Buick Y-Job

The Buick Y-Job was a one-off experimental car built for Harley Earl, General Motors first designated head of design, and is generally regarded as the world's first concept car. Earl, who had earlier designed the 1931 Cadillac V16, wanted to combine his vision of the automobile with new technology, and the Y-Job of 1938 was built on a 1937 Buick chassis as General Motors first trial run at experimenting with different designs. It carried hidden headlights, flush door handles, electrically operated windows and a convertible top concealed by a metal deck, all features that later found their way into production cars. A 320 cubic inch straight-eight engine gave 141 horsepower at 3,600 rpm, a Bendix power steering unit eased the driving, and small 13-inch wheels helped the long, low shape. The letter in the name echoed the Y prefix used for experimental aircraft at the time. Earl used the car as his daily driver, and it is lent today by the GM Heritage Center.