1940 Buick 51-C Super Four Door Convertible Statistics

[40 Buick 51c]

1. I have been researching my car and while looking up the production numbers I have found some descrepancies. According to Seventy years of Buick there were 529 produced for domestic use and 40 for export, but when I look at the Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805- 1942 it says that there were a total of 1,351 procuced (it doesn't specify domestic and export). Which one is correct?

2. Also, according to what I've read the 51-C and 56-C were added mid year. Does anyone know what month production began?


3. Seventy Years of Buick says that the 1940 Buick Super was available with or without running boards and Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805 - 1942 says that they were only available without running boards. Which is correct.

Are these questions that would fall into Dave Corbins expertise?

[Mark Shaw]

Short answer is yes...., but Dave's focus has been on frame and engine numbers to determine if your engine is original to your car. He should be able to determine how many were actually made.

[40 Buick 51c]

Thanks Mark, that's what I thought. Have had Dave date my car based on engine and frame number and now I'm trying to clarify some questions that that has raised.

[40 Buick 51c]

(Dear Darryl:
The numbers you give (frame 1 3,799,019 and engine 5 3,992,415) are for a Flint built car, with an engine probably built in the last two days of March 1940 and installed about a week later in a car assembled around April 8, 1940.
Regards, Dave Corbin
Dear Darryll:
I looked at that factory tag picture. I think that the number 140644 is what's known as an "FO" number. That stands for "Factory Order' and would indicate that Buick did something very unusual on the car. It would include possibly the paint and trim, but also indicates something else is unusual. I have seen a similiar number on two or three Buicks, all of which had something different about them. One was a 1939 that had a divider window in a convertible sedan and another was a car that had a foldup second windshield factory installed in a convertible sedan.
Check your car closely and you may find a very odd or unusual feature.
Regards, Dave Corbin)

This is the information that Dave Provided. I am trying determine what the FO number was for. So far I can't find anything that seems out of the ordinary. The only thing that seems to be unusual is the fact that my car was produced on a FO in early April and according to the books I've read the convertible Supers were not offered until mid year. That's why I would like to know when they started producing them. Would they have built the prototype on the line or am I barking up the wrong tree. Is there any place where you can research FO numbers?

[Glassesguy]

28-41 Chassis Parts Book lists as folows: Gr. 8.299 Board Package, Running
1393004 1940 Series 50; 1393005 1940 Series 70. "Includes running boards and all necessary parts for installation on 1940 50-70".
The boards listed separately are as follows: 1437341 1940 50-70 (Right) "special equipment" ; 1437342 1940 50-70 (Left) "special equipment"
I used quote marks to indicate the actual words in the parts book.
This wording would seem to indicate the running boards could be added to any Series 50 or 70 body style.
I understand adding running boards was also an option on the corresponding Cadillac bodies as well.
Hope this helps.

[michel88]

Darryl,

The 40 Buick Supers and Roadmasters were not available with running boards as far as I know because the body style did not work for them. The Special, Century and Limiteds had the non-torpedo style body that worked with runningboards.

[DaveCorbin]

Dear Daryll:
Here's the production info you asked about.
Buick built 529 Model 51C's for USA use and 5 for export. Production for the model year started in July 1939, but there weren't any 51C's built until Feb. 1940, when 17 were made.
56C's had 4784 built plus 40 for export. This information is taken directly from Buick monthly reports of fiinished cars, of which I have copies.
Regards, Dave Corbin

[Tom Laferriere]

Interesting info. I have recently acquired a 1940 Super Phaeton.