1937 Buick Century
Craig Wills, Ashville

    Description: “The pony cars of the 1960s may often be heralded as the first muscle cars; however, Harlow Curtice, Harley Earl and their staff at Buick produced one of

    the first factory hot rods nearly 30 years before the first GTO or Mustang ever rolled off of the assembly line. In 1937, Buick engineers shoe-horned the big block 320 cubic inch inline eight-cylinder motor from the Roadmaster series into the smaller Special series body to create the Century.

    “The Century lived up to its name, as its rapid acceleration helped it to easily reach and cruise at speeds in excess of 100 mph. With its blazing performance, beautiful art-deco styling and new features, such as windshield defrosters, anti-sway bars and steering wheel horn ring, the Century and its Buick siblings were a huge hit with the American public.

    “While my Century always stays under the legal speed limit, it frequently travels throughout the state to shows in York, Pittsburgh, Renovo and everywhere in between. Although this particular specimen has received a few updates to be a little safer on today’s highways (power brakes, power steering, radial tires, 12 volt conversion, halogen headlights, etc), its heart remains true to the original design of the Century as it still retains its original 320 cubic engine and three-speed standard shift transmission.’’