Audrain Exhibit Concept Car #1: The 1938 Buick Y-Job: The First Concept Car
The current exhibit of Old 16 and 12 GM concept cars at the Audrain Automobile Museum in Newport is amazing and definitely worth a trip! Here is a profile of the 1938 Buick Y-Job now on display until the end of October.
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
The Buick Y-Job was Harley Earl's personal car.
The 1938 Buick Y-Job (Presentation by Ben Chester, Communications Manager, Audrain Automobile Museum)
Comments
Jame Ryan
The Buick Y Job was at the 2016 Buick National show. Great car to see in person. The car was driven around the show field, that was cool to see. Thank’s for the article about the Newport Car museum, Jim
Sort of reminds me of the big Fleetwood-bodied ‘38 Buick convertible I turned down at $75 for a stodgy (but AGILE) ‘39 Chrysler Royal sedan <http://sbiii.com/b-uattwn/iiitoo/autopix/39chrnew.jpg> at $85 as my first car in late 1951 (Xgiving vacation). “Only” ten bucks more for a year-newer car - WOW (ouch - in retrospect)! Sharp ol’ eyes may spot the fender-mounted MG side-light-cum-turn-signal. The nerdy kid - that’s me in Jan 1952. Sam, III
The Y job was a look into the future Buick styling slated for production in 1942. At the time Harlow Curtice gave Harley lots of freedom at the Buick Styling Studio.
We stopped at the show yesterday and did not expect to see much at the small museum next to the tennis stadium but we discovered that there were two totally fascinating exhibits, the GM design show and your Vanderbuilt display with race car number 16. That wind vane model of 16 was a treat to see. You did a nice job putting that show together.
Audrain is the name of the Auto Museum in a town known for sailing….and it was raining! Over at nearby Ft Adams were three Herreshoff S Boats tied to a dock. There used to be three S boats in Hempstead Harbor years ago. They used to race with the Larchmont Fleet. Sufi, Tern and Hornpipe were their names. Tern was the newest in the series The 28’ wood boat with it’s signature curved mast, running backstays and mainsail with self tending jib was built in 1941. The reason it was called an S boat was because it was a a scaled down version of the America Cup J boats.
The second pic is unusual, only one person is looking at the Y Job!
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Howard Kroplick
Several of my photos were a special sneak preview of the exhibit.