Buick series 40 (1935): 91 hp. Moscow transport museum
When the Series 40 was introduced, it had the 257.5 cu in (4,220 cc) overhead valve Buick Straight-6 engine that produced 80.5 bhp of power at 2,800 rpm, and 74,257 examples were made, being the highest number of Buicks for 1930.
For the year 1931, the Series 40 was temporarily discontinued, with the introduction of the Marquette Model 30 and the Series 50 being repositioned as the Buick entry level product.
The 1935 version returned with the 233.0 cu in (3,818 cc) Buick Straight-8 engine and 93 bhp. Starting with this generation, all GM cars shared a corporate appearance as a result of the Art and Color Section headed by Harley Earl and modest yearly changes were introduced to freshen the appearance.
1933 was the first year all GM vehicles were installed with optional vent windows which were initially called “No Draft Individually Controlled Ventilation” later renamed “Ventiplanes” which the patent application was filed on Nov. 28, 1932.
It was assigned to the Ternstedt Manufacturing Company, a GM subsidiary that manufactured components for Fisher Body and they were added to the Special when it was introduced in 1935.
Additional manufacturing locations also opened across the country under the Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac Assembly Division.
The Series 40 was the most affordable Buick offered, with 6 body styles offered, and the five passenger Sedan Model 41 was US$925 ($19,744 in 2022 dollars), while a LaSalle Series 50 was US$1,000 ($21,876 in 2022 dollars) more.
A standard feature offered on all Buicks was a dashboard mounted selector handle that would alter spark timing and allow either low grade or premium fuel to be used.
In 1936 the name changed to “Special”.
