The Limited was
Buick
Buick () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American marques of automobiles, and was the company that established General ...
's flagship limousine between 1936 and 1942 and, during model year 1958 during GM's Fiftieth Anniversary, the
halo car
The halo effect (sometimes called the halo error) is the tendency for positive impressions of a person, company, brand, or product in one area to positively influence one's opinion or feelings in other areas. Halo effect is “the name given to t ...
for Buick. After the vehicle was retired in 1959, Buick has intermittently used the "Limited" name for several decades to denote those models which featured a high level of trim and standard options in its various model ranges. Vehicles given the Limited nameplate were in direct competition with Cadillac senior sedans for clientele who wanted a GM luxury sedan but regarded Cadillac as "ostentatious" or "flamboyant" as Buick had over time earned a reputation of low-key conservative appearance while focusing on durability and reliability. The Limited nameplate returned in the mid-1960s denoting the top trim package on Buick vehicles for several decades thereafter.
Buick Series 90 (1931-1935)
Buick's top platform was introduced as the Series 90 as a competitor to the
Packard Standard Eight introduced earlier. It had an
Buick Straight-8 engine
The Buick Straight-8 engine (Fireball 8) was produced from 1931 to 1953 and sold in Buick automobiles, replacing the Buick Straight-6 engine across the board in all models in 1931. Like many American automobile makers, Buick adopted the straight-e ...
OHV
An overhead valve (OHV) engine, sometimes called a ''pushrod engine'', is a piston engine whose valves are located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier flathead engines, where the valves were located bel ...
engine, developing 104 bhp of power at 2,800 rpm.
Due to its size, it was the top model of the Buick range, using the GM "
C-body" platform shared with the
Cadillac Series 355
The Cadillac V8 Series 355 was manufactured by Cadillac from 1931 until 1935. They were V8-cylinder cars, sold in several models: a 2-door coupe, club coupe, a 2-door convertible (car), convertible, 4-door convertible (car), convertible, a 4-door ...
. Closed car interiors came with
mohair
Mohair (pronounced ) is a fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat. (This should not be confused with Angora wool, which is made from the fur of the Angora rabbit.) Both durable and resilient, mohair is notable for its high luster ...
velvet interiors with retractable silk roller shades for rear side windows and the back window, and wool carpeting throughout.
Roadsters, Phaetons and convertibles came standard with leather interior.
Retail prices for the 7-passenger Limousine were US$2,035 ($ in dollars ). The Series 90 offered the same refinement and attention to detail, along with an eight-cylinder engine that Cadillac clients were paying a premium price for, while the Cadillac had an advanced for the time V8 while the Buick had a straight eight. Coachwork for Buick was exclusively supplied by
Fisher Body
Fisher Body was an automobile coachbuilder founded by the Fisher brothers in 1908 in Detroit, Michigan. A division of General Motors for many years, in 1984 it was dissolved to form other General Motors divisions. Fisher & Company (originally Allo ...
while arrangements could be made for the Buick chassis to be specially modified at a range of coachbuilders available.
Buick was also a contender against the
Packard Eight
The Packard Eight was a luxury automobile produced by Packard between 1924 and 1936, and was an all new platform that took the top market position from the earlier Packard Twin Six which was first introduced in 1916. When it was introduced, it was ...
in that both brands exclusively used straight eights of comparable displacement, while the Packard charged extra for the appearance and refinement that was manufactured on site at the Packard Factory but only offered an antiquated
flathead engine
A flathead engine, also known as a sidevalve engine''American Rodder'', 6/94, pp.45 & 93. or valve-in-block engine is an internal combustion engine with its poppet valves contained within the engine block, instead of in the cylinder head, as ...
.
The next year the size grew and a new high performance engine was introduced developing 113 hp. In 1933, the aesthetics of all Buicks were updated with a new, corporate "streamlined" appearance shared with all GM cars for that year due to GM's Art and Color Studio headed by
Harley Earl
Harley Jarvis Earl (November 22, 1893 – April 10, 1969) was an American automotive designer and business executive. He was the initial designated head of design at General Motors, later becoming vice president, the first top executive ever ...
.
In 1934, however, the running board was shortened and the engine output increased again, reaching 116 hp. In 1935 the appearance was updated, while the mechanics remained unchanged, and Buick manufactured 43,321. In 1936 the model changed its name to "90 Limited".
File:1931 Buick 96C convertible (34645408442).jpg, 1931 Buick Series 90 convertible
File:1932 Buick 91 (9030435337).jpg, 1932 Buick Series 90
Buick Limited (1936-1942)
The origins of the Limited name date to 1936 when Buick added names to its entire model lineup to celebrate the engineering improvements and design advancements over their 1935 models. It shared its chassis with the top-level
Cadillac Series 70
The Cadillac Series 70 (models 70 and 75) is a full-size V8-powered series of cars that were produced by Cadillac from the 1930s to the 1980s. It replaced the 1935 355E as the company's mainstream car just as the much less expensive Series 60 wa ...
vehicles. Buick had released a new line of cars that were technically superior to their predecessors by offering such features as all-steel passenger compartment tops (GM's Turret Top design), improved front suspension, improved hydraulic safety braking system, alloy engine pistons and an improved engine cooling system.
