MEET THE 1938 BUICK Y-JOB

Who doesn’t love a funky and futuristic concept car? Built as engineering and styling exercises that will likely never see full-scale production, concept cars also serve as a way to capture the excitement, attention and imagination of the motoring public. These concepts give tantalizing peeks at what might be coming on the highways of tomorrow in five, 10 or even 20 years. They also give manufacturers a chance to do real-world testing of futuristic components and design elements.

While most automakers these days regularly introduce wild concept cars, where did the concept of concept cars come from? The answer is: from Buick, America’s oldest and most storied auto brand. Introduced in 1938, the Buick Y-Job was a radically-styled convertible that is recognized as the world’s first concept car. Not only did the Buick Y-Job create the idea of the concept car, but the innovative styling of the car was such a hit with the public that it influenced production car design industry-wide for the next two decades. The Y-Job was miles ahead of other cars in 1938!

The world’s first “dream car,” the 1938 Buick Y-Job was the brainchild of GM stylist Harley Earl. He would later go on to be a legend in automotive design, introducing developments like bulbous pontoon fenders and the Cadillac “tail fins” that would become an icon of 1950s American car design.Read About the Iconic Buick Regal Grand National

Built on a standard 1937 Buick chassis, the Buick Y-Job (which Earl named because “Y” was the next letter after “X,” the code prefix assigned to most secretive experimental vehicles built in-house at GM) was a radically different vehicle for its day. Only two inches short of a full 20 feet, the two-seater Y-Job was long, low and beautifully proportioned. It was complete with graceful fenders adorned by horizontal chrome strips, a sleek, curved windshield, and a total height of less than five feet.

Out front, the Y-Job included the first use of the iconic Buick “waterfall grille,” made up of thin, perfectly-spaced vertical ribbons of chrome, and the first use of the iconic Buick “bombsight” hood ornament. Flanking the striking grille was one of the industry’s first examples of retractable, hideaway headlights for a smooth and streamlined look, with wrap-around bumpers front and rear.

The car lacked the running boards that had been standard equipment since the dawn of the automobile, along with recessed tail lights, flush-mounted door handles and trunk release handles. The convertible top was electrically operated, a rarity for the day, and fully retracted into a pop-up panel in the trunk for a clean look.Futuristic Features: Buick Connected Services

As you can see by looking at production cars of the 1940s and early 1950s, elements of the Buick Y-Job would find their way into vehicles for the next 20 years or more. The Y-Job’s design not only influenced Buick vehicles, but also vehicles by Ford, Lincoln, Dodge, Chrysler, Studebaker and many others. Seeing the excitement the car produced when displayed to the public, all other major manufacturers were soon building concept cars of their own, giving customers glimpses of the vehicles of tomorrow.

As for Harley Earl, he would drive the Buick Y-Job as his personal vehicle until 1951. By then, many of its features had been incorporated into GM cars with which it shared the roads. The Y-Job was later restored by the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich., which returned the car to GM in 1993. Today, it is on display with other restored icons of GM design at the General Motors Heritage Center in Detroit. In 2001, Buick paid homage to the car with another groundbreaking vehicle, the Buick Blackhawk concept car, which featured retro-futuristic styling that drew heavily on the design of the Y-Job.

The innovative spirit of Harley Earl and the 1938 Buick Y-Job still lives at Buick. Stop in today at McLarty Daniel Buick GMC of Bentonville and check out our full lineup of groundbreaking Buick SUVs!

Start Shopping Online Here

Posted in Buick | No Comments »