1940 Buick Century Convertible *Factory* Dual Side Mounts

[Steve-V]

1940 Buick Convertible Century.

The first Buick to go over 100mph!

This is a rare car with factory dual side mounts.  From what I understand, it is 1 of 7 cars with factory Dual Side Mounts.

Restored in Ohio about 10 years ago.  A lot of money went into this restoration.

Junior AACA 

Undercarriage, Interior, Paint, Etc is in Great Shape.

Gauges, Clock, & Radio Work great.

A wonderful & Comfortable Driver.  Turns heads left and right.

Top is manual, which is Tan with Red Trim.

Orginal Fuel Pump with Back up Electric Pump.

$69,000

Located in Central New Jersey

Any questions, welcome to send me a message.

Steve V

Edited June 30, 2018 by Steve-V
Edit title and Added picture of tag. (see edit history)

[Matt Harwood]

Fantastic car!

[Steve-V]

Thanks Matt!

[Gunsmoke]

Hmmm.... twin sidemounts and a spare in the trunk? I wonder if that was common for the era, i.e. sidemounts for show only?

[Bloo]

I remember someone posting a coupe that had 3 spares. "Traveling salesman in Texas" was one of the guesses.

 

On the other hand, maybe a more recent owner insisted on on a spare with some air in it. :D

 

 

[Daves1940Buick56S]

Nice car, but what is a Super 8 Convertible Century? It does not have the Torpedo body so must be either a Special or Century. The hood looks long enough for a Century, but not enough engine pics to be sure. Since so few 1940 Centurys were built, I hope for the seller's sake it is one.

 

Cheers, Dave

[Grimy]

3 hours ago, Gunsmoke said:

Hmmm.... twin sidemounts and a spare in the trunk? I wonder if that was common for the era, i.e. sidemounts for show only?

Very Uncommon for the era, more common for show cars today to prevent paint chips from actually using the sidemounted spares.

[Dynaflash8]

I also carry a spare in the trunk, but I take it out for shows, and he probably does too.  You can see that he doesn't have the luggage board overtop of the spare.  Fender spares are pretty, but a pain if you need a spare, and it is very easy to scratch the paint.  Now this car is not a SUPER.  It is either a Special or a Century.  If it is a Century it is very, very rare and equally fast.  In this condition, a Century would be the most valuable of all of the small-bodied models.  It is probably more valuable than the 80-90 series, except it is not a CCCA Full Classic if that matters.

[61polara]

The third spare is likely because the car is running radial tires and radials won't fit in the sidemount wells.

[neil morse]

I don't understand why people are questioning the seller's representation that this is a Century.  Is there any reason to doubt its authenticity?  Data plate says 66C.  Also, hood latch has Century script.

 

Edited June 30, 2018 by neil morse (see edit history)

[Matt Harwood]

Yes, no question that it's a Century. Probably the best-driving pre-war convertible you can own.

 

/braces for backlash from Packard guys

[Daves1940Buick56S]

50 minutes ago, neil morse said:

I don't understand why people are questioning the seller's representation that this is a Century.  Is there any reason to doubt its authenticity?  Data plate says 66C.  Also, hood latch has Century script.

 

That is my fault, I questioned that since the the original post title was confusing. The seller has fixed that and added a pic of the data plate that confirms 66C. Apologies and good luck, it looks like a nice car and is a rare beast as they say.

 

Cheers, Dave

[Steve-V]

6 minutes ago, Daves1940Buick56S said:

That is my fault, I questioned that since the the original post title was confusing. The seller has fixed that and added a pic of the data plate that confirms 66C. Apologies and good luck, it looks like a nice car and is a rare beast as they say.

 

Cheers, Dave

 

Sorry for the confusion.  I made it right and uploaded the tag & modified the title of the thread.  Unbelievable and Rare Car.  

[neil morse]

Ah, I get it now.  Gorgeous car -- I wish I could afford it!

[Dynaflash8]

7 hours ago, neil morse said:

I don't understand why people are questioning the seller's representation that this is a Century.  Is there any reason to doubt its authenticity?  Data plate says 66C.  Also, hood latch has Century script.

 

I wasn't, and I didn't go through the pictures of see that.  What got my attention was that he called it SUPER 8.    It "sure ain't no" Super. ?

[Dynaflash8]

7 hours ago, Dave Fields said:

Last year for sidemounts for Buick? Matt: I haven't driven a small Buick of that vintage, but I can tell you a 1940 Plymouth is an outstanding roadcar, better than Packards I have driven and I own them. Harlow Curtice, who ran Buick in these years was so outstanding he went on to Run General Motors.

