1942 buick special 48S with plastc interior door handles and window regulators

[1922bigsix]

I bought a well preserved 1942 buick in the fall of 2020 from the second owner. It is a 118” wheel base special 2 dr sedanet. I was surprised to find it had plastic interior door handles, window and vent window cranks (see attached picture). It also has the same trunk bezel as my 1941 buick special 2dr sedanet (121” wheel base) except the upper part on the ‘42 bezel is black and chrome plated on the ‘41. I’m curious if others have a ‘42 buick with any of these features.

[valk]

Needed that door/window crank metal for the war effort? 

[DLynskey]

I would say you got an unexpected bonus -- a blackout model made the last couple of months before production stopped entirely for the war effort. As chrome and other metals became scarce the government limited what was available, and manufacturers had to substitute plastic and other materials (I've even seen reports of wood bumpers on some of the last few 1942 cars). People have been known to  paint over the chrome on earlier 1942 autos to make them look like blackout models. It looks yours is genuine.

 

A search on this AACA forum will turn up a number of threads on 1942 blackout cars.

 

Don

[1922bigsix]

This is not a blackout model as it has no H before the model year and was sold on November 7, 1941. 

[1922bigsix]

[1922bigsix]

The nov 1941 buick magazine mentions that some plastic door handles and window cranks were being used in the 1942 buicks.

[JRHaelig]

Regardless of pedigree or provenance,  that is a very attractive car.  Enjoy!

[Pete Phillips]

1922BigSix, this sounds like a Buick Bugle article waiting to be put together and published! Can you send me photos of your car and scans or photos of that article in the Nov. 1941 magazine?

Pete Phillips, Editor

The Buick Bugle

pphillips922@gmail.com