Search Results

The Buick Y-Job, produced by Buick in 1938, was the auto industry's first concept car (a model intended to show new technology or designs but not be mass-produced for sale to consumers). It used a Buick Super chassis, indicated by the "Super" located above the rear license plate. The car had power-operated hidden headlamps, a "gunsight" hood ornament, electric windows,[4] wraparound bumpers, flush door handles, and prefigured styling cues used by Buick until the 1950s and the vertical waterfall grille design still used by Buick today. Harley J. Earl designed the car. The car was driven for several years by Harley Earl until he replaced it with a 1951 model car. Sometime after that, the car was restored at the Henry Ford Museum, until 1993, when it was returned to the GM Design Center. The "Y" in the name has two explanations: All experimental cars were called "X," so Earl went to the next letter in the alphabet. Earl selected the "Y" designation because it was used extensively in the aviation industry, denoting the most advanced prototypes. In 2001, Buick recreated the Y-job with modern advancements called the Buick Blackhawk, drawing extensively. In Summary: The 1938 Buick Y-Job was the auto industry's first concept car. Designed by Harley J. Earl, the car had power-operated hidden headlamps, a "gun sight" hood ornament, electric windows, wraparound bumpers, flush door handles, and prefigured styling cues used by Buick until the 1950s. The vertical waterfall grille design is still used by Buick today! Source & Image: wiki 1938 Buick Y-Job