Auto World 1938 Buick Y-Job
The First Concept Car Was Harley Earl’s Masterpiece
There is some ambiguity as to what constitutes a concept car versus a show car, and there is no one universally accepted specific definition. But generally speaking, a concept car is a one-off machine built to explore styling themes, showcase technical advances, generate excitement, and/or gauge consumer interest in individual features or design elements rather than in the model as a whole. Such a car tends not to have a clear connection to a production model or even to models planned for future production. This last is the key difference between concept and show cars; the latter does tend to preview a production model or at least major features or styling planned for an upcoming model. Concept-car features can and do make their way to production—especially if they achieve the desired consumer buzz—but they tend to be taken piecemeal and applied to existing models. Certainly such was the case with the Y-Job.
Its power-operated clamshellstyle hideaway headlamps, electrically operated windows, and power top that disappeared under a hinged rear deck (rather than a traditional cloth tonneau cover) would all find their way onto various production models in the coming years. The Y-Job also introduced the “waterfall” vertical-bar grille that became a signature Buick styling element starting in 1942, and that endures even to today!
The 1:18 Y-Job you see here marks something of a departure for Auto World, which is best
Harley Earl was known as the master of the concept car; his Motorama shows during the 1950s set new standards for the industry, providing a world-class showcase for General Motors’ most cutting-edge concepts. But Earl had actually invented the concept car nearly 20 years earlier, and that car—the Buick Y-Job— is arguably his single greatest creation.
known for its American Muscle series of 1:18 muscle cars and numerous 1:64 offerings. The Y-Job hails from a completely different era and genre, but don’t think for a second that that means the company is out of its element with this replica. Auto World re-creates it beautifully, starting with the deceptively complex contours, which feature numerous compound curves. The car rides on a 126-inch-wheelbase Buick Century chassis, but unlike the heavy rear quarters of that sedan, the sleek boat tail on the 2-seater Y-Job makes it look much smaller. The Y-Job did have a top, so it was technically a convertible rather than a speedster, but it is almost always photographed with the top down, and that is (of course) how Auto World depicts it, yielding an excellent look at the 2-place interior. I suppose that, technically, three people might ride in it by virtue of the bench seat, made possible by the lever for the 3-speed manual transmission being mounted on the column (considered an upscale luxury feature of the day). There is reasonable detail on the dashboard that depicts a two-tone metal motif, and the gauges have legible markings. The best feature of the interior is probably the steering wheel, with its chrome spokes, black enamel rim and center button, and elaborate center crest. A chrome dash-mounted rearview mirror and chrome door handles and cranks for the wing windows (the main window glass was power operated) round out the interior.
The 320-cubic-inch straight-8 engine first introduced in 1936 was a Buick institution, and it was shared with all the brand’s top production models, such as the Roadmaster, the Limited, and the sportiest Centurys, for the next 18 years. Sometimes referred to as the “Dynaflash Straight-8,” it made 141hp in 1938, and that’s the version that powers the Y-Job. It’s pretty tough to see (or photograph) because of the deep drop to the hood sides and short throw of its hinges, but the detail is there. A bit of detail can be found under the boat-tail trunk lid too. It actually opens wider than the hood, giving a nice look at a finned chrome wheel without a Buick-embossed hubcap, as well as the wide Uniroyal whitewall with the brand name deftly molded into the side. In a reversal of today’s practice, Earl specified a smaller wheel diameter than on production models (tiny 13-inch wheels instead of the usual 15-inchers) to give the car a lower stance, which he felt would make it look sportier.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Y-Job is credited by many as Harley Earl’s most important design. Without question, it was his personal favorite. When it had completed its tour of the auto shows, Earl claimed it. Because it had been built on a fully functional Century rolling chassis, it operated much
like any ordinary road-going Buick—albeit the most dapperlooking Buick ever. It was practical enough that he used it to commute to work for several years, racking up more than 50,000 miles on the odometer! That fact helped cement the reputations of both man and machine: Earl as the colorful head of GM’s Art and Colour Division and the charismatic face of GM design through the most important era in the company’s history, and the Y-Job as the greatest concept car of all time. Auto World’s model delivers the style and character of the car in its typical fashion—blending detail and value in a formula that has inspired tremendous customer brand loyalty in the muscle car segment. It should here as well—the Y-Job is a winner.