Backstory

• Buick had a habit of encroaching on Cadillac's wealthy clientele, especially with its custom Brunn coachbuilder bodies that earned Buick the "prestige" moniker in the late 1930s. Cadillac was king in the General Motors family, so Buick acquiesced to Cadillac's complaints and put all its energies into one luxury Buick, which was the Series 90. A shorter version was the Series 80. The Series 90 was a top-quality car produced in low numbers. The sedans could carry eight passengers when equipped with auxiliary jump seats between the front and rear seats. Without the auxiliary seats, the Series 90 had an abundance of luggage space, or even more legroom, between the front and rear seats. Buick manufactured only 257 custom convertibles for the 1940 model year.
  
  

Engine

• The sedan, touring sedan and limousine featured the same mechanical components. The engine was a 320.2-cubic-inch in-line eight-cylinder with a 3-7/16th-inch bore and 4-5/16th-inch stroke. The compression ratio was low, but standard for the era, at 6.25-to-1. The straight-eight generated 141 horsepower and 269 foot-pounds of torque. An aero downdraft Stromberg carburetor delivered fuel to the engine.
  
  

Dimensions

• The 1960 Series 90 sedan equipped with auxiliary seats, the touring sedan and limousine sat on a 140-inch wheelbase and was 225.5 inches long and 76.5 inches wide. The front track width measured 59-7/16th inches and the rear track was 62.5 inches wide. The three models cleared the ground by 8.4 inches. The limousine had a curbside weight rating of 4,703 lbs., the touring sedan weighed 4,590 lbs. and the sedan with auxiliary seats weighed 4,645 lbs.
  
  

Chassis

• The front suspension consisted of independent coil springs with the rear also featuring coil springs. The Series 90 was equipped with internal expanding four-wheel 14-inch hydraulic drum brakes. The steering was a worm and roller system, which was typical of prewar cars. The 10.5-inch clutch was a dry plate model and the final rear gear ratio was 4.55-to-1. All Buicks featured a three-speed manual transmission to match the engine.
  
  

Features and Prices

• The 1940 Buick Series 90 featured integrated headlamps atop the pontoon fenders and running boards. Buyers could order the car in two-tone paint schemes. Standard colors were Ranier Blue, Verde Green, Royal Maroon, Bandelier Blue, Acadia Gray, Yosemite Gray, Aztec Brown, Sequoia Crème, Moores Green, Silver French Gray, Monterey Blue, Ludington Green, English Green, Permanent Red, Alameda Gray, Nottingham Gray and Casino Beige. The price tag for the Series 90 limousine was $2,199 ($33,808 in 2010 dollars). The touring sedan cost $1,942 ($29,857 in 2010 dollars) and the sedan sold for $2,096 ($32,225 in 2010 dollars).