Buick · 1936–1958

Buick Limited

The Buick Limited was Buick's flagship model line between 1936 and 1942, and, in celebration of General Motors' 50th anniversary, a single-year halo car for the division in the 1958 model year. Since the 1960s, Buick has intermittently used the term "Limited" as a designation denoting its highest level of trim and standard features in its various model ranges. The original line given the Limited nameplate, topped by an extended-wheelbase limousine, was in direct competition with Cadillac senior sedans for clientele, which wanted a GM luxury car but regarded Cadillac as "ostentatious" or "flamboyant" in contrast to Buick's reputation for durable, reliable, and staid premium vehicles.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Buick Master Six · Successor: Buick Electra

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Buick Series 90 (1931-1935)

Buick's top platform was introduced in 1931 as the Series 90, using the GM "C-body" platform shared with the Cadillac Series 355. It featured a 344.8 cu in (5.7 L) Straight-8 OHV engine, developing 104 bhp of power at 2,800 rpm. A premium luxury car, it was intended to compete with the advanced Cadillac V8, the exclusive straight-8 Packard Standard Eight, and other top U.S. marques. Closed cars came with mohair velvet interiors, retractable silk passenger compartment shades, and wool carpeting throughout. Roadsters, Phaetons and convertibles came standard with leather interior. Retail prices for the seven-passenger Limousine were US$2,035 ($43,082 in 2025 dollars ). The Series 90 offered nearly the same refinement and attention to detail as Cadillac, but lacked its more modern, more powerful engine, while having a more advanced overhead valve train than the Packard's aging flathead design. Standard coachwork for Buick was exclusively supplied by Fisher Body, and rolling chassis were available to coachbuilders. The size grew the next year, and a new high-performance engine was introduced developing 113 hp. In 1933, all GM cars received an updated "streamlined" look, produced by the corporation's Art and Color Studio headed by Harley Earl. In 1934, the running board was shortened and engine output increased to 116 hp. In 1935 the appearance alone was updated. Total sales for the line was 43,321. In 1936, the model changed its name to 90 Limited.