Car : Buick Series 40
Year : 1936
Engine : 8 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke : 78.6?98.5 mm
Cylinder capacity : 3821cc
Gears : 3 forward
Brake horse power : 93
Maximum speed : 80 mph
Wheelbase : 9 ft 10 ins (2.99m)
Suspension : front : independent wheels with coil springs ; back : semi-elliptic leaf- springs
The Series 40 dates from 1936, and was called ‘the Doctor’s Friend’ because of its sturdiness, which allowed it to be used continuously. It was one of the most successful and widespread models to be produced between the wars. The 8-cylinder inline engine had five main bearings, coil ignition, and twin down-draft carburetor. The two top gears had synchro-mesh. In that year hydraulic brakes were adopted, together with a handbrake acting on the rear wheels alone. There were eight models with two engines (3800 and 5200 cc)  and four different wheelbases in the range.
The 40 was the cheapest model and the most popular. It weighed over 3,700 lb (1,700 kg).  The engine developed 93bhp and its maximum speed was about 80 mph. It could accelerate from 0 to 50 mph in 12 seconds. The 1940 version incorporate the special 4-speed transmission made by General Motors, which was semi-automatic. This transmission was initially available only to Buick and Oldsmobile.

Buick was one of the first in the General Motors group to adopt the 8-cylinder engine in all its cars. It introduced independent front suspension, completely overhauled the bodywork and adopted aluminum pistons and hydraulic brakes.
One of the presidents of Buick at one time was Walter Chrysler. In 1919 he left because of disagreement with the directors of General Motors. But he did not leave the industry. He started his own firm, which then later became one of the big Detroit companies. The times were propitious for enterprising men, and the story of the American car industry is full of dramatic developments and of firms growing up and vanishing, all in an extraordinarily short period of time.