I don't call a Century a "small Buick".  The Special was the "small Buick".  True enough the Century was smaller that the mammoth Roadmaster and Limited models, but it was longer from the cowl forward than a Special and carried the big 320 cid engine used in the Roadmaster and Limited.  It was like a race car.  The lighter car, bigger engine was a Curtice idea after he joined Buick in 1934.  The late Terry Dunham wrote articles about how the Century was so dominate on the race circuit that the budding NASCAR organization banned them by limiting engine size because they were running away from the other cars.  In other words they were potent in their time.  I wrote a magazine article years ago in "Special Interest Cars", about the first stock car race, held at Langhorne Speedway near Philadelphia, where Mark Light of Reading, PA drove a '39 Century coupe to victory.  Many drivers who became well known in NASCAR and other racing circuits, like Henry Banks, were in that race.  For some reason, after WWII the Century model was not reintroduced until 1954.  I've always thought a 1941 Century was the first "Muscle Car", that is if the first Century in 1936 wasn't.  That's how it got its name, as it could do an honest 100 mph....Ab Jenkins was doing the same thing with an Auburn on the salt flats in 1935.  The Buicks from 1936 through 1942 were wonderful cars.  Look at what Buick builds today; something no better than the mass of foreign cars with uncomfortable hard seats, ordinary mechanics and ugly styling.

Edited July 1, 2018 by Dynaflash8 (see edit history)

[Steve-V]

Here is a short video of the car.

 

 

[Dynaflash8]

I've been in AACA for 56 years and in the Buick Club of America for 52 years and in BCCA for 3-4 years before that.  I can't remember ever seeing a 1940 Century convertible, except for one yellow one frequently used on the AACA Sentimental Tour.  It is from Connecticut.  I met a young fellow (when I was a young fellow) in Baltimore many years ago who said he had one at home in the garage.  I left Baltimore area in 1993 and up to that time I never saw it.  I met him again one time at an auction and he said he still had it.  Rarer than the convertible was an opera coupe.  I've seen one of those in my life.  I visited Terry Boyce in Wichita, KS one time, and he had a 40 Century coupe at his home.  He later sold it.  I have heard they only built 87 1940 66-S cars.  Some Buick-lover with in a higher paygrade than me (and with more years left to amortize the cost) should jump on this car.  I only see one thing wrong with it.  It's missing the rear bumper gravel deflector (diamond design...while '39 is rectangle design and the 40 is in one piece while the '39 is two-piece).  A BCA member in Arkansas makes a reproduction of that panel.

Edited July 2, 2018 by Dynaflash8 (see edit history)

[Dynaflash8]

On 7/1/2018 at 7:26 AM, Dynaflash8 said:

I don't call a Century a "small Buick".  The Special was the "small Buick".  True enough the Century was smaller that the mammoth Roadmaster and Limited models, but it was longer from the cowl forward than a Special and carried the big 320 cid engine used in the Roadmaster and Limited.  It was like a race car.  The lighter car, bigger engine was a Curtice idea after he joined Buick in 1934.  The late Terry Dunham wrote articles about how the Century was so dominate on the race circuit that the budding NASCAR organization banned them by limiting engine size because they were running away from the other cars.  In other words they were potent in their time.  I wrote a magazine article years ago in "Special Interest Cars", about the first stock car race, held at Langhorne Speedway near Philadelphia, where Mark Light of Reading, PA drove a '39 Century coupe to victory.  Many drivers who became well known in NASCAR and other racing circuits, like Henry Banks, were in that race.  For some reason, after WWII the Century model was not reintroduced until 1954.  I've always thought a 1941 Century was the first "Muscle Car", that is if the first Century in 1936 wasn't.  That's how it got its name, as it could do an honest 100 mph....Ab Jenkins was doing the same thing with an Auburn on the salt flats in 1935.  The Buicks from 1936 through 1942 were wonderful cars.  Look at what Buick builds today; something no better than the mass of foreign cars with uncomfortable hard seats, ordinary mechanics and ugly styling.

