1938 Buick Y-Job
by Hemmings

It isn't too often that an automaker's concept/show cars are as functional as they are flashy. More often than not, they're little more than cobbled together showpieces without a functioning drivetrain. The intent is to wow the crowds at the various auto shows, highlight new styling, design and construction concepts, and present what the design team thinks the future may hold in a tangible form. Does such a car really need to be capable of functioning in a street legal sense? Actually, no, but every now and then dream cars are fully developed and can be registered and driven, just like any production car. Sometimes these aren't assembled so much for public opinion, but are instead created to allow engineers, designers and stylists a working platform upon which to try out new ideas. This was partly the case with GM Styling Vice President Harley Earl and the 1938 Buick show car known as the Y-Job.

Until the time that this gleaming black beauty made its debut in 1940, the cars shown by manufacturers at the auto shows were identical to those that were or would soon be on sale. Though there were plenty of innovative components displayed either individually or incorporated into the show cars, the idea of building a futuristic car based on designs that might not come to pass was unheard of. At best, the most distinctive concept a manufacturer might try would be a stripped chassis to show off a new drivetrain. A swoopy body that bore no resemblance to what would be in production in the coming year? Unthinkable! In that regard, the Y-Job was a first, though it wasn't built solely as a show car, and it introduced a bevy of new-to-the-industry ideas. Like its power convertible top and windows, hidden running boards and front fenders that flowed back into the doors.

Based on a 1938 Buick Century chassis and utilizing Buick's 320-cu.in. overhead-valve straight-eight engine, that's where any similarities between the Y-Job's and GM's regular production cars ended. The wide, low body styling came directly from Earl, and he made sure that the final version was exactly what he'd had in mind all along. From the covered headlights and horizontal grille up front to the Art Nouveau brightwork adorning the lower half of the fenders, Earl's creation set a stunning standard that would lead other manufacturers to assign their studios to the task of creating similar concept vehicles. The Y-Job served as a rolling testbed and as Earl's own personal transportation for nearly 10 years. Many mechanical and design refinements tested on the Y-Job appeared in GM's production vehicles in the early '40s, including the horizontal grille, extended fender line and power amenities.