1938 Buick Y-Job Concept
Generously lent by the GM Heritage Center, Sterling Heights, Michigan
Images courtesy of the GM Heritage Center.
The first American concept “Car of the Future”.
13” wheels helped its long and low design.
Imagine how futuristic this car looked on the road in the 1930s!
The Y-Job accompanied 16 other amazing GM concept cars for a never before seen on the east coast, 2019 exhibition Styling the Future: A History of GM Design & Concept Cars.
Harley Earl, General Motors first designated head of design created the industry’s first concept car. Built on a 1937 Buick chassis, Earl sought to combine his vision of the automobile with new technologies and features to create a benchmark for future designs. Features like hidden headlights, flush door handles, a convertible top concealed by a metal deck, and electrically operated windows all found their way into production cars. In 1939 the press reported the Y-Job was more than a concept car, it was the “Car of the Future”.
After designing the 1931 Cadillac V16, Harley Earl wanted to introduce his vision of combining automobiles with future technology. Coined the “Dream Car”, he used this vision when he created the 1938 Buick Y-Job, which was considered to be the world’s first concept car. It was called the “Y-Job”, due to the letter, “Y”, being used for experimental aircraft at the time. The Y-Job was GM’s first trial run experimenting with different designs on cars. Not only did Harley Earl design the car, but he also later used it as his daily driver.
The Y-Job was a styling breakthrough because it allowed the automobile to be lower and longer in terms of appearance and design, which foreshadowed the cars to come in the late 1940s. In 1948, a wire service reporter photographed the Y-Job on the streets of Detroit and thought it was a brand new 1949 Buick! The headlights of the car were specifically designed to “blink” as the top and bottom covers opened up horizontally.
The engine in the Y-Job was a 320 cu in straight-eight that developed 141 hp at 3600 rpm. The car measured 208 in long and 74 in wide. The long and swooping lines of the car allowed it to have a low roofline at only 58in. The dashboard of the Y-Job set the tone for future Buicks with its center-mounted speedometer, clear round dials, and radio controls. The seats resembled a bench design and the accelerator pedal’s heel went into the floor to give room for Harley’s large stature. The wheel size on the Y-Job was quite small, at 13in, which helped its long and low design. Additionally, the car was fitted with a Bendix power steering unit that allowed smooth steering at all speeds. The Y-Job’s power steering wasn’t available on other cars until the 1950s.
Specifications:
Engine: Inline 8-cylinder, 320 cu in.
Horsepower: 141 @ 3600 rpm.
Transmission: 3 speed manual.
Steering: Bendix power steering unit.
Other: Electronically controlled windows & convertible top.