I think I have found a digitized version of an 8mm movie from the Langhorne race mentioned above.  Go to https://www.google.com/search?q=Langhorne+Speedway+1939&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=kQwPohPMMjW-VM%3A%2Ct_fRHG1TtAq-sM%2C_&usg=__LFziam64dLanCGwgoXrfLyLHCjs%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwibpOePqYDcAhXH7VMKHTsRAkUQ9QEIbzAM#imgrc=kQwPohPMMjW-VM:

on Google.  The film was digitized by the AACA Library and I think I can see the Mark Light '39 Century coupe leading the race at one point.  The race was 100 laps and the Century ran out of gas just before what was thought to be the end of the race.  The win was giving to Bill Swope of York, PA dring a '39 Buick Special convertible.  Then there was a big argument and the laps were recounted.  It was found that the Century ran out of gas just after the 100th lap and the win awarded to Mark Light.  As best I could determine, the argument really never ended.  Ted Nugent, owner of the car that won the 1950 Indianapolis Speedwy race drove a '39 Oldsmobile to a 4th place finish.  Henry Banks was way back in a '38 Buick, as was Joey Chitwood driving a Ford.  Those are the big names I can remember from my research many, many years ago.  Ted Nugent's widow provided me with a scrapbook full of pictures which I returned to her after the research.  I think the article was in issue nr 2 of Special Interest Autos.  Mark Light never responded to my letters.

[Pete Phillips]

Just looked up the production figures for 1940 Century model 66-C convertible coupe: 542 made.  I think this is the first one I've seen and I've been in the Buick Club for 41 years.

Pete Phillips, BCA #7338

Leonard, TX

[JACK M]

That Langhorne track looks almost exactly round.

[daniel boeve]

Indeed a very nice car and i am tempted to make an offer but at this moment that is impossible because i am in Europe and somebody will impose 25% taxes on all cars coming to the US and later going out of the US as counter measure  .I already did get a warrant from my shipper that this can happen real fast and by the time the car gets shipped and everybody paid  i will maybe have to pay that extra tax .But good for the US collectors as more cars will stay in the US now at lesser prices because exporting them  will get very expensive for the overseas buyer .

[Steve-V]

11 hours ago, daniel boeve said:

Indeed a very nice car and i am tempted to make an offer but at this moment that is impossible because i am in Europe and somebody will impose 25% taxes on all cars coming to the US and later going out of the US as counter measure  .I already did get a warrant from my shipper that this can happen real fast and by the time the car gets shipped and everybody paid  i will maybe have to pay that extra tax .But good for the US collectors as more cars will stay in the US now at lesser prices because exporting them  will get very expensive for the overseas buyer .

 

Thank you.  I think this price is VERY reasonable considering the rarity of the car.  

[kingrudy]

Beautiful car, someone will be very fortunate have her.

 

Mike 

[Steve-V]

Still Available.  Offers Considered.  Auction Site Soon.

[Walt G]

there was an original black Century conv coupe here on long Island for decades ( no sidemounted tires)  owned by a friend who bought it from the original owner that lived  in Oyster Bay. He eventually sold the car  . that 320 cu in engine used by Buick in 1940 was amazing. I have a 1940 Roadmaster conv sedan (uses the same engine as the Century) and the car is very fast , but no matter how fast you go there is no sensation of speed.  I love the car , and I bought it in California by word of mouth and friends went to look at it for me, on its way east to my home here on long island I had it checked over and sorted by Doug Seybold in Ohio.  My car was at one time owned by the Hell's Angels and used by them to haul their motor cycles in the rear seat area.  Had a great cosmetic restoration in 1972 and engine is pretty much original not restored with the exception of perhaps a valve job at some point. A no rust ever car. Join the BCA if you own a Buick.

[Pomeroy41144]

I think Barney Breeze of Indiana had a 1940 Century Convertible with sidemounts.  I think his son Tom still owns it.  

[Matt Harwood]

People just don't seem to understand what excellent cars pre-war Buicks are. They poo-pooh them as if they're something weird. Almost everyone I know who has driven a Buick with a 320 in it has ended up owning one, and those who sell them always regret it. This Century convertible is arguably the best of them all--fast, easy to handle, good brakes, comfortable ride, and oh so much power. I've already told the story about how my Limited limousine humiliated a '41 Packard (with overdrive) and how angry that guy got about it--this Century is 600 pounds lighter with essentially the same engine (the dual carbs are more cosmetic than functional anyway) and better gears for high-speed cruising. Very few cars made before 1950 can touch this Buick in the real world.

 

If you can afford this car and you're looking at late pre-war convertible Packards or Lincolns or Cadillacs because you don't want to own "just" a Buick, you're making a HUGE mistake. I guarantee this car drives better than any of them. If you don't mind not being in the CCCA (which is really a non-issue these days) then this is the car to own. 

 

And sidemounts, no less!

 

Yeah, this is the one. 

[JustDave]

Why are the 60 series Buick’s so rars

[Steve-V]

?