Wanted: Differences Explained Between 1941 B-body & C-body cars.

[Grant Z]

As I have only owned Buicks for a mere 5 years, I'm still trying to work out the differences between both B & C-Bodied cars.

 

I have & drive a 1941 Series-A Special Business Coupe, and I've learnt that this uses the same Fisher body as the 1941 Chevy.

 

But now that I own (and am restoring) a 1941 Roadmaster 76C, I'm trying to find out what are the differences in the bodies of say a 56S & a 76S. Apart from the longer chassis & front sheet metal (due to the small & large engine series used), are the bodies (windscreen to rear of car) different in any way? I assume they must be or there wouldn't be both a B-body & a C-body.

 

The image below is the best information I have found so far but still doesn't seem to answer my specific question regarding the B-body & C-body differences.

Edited January 3 by Grant Z
Improved wording (see edit history)

[neil morse]

3 hours ago, Grant Z said:

I'm trying to find out what are the differences in the bodies of say a 56S & a 76S.

Grant, your question is confusing because in your example you have picked two models -- 56C and 76C -- which both had the C body.  Yes, the bodies in those two models are the same from the windshield back.  The text you posted pretty much sums it up.  The Special used either the A or B body.  The Century used the B body.  The Super and the Roadmaster used the C body. 

 

As far as what the differences are between the B and C bodies, if you do an image search on Google for "41 Buick Special" or "Century," and compare the images to a search for "41 Buick Super" or "Roadmaster," you will see the differences.  The B body sedan was a six window (with a window behind the rear door) whereas the C body sedan had "blind quarters," i.e. no windows behind the rear doors.  The B body coupes were the "fastback" design, whereas the C body coupes were more conventional five window coupes.  The main innovation of the C body was the elimination of any running boards (either exterior or interior), so that the passenger compartment was significantly wider.

 

I'm pretty sure I've gotten this all correct, but I'm sure others will chime in if I've made any errors.

 

I wish you the best of luck with your Roadmaster convertible restoration!  I'm really looking forward to seeing your progress as you move along.

 

Neil

[kgreen]

I think I see a second question that also interests me.  How to visually tell the differences between the 1941 50 and 70 series cars.  The 1940 models seem easier for me to differentiate, are there key difference in the '41?

[Daves1940Buick56S]

Longer hood on the 70 series. The flat area on the front fender between the front door edge and where the fender starts to flare out is a few inches wider on the 70 series.

Edited January 4 by Daves1940Buick56S (see edit history)

[Andrew_Latvia]

17 minutes ago, Daves1940Buick56S said:

Longer hood on the 70 series. The flat area on the front fender between the front door edge and where the fender starts to flare out is a few inches wider on the 70 series.

Buick Super

 

Buick Roadmaster

[Shootey]

Count the louvres- four for super, five for Roadmaster. Same method to distinguish Special from Century. This is helpful when viewing internet views of cars in a junkyard.
 

I’m also familiar with the 1938 Specials and Centuries. On them the louvres are the same length  so one needs to focus on the distance between the rear end of the louvres and the rear end of the hood side panel. I don’t have the exact measurements but the Special is maybe 1 inch while the Century is maybe 5 inches. 

[Grant Z]

On 1/4/2024 at 12:43 PM, neil morse said:

Grant, your question is confusing because in your example you have picked two models -- 56C and 76C -- which both had the C body.  Yes, the bodies in those two models are the same from the windshield back.  The text you posted pretty much sums it up.  The Special used either the A or B body.  The Century used the B body.  The Super and the Roadmaster used the C body. 

 

As far as what the differences are between the B and C bodies, if you do an image search on Google for "41 Buick Special" or "Century," and compare the images to a search for "41 Buick Super" or "Roadmaster," you will see the differences.  The B body sedan was a six window (with a window behind the rear door) whereas the C body sedan had "blind quarters," i.e. no windows behind the rear doors.  The B body coupes were the "fastback" design, whereas the C body coupes were more conventional five window coupes.  The main innovation of the C body was the elimination of any running boards (either exterior or interior), so that the passenger compartment was significantly wider.

 

I'm pretty sure I've gotten this all correct, but I'm sure others will chime in if I've made any errors.

 

I wish you the best of luck with your Roadmaster convertible restoration!  I'm really looking forward to seeing your progress as you move along.

 

Neil

Hi Neil, of course you are correct, sorry. I got myself confused. I now realise that the 56C & 76C both would be identical from the windscreen back.

 

Sorry, I'm a slow learner!😩

 

An extra question. Would it be fair to say that to compare a 1941 model 44 (A-body - as in my Series-A Special Business Coupe), with a 1941 76S (C-body Roadmaster Sport Coupe), there would be no 2 panels on the car that are the same, also the chassis, engine & transmission are also different, even though they are both 1941 Buicks? If so I find this astounding!

[Grant Z]

On 1/5/2024 at 6:12 AM, kgreen said:

I think I see a second question that also interests me.  How to visually tell the differences between the 1941 50 and 70 series cars.  The 1940 models seem easier for me to differentiate, are there key difference in the '41?

I assume you can tell from the above answers that the simplest way is the hood vents. 4 for the small engine cars (Specials & Supers), 5 vents for the big engine cars (Century, Roadmaster & Limited).

[neil morse]

7 hours ago, Grant Z said:

An extra question. Would it be fair to say that to compare a 1941 model 44 (A-body - as in my Series-A Special Business Coupe), with a 1941 76S (C-body Roadmaster Sport Coupe), there would be no 2 panels on the car that are the same, also the chassis, engine & transmission are also different, even though they are both 1941 Buicks? If so I find this astounding!

 

I think you are correct, but I'm not sure I agree that it's "astounding."  This would be expected when a manufacturer sets out to offer several different series in the same year.  Keep in mind that many, many parts were still interchangeable between the different series even if the body panels were not.  Plus, Buick got the A-body from Chevy.  (And the C-body was shared with Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac.)

[Shootey]

1941 was an “astounding” year for Buick. They had 6 lines of cars-A body special, B body Special, Super, Century, Roadmaster and Limited. And they had 3 lines with convertibles-A body, Super and Roadmaster. On top of that there were the Brunn cars. Buick was riding high and then Pearl Harbor happened.