This, plus lowered compression, dropped horsepower to 110 (118 with Compound Carb­uretion). Murder charges in opposition to Lewis were dropped when he reached a plea deal, agreeing to testify towards others in the group and pay a positive of $250,000. The 12 months was 2001 and the Texas Rangers had been looking for a marquee player to cause them to the World Series, or at least the American League playoffs, a level of postseason play they hadn’t reached in franchise historical past. The Special now offered 220 bhp, other models 255. A Century could leap from 0-60 mph in 10.5 seconds and top 110 mph, and each ’56 Buick might do no less than a hundred mph. The Porsche 911 GT2 produces 530 horsepower and 505 foot-pounds of torque, and might get to 60 in 3.6 seconds. For 2006 a new base engine added ten horsepower. Initially, Fairlane supplied two- and 4-door sedans in base and sportier 500 trim, plus a bucket-seat 500 Sport Coupe. A brand new idea was the fastback, provided in Century and forty Special trim as a 4-door touring sedan and two-door business coupe and sedanet. Lincoln-Zephyr saw just 14 copies in the Series 80. More widespread was the $1952 Series eighty convertible sedan (phaeton) with conventional traces, although solely 250 had been called for.

This 12 months noticed the ultimate Century mannequin; Super and Roadmaster variations would run one yr more. Harley Earl’s team successfully translated aircraft themes to an vehicle, and only a hint of the previous separate rear fenders remained on Super and Roadmaster. The center-mounted speedometer remained part of the basic interior layout. Compound Carburetion didn’t return either, so Special/Super remained at 110 bhp. This was normal on other ’41s, leading to 165 bhp for the 320 engine. As well as, he mounted the engine in the front of the automobile, near the front two wheels. Cylinder-head cracks and excessive oil burning had been the commonest, but some engine mounts labored loose and ignition problems cropped up. Styling was cleaned up via single as a substitute of double aspect moldings, simpler grille, and the first of Buick’s distinctive “gun-sight” hood ornaments. The Estate wagon shifted from Super to Special but cost some $200 greater than in 1940. Reflecting its strong sales, Special cut up into two subseries: 121-inch-wheelbase forty and 118-inch 40A. Styling was evolutionary, with a bolder, heavier grille and revised “ports” on the hood sides. Their Special counterparts continued to dominate gross sales of that two-collection line (realigned into 40A and 40B on 118- and 121-inch wheelbases, respectively).

Wheelbases have been 121 inches for Special (as for 1942’s Series 40B), 124 for Super, 129 for Roadmaster. Buick’s most eye-catching ‘forty nine was the Roadmaster Riviera, launched at midyear along with Cadillac’s Coupe de Ville and Oldsmobile’s Holiday. The natty Century convertible sport phaeton sold for simply $1713, the sport coupe for $1175. Priced above them — and still with the brawny 320.2-cid eight — were Century (60) and Roadmaster (now Series 70) on 126-inch chassis, plus two Limited lines: 133-inch-wheelbase Series eighty and 140-inch Series ninety (the latter confined to long sedans and limousines). Sidemount spare tires had been nonetheless obtainable, however not as incessantly ordered. For huge spenders, Brunn nonetheless provided customized-bodied Limiteds, although far fewer than in the halcyon pre-Depression days. Buffalo’s Brunn was additionally still doing customs in 1940, including one fairly conventional city car on the Roadmaster platform. Flint had a banner 1941, with model-year production soaring to 374,000. Leading that 12 months’s line have been lovely and opulent Brunn customs on the Limited chassis: phaeton, city car, landau brougham, and full landau. Along with that year’s new Thunderbird, it announced Ford’s turn to “aero” styling. Buick abandoned the increasingly unpopular rumble-seat ragtop for ’39, however scored a security innovation with flashing turn signals, put in at the rear as a part of the trunk emblem.

Signaling the imminent demise of midsize Buick convertibles (ragtop sales were all the way down to a trickle industrywide), Skylark hardtop coupes supplied a fold-back cloth sunroof as a new ’72 choice. Flint closed out the decade with decrease-wanting 1939 models mildly face-lifted with “waterfall” grilles, “streamboards” (non-obligatory concealed running boards), and a sunroof option on some models. Is working to my sofa an option? The supercharged model was only some $1100 upstream, and even a full choice load ­wouldn’t push it a lot past $32 grand. There have been even Naga2000 of homeowners blatantly “flipping” barely used GTs in pursuit of a fats, quick revenue. For many who felt standing was everything, there was always Cadillac. While the primary postwar Buicks were principally ’42s, there were fewer of them: Special, Super, and Roadmaster sedans and sedanets; Super and Roadmaster convertibles; Super Estate wagon; no Centurys or Limiteds; just one Special sequence. Two-door sedanets were new for Super and Roadmaster. Foodies shouldn’t miss a visit to the flagship Whole Foods Market (550 Bowie St) or to Austin’s Central Market (4001 North Lamar).