Advertising for the 1936 Buick described it as “styled for a party but powered for a thrill.” The aesthetics were impressive, led by this high grille flanked by torpedo lights on the fenders.
1936 marked the first appearance of well-known Buick names such as Century and Roadmaster. The Buick was available in the following models: Special (series 40), Century (series 60), Roadmaster (series 80) and Limited (series 90).
The “thrill” for all except the series 40 was provided by a valve-in-head straight-eight 120-hp engine. Buick bragged that it would go ten to sixty miles an hour in less than 20 seconds.
The 1936 Buick was an unqualified success. When the new cars began arriving at dealers in 1935, Buick was aiming at a sales volume of 135,000 for the 1936 program. According to the Standard Catalog of American Cars, Buick far exceeded that goal with calendar year sales of 164,861.