In 1938, the wheelbase was stretched 2 inches from 138 to , and the Limited, along with Roadmaster, lost its wooden structural members for steel, making them the last Buick passenger cars to rely upon wood components.
In 1939, Buick products underwent a substantial redesign; however, the Limited's "limited" production merited it to continue using its 1938 body. The 1939 Limited offered a sectioned rear compartment separating the driver from the rear passengers, and a glass partition could be raised to provide privacy.
AM radios were first offered as an option.
Behind the scenes, Cadillac executives lobbied to get the Limited out of production because it infringed on their market. While it was priced in the lower end of its Fleetwood series price point, the Limited was listed at US$2,453 ($ in dollars ) almost equaled Cadillac's factory built
Imperial Touring Limousine, which cost almost four times as much as the Buick, in its appointments. Buick executives asserted that Limited production averaged only 1,561 vehicles per year for model years 1938 through 1940, an insignificant amount compared to Cadillac's production of its senior cars.
For 1940 Buick renamed some of its Series designations and gave names instead. Buick's Series 40 was named the
Special
Special or specials may refer to:
Policing
* Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force
* Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer
Literature
* ''Specia ...
, the Series 50 became the
Super
Super may refer to:
Computing
* SUPER (computer program), or Simplified Universal Player Encoder & Renderer, a video converter / player
* Super (computer science), a keyword in object-oriented programming languages
* Super key (keyboard butt ...
, the Series 60 was named the
Century
A century is a period of 100 years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c.
A centennial or ...
, the Series 70 was named the
Roadmaster, and the Limited was given both the Series 80 and Series 90, with the Series 90 given to a limousine with a wheelbase and 8-passenger capacity. The engine was a
Buick Straight-8 engine
The Buick Straight-8 engine (Fireball 8) was produced from 1931 to 1953 and sold in Buick automobiles, replacing the Buick Straight-6 engine across the board in all models in 1931. Like many American automobile makers, Buick adopted the straight-e ...
, improving to by 1939.
Limiteds were the most expensive Buicks in production, riding on the company's longest wheelbase of , and the best appointed cars that Buick built. All Limiteds were built at the Buick factory in
Flint, Michigan
Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of 8 ...
, while all Cadillacs were built in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
at the Clark Street Facility while coachwork was provided by
Fisher Body
Fisher Body was an automobile coachbuilder founded by the Fisher brothers in 1908 in Detroit, Michigan. A division of General Motors for many years, in 1984 it was dissolved to form other General Motors divisions. Fisher & Company (originally Allo ...
.
Production of the Limited, and all Buick continued until the eve of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
when the last Buick was built February 2, 1942.
Following
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Buick dropped its extended wheelbase models, and cancelled the Series 90 Limited nameplate. The name Limited was truly appropriate to the cars themselves which were limited to touring sedans and limousines; its sales too were the smallest of Buick's entire model range:
File:1936 Buick Limited Series 90.jpg, 1936 Buick Limited Series 90
File:1937 Buick. Limited series - 90. (3593514158).jpg, 1937 Buick Limited Series 90
File:1938 Buick 8-90 Limited 01.jpg, 1938 Buick Limited Series 90
File:1940 Buick Limited Convertible Sedan (14364246085).jpg, 1940 Buick Limited Convertible Sedan
1958 Limited
The Buick Limited series was revived in 1958 as the ultimate Buick for the model year, using the
GM C platform
The C Platform, or C-body, name has been used twice by General Motors for its full-size car platform.
* 1925-1984 GM C platform (RWD)
* 1985-1996 GM C platform (FWD)
The C-body was used for the Pontiac Series 24/29 Torpedo, Oldsmobile 90, th ...
. In a model year where General Motors's answer to
Chrysler's "Forward Look" was to update its 1957 Buicks and Oldsmobiles by slathering them in excessive amounts of
chrome, the 1958 Buicks received the ultimate treatment. The 1958 models shared a common appearance on the top models for each brand; Cadillac Eldorado Seville, Buick Limited Riviera, Oldsmobile 98, Pontiac Bonneville Catalina, and the Chevrolet Bel-Air Impala
Each Buick
Special
Special or specials may refer to:
Policing
* Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force
* Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer
Literature
* ''Specia ...
,
Century
A century is a period of 100 years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c.
A centennial or ...
