upper and lower
control arms, coil springs mounted to a robust subframe. Olley's
design proved so effective it was built under license by
Rolls-Royce, chosen by them over a similar system from Packard. The
combination of the improved eight-cylinder engines, superior ride
and road holding from the independent front suspension and numerous
other safety and styling changes put Buick back on the road to
recovery by the middle of the decade. Our featured example from
Buick's rebirth is a striking and handsome 1935 Model 67 (from the
60 series) wearing an understated yet stylish four-door, five
passenger sedan body. Since receiving a comprehensive restoration,
this wonderful automobile has covered just 4,500 miles and remains
extremely attractive and ready for use. For starters, the styling
on this Buick is simply marvelous. The elegant, split and laid-back
grille flows into a subtly detailed hood with art-deco strakes on
the side panels. Curvaceous fenders feature dual sidemount spare
wheels wearing body-colored hard covers. Dual chrome trumpet horns,
dual chrome Trippe Safety Speed Lights and chrome main headlamps
suitably dress up the front end.� In the rear, a matching trunk
rides on a folding rack and twin tail lights are affixed to the
fenders. A subtle gold pinstripe highlights the body swage line,
which is repeated on the wheels. The full fenders, graceful curves
and exquisite detailing combine to make an extremely elegant
package. Taupe-colored cloth upholstery covers the seats, door
panels and headlining.� It is in excellent order, appearing very
fresh and attractive. The highlight of the interior has to be the
fantastic woodgrained dash, which features gold-detailed panels for
the instruments, glovebox and central switches. The correct AC
instruments appear in very good order, with a charming originality
to them. The steering wheel features an unusual McLaughlin-Buick
Canada horn button, revealing this car's history in Quebec. The
278.1 cubic inch straight-eight is well detailed in correct Buick
Green with black side and rocker covers. It shows some signs of
light use, though remains very clean and tidy. A 3-speed manual
transmission sends power rearward and the car performs very well
thanks to the powerful engine, efficient brakes and independent
front suspension. Buick's most popular body style for 1935 was
this, the practical, roomy and highly attractive four-door,
Five-Passenger Sedan. Take a good look at our feature car and it
easily becomes apparent why. Nearly 25,000 of the style were sold,
however most rode on the entry-level 40 series chassis. 60-series
production was but a fraction of its lesser siblings - with just
1,716 cars produced in 1935. Of those, a mere handful wore this
handsome and understated body, making it a very rare and desirable
automobile, indeed.