The early 1940s was a significant time for Buick. In one of its 1941 brochures, it stated, “We had in our 1940 car the most successful model in our history — and we had to beat it.” That led to a number of updates for 1941, the same year that the United States entered World War II. Our Pick of the Day is Buick’s way of showing that it wasn’t going to rest on its laurels. You can find this restored and award-winning 1941 Buick Special Sedanet listed on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
The 1941 Buick Special lineup gives us a great snapshot of how Buick improved upon its previous model. It used the classic strategy of “more” to make the ’41 Special larger, roomier, and more powerful. The new Specials were set on wider frames and were both longer and wider than their predecessors. Those increased dimensions resulted in more entry room, legroom, headroom, and even luggage space.
The standard power plant was the Fireball 248ci straight-eight, which produced 115 horsepower, an eight percent increase compared to 1940. Opting for “Compound Carburetion” (essentially dual carbs, the setup under the hood of this car) bumped that number up to 125.
If you watch certain old movies or TV shows, it’s easy to believe that cars from this era were visually dull because many of them shown on-screen are finished in boring colors and seem to lead ho-hum lives transporting bland people. That’s not the case here, though. It helps that this car has tasteful curves that lead toward a graceful, sloped rear end. There’s just the right amount of brightwork, including the dramatic C-shaped trim on the rear fender skirts. A restoration 3,167 miles ago added new life — and fresh Sequoia Cream paint — which makes this Buick even more of a head-turner.
You might imagine that the interior is furnished with a more subdued color of mohair or cloth, such as tan or beige. Wrong! The seats are covered in green pleated leather and flanked by door panels of the same color. Down below? Green carpet.
The ivory-colored steering wheel, wood-tone dash, and engine-turned dash trim add contrast and texture. What’s harder to see is that the wheel is connected to power steering, and the column-mounted shifter behind it controls a three-speed manual transmission.
What a wonderful combination, inside and out! No wonder this 1941 Buick Special Sedanet won the Senior National First Prize from the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) in 2014. Given its design and colors, it’s a trophy itself. You can proudly display it your garage for $48,500.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
