1936 Buick Special Series 40 4-Door

This Buick Special was driven by our founder and Chairman, Mel Martin, in the 1997 Great Race from Sonoma, California, to Jacksonville, Florida.

The Buick Special was usually Buick's lowest-priced model, starting out as a full-size car in 1936. The Special was built for several decades and was offered as a coupe, sedan and later as a station wagon. The 1936 model year was very successful for Buick and marked the first time Buick used model names rather than the simple serial numbers used in previous years.

The 1936 models were restyled with turret top bodies, vee-type windshields, wedge-shaped radiators, bullet-shaped headlights, and twin taillamps. New mechanical improvements included the hydraulic brakes, an independent front suspension, improved water temperature control, and new alloy pistons.

The combined Series 40 Special production for 1936 was just over 113,000 cars accounting for approximately 67% of Buick's total production that year. This Buick Special was driven by our founder and Chairman, Mel Martin, in the 1997 Great Race from Sonoma, California, to Jacksonville, Florida.