(from GM Press Release & SW) The 1938
Buick Y-Job is generally considered the industry's first concept car.
Created by General Motors Styling and Buick Engineering, it was designed
by Harley J. Earl, GM's first design chief, and built on a production
Buick chassis modified by Charlie Chayne, then Buick's chief engineer.
Power was supplied by a Buick 320 cubic inch straight 8.
Buick called it "Y" because so many
makers dubbed experimental cars "X." Styling and mechanical features of
the "Y Job" showed up on GM products, particularly Buick and Cadillac,
throughout the '40s. Particularly noteworthy is the introduction of a
wide horizontal
grille with thin vertical bars, which remains a Buick styling feature to
this day.
The car served as Harley's Earl personal
transportation for many years, until he replaced it with the 1951
General Motors LeSabre dream car.