,
Super
Super may refer to:
Computing
* SUPER (computer program), or Simplified Universal Player Encoder & Renderer, a video converter / player
* Super (computer science), a keyword in object-oriented programming languages
* Super key (keyboard butt ...
and
Roadmaster received a ''Fashion-Aire Dynastar'' grille, cast of 160 chrome squares, each, according to Buick PR pieces, "shaped in a design to maximize the amount of reflective light". Buick also added quad headlights and three emblems bearing a stylized "V", one a medallion on the hood and the other two as gun-sight fender-toppers. The Buick "
Sweepspear" side trim, a styling hallmark since 1949, was joined by broad chrome panels attached to the rear quarter panels. Tail lights were housed in massive chrome housings; each trunk lid received a chrome grip in the center. Wheelbase was and long.
In comparison to the junior models in the Buick lineup, the Limited was slightly more restrained. Each Limited traded its chromed side panel trim for a body color-keyed insert decorated with fifteen slanted
hash marks
In sports, a hash mark or hash line is a short line/bar marking that is painted perpendicular to the sidelines or side barricades, used to help referees and players recognize on-field locations and visually measure distances. Hash marks serve th ...
(three groups of five). The Limited also received its own rear tail treatment that traded the heavy chrome tail light housings for a wraparound tail light lens broken up by four chrome bands. Rear bumper
"Dagmars" housed "Dual Jet" back-up lights. Power brakes were standard.
Available only as a 4-door hardtop, 2-door hardtop coupe or convertible, the Limited rode Buick's wheelbase, with its body stretched , just shy of nineteen feet in length. Inside, buyers were treated to high quality fabrics in sedans and coupes, full leather in convertibles.
Buick sold only 7,438 Limiteds, due in part to their price. The Limited's four-door hardtop sedan started at a base price of $5,112, ($ in dollars ) which was $221 ($ in dollars ) higher than Cadillac's extended deck
Series 62 four-door hardtop sedan at $4,891 ($ in dollars ) of which
Cadillac
The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed i ...
sold 13,335 units.
For the 1959 model year, Buick renamed its entire lineup, with the
Super
Super may refer to:
Computing
* SUPER (computer program), or Simplified Universal Player Encoder & Renderer, a video converter / player
* Super (computer science), a keyword in object-oriented programming languages
* Super key (keyboard butt ...
becoming the
Invicta, the
Roadmaster becoming the
Electra 225 and the Limited being discontinued due to lack of sales success.
File:Buick Convertible 1958 3.jpg, 1958 Buick Limited Riviera convertible
File:Buick Riviera Limited Coupe (Cruisin' At The Boardwalk '10).jpg, 1958 Buick Limited Riviera coupe
File:1958 Buick Limited.jpg, 1958 Buick Limited Riviera sedan rear
Limited trim package
The Limited name was used again in 1967 as a trim option on the Electra 225 Custom model and other models.
Between 1971-1979, Buick added the "Limited" name to its top trim Electra 225, which was previously known as the Electra 225 Custom. The cars were not badged as Electra 225s, but instead wore "Limited" scripts. However, these cars were Electra 225s, and in a break from tradition, the "Limited" trim level could be optioned with either the Park Avenue or Park Avenue DeLuxe options package, each even more well-equipped than the Limited model alone.
Buick continued to use the designation of "Limited" through 2005 on its various models to typically denote the highest trim level in a model range.
File:Buick Electra 225, 1965 (41616043425).jpg, 1965 Buick Electra 225 Limited
File:1973 Buick Electra 225 Limited (29069885071).jpg, 1973 Buick Electra 225 Limited
File:Buick Electra Limited 1975.jpg, 1975 Buick Electra 225 Limited
File:1979 Buick Electra Limited Landau Coupe, front left (Hershey 2019).jpg, 1979 Buick Electra Limited Landau Coupe
File:Buick Century Limited -- 03-24-2011 1.jpg, 1985 Buick Century Limited
File:Buick Skylark Limited (10022672263).jpg, 1985 Buick Skylark Limited
File:'86-'87 Buick Somerset Limited.jpg, 1986 Buick Somerset Limited
File:1987 Buick Regal Limited (1).jpg, 1987 Buick Regal Limited
File:1991 Buick Regal Limited Coupe (29497345741).jpg, 1991 Buick Regal Limited
File:Buick LeSabre Limited (6292736020).jpg, 1992 Buick LeSabre Limited
File:Buick Roadmaster Limited Estate Wagon 1996 (11499033763).jpg, 1996 Buick Roadmaster Estate Limited
File:1997 Buick Skylark Limited (29781481810).jpg, 1997 Buick Skylark Limited
File:1998 Buick LeSabre Limited, Emerald Green, front right.jpg, 1998 Buick LeSabre Limited
File:1999 Buick Century Limited, Front Left, 05-16-2020.jpg, 1999 Buick Century Limited
References
*
External links
King of the Road
{{Buick postwar timeline
Limited
Cars introduced in 1936
Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States