"But the only number Harlow Curtice [Buick General Manager] was thinking about now was 40 -- the designation for the new smaller Buick. A glance at the 1934 line indicated how desperately it was needed. To get the car into production as quickly as possible required the cooperation of Chevrolet, then using the body which the new series would require, and Fisher Body, the division building it."
This is not completely so, I think. The 40's body was indeed by Fisher, but it was based on Pontiac, rather than Chevrolet. The wheel bases of the Chevrolet Master and Pontiac Eight respectively were 112 and 117.5 inches (2845 and 2985 mm) and the new Buick 40's was 117 inches (2972 mm), essentially the same as Pontiac's.
This similarity is illustrated in the photos below. Unless noted, images are of cars listed for sale.
Aft of the cowling, this body is the same as those shown below aside from integral versus detached trunks.
The Pontiac, having an in-line eight cylinder motor instead of a six, had a longer hood, improving its appearance.
I'm using this photo of a 1935 Buick because my '34 image includes a fender-mounted spare tire that obscures frontal features. Compare door and hood cutlines with the cars shown above, as well as door hinge positions. The hood is as long as Pontiac's, and the locations of the side air vents are nearly the same. Clearly, the Buick 40's body is more Pontiac than Chevrolet, though the passenger compartment zones are essentially the same for all three brands. Chevrolet may indeed have provide Buick with some body engineering help, however. One distinct Buick feature is the profile of the aft end: note the smaller side window abaft of the C-pillar.
Front quarter view.
Buick buyers got a more impressive grille that was narrower, but otherwise similar to those on larger 1934 Buicks.
The Pontiac and Buick in the last two photos must have been actually driven and the owners maybe figured out that no one knows what the sticking your arm out the window signals mean so they put amber turn signals in front. I don't think turn signals were much of a thing then, and amber wasn't until the early 60's.
ReplyDeleteThey both have lights on the tops of the front fenders though.
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