Claimed to have been in the possession of a Buick dealership owner for 40 years, this 1940 Buick Super sedan is looking for new digs. The current owner, who acquired it in 1985, claims that it is all original right down to its 23K miles of use. Hmmm, OK, let’s examine this one further. It’s located in Hanover, Massachusetts and is available, here on craigslist for $24,900. T.J gets a nod and a wink for this find!

I think the color is what originally caught my attention, this shade of blue is one that I normally wouldn’t associate with a car from this era. It’s probably just old thought – everything was supposed to be black or gray – no “rainbow” colors in those days as my grandfather used to say. Beyond that is the body style – it’s a four-door sedan, not what’s really in vogue collectibility-wise. But back to condition, this Buick’s body is in sound shape and the seller adds, “Monterey Blue original paint in very good condition with some scratches and other imperfections as shown but overall presenting a very nice original patina. All the body panels line up nicely, all the doors open and close without issue and there is no evidence of any rust on the car“. The chrome and stainless trim still have some luster too. Nice to see is the prominent grille which appears to have not been kissed. The seller mentions that this Buick is out of a larger, well-maintained automobile collection so that helps explain its preserved condition.

Dyn-o-mite comes about from this Super’s 107 HP, 248 CI, in-line, straight-eight “Dynaflash” engine. The seller claims, “car runs, drives and shifts smoothly“. The smooth-shifting is courtesy of a three-speed manual gearbox. Mechanical work performed includes replacing the fuel tank and the brake’s hydraulics.

Inside is a tan cloth upholstered environment that shows no sign of rips, wear, or dirt. The engine-turned dash panel is a work of art – typical for Buicks of the forties. The gauges are perfectly clear though the seller mentions that the clock, radio, and wipers are inoperative. To my surprise, even the oversized tiller has withstood the test of time and has not been reduced to cracked chunks on a steel core. The floor mat is the only item that is not clearly represented and may require some attention.

Times have changed! Buick is still with us, in some form or another and General Motors is run by a woman, CEO Mary Barra, an unlikely event that would have existed 82 years ago. As to how Buick would have felt about that, their ’40 advertising sheds a little light on the subject. I’m just going to move on and say nothing…

This is as nice a pre-war car as I have encountered in some time. Its originality and low mileage are certainly a draw. The four doors? More like a foible and I don’t think that’s going to help with the cause. Cars of this vintage just aren’t hot items from a collectibility perspective and two extra doors are probably two too many. And that price? Maybe in New England but that seems out of market step to me, how about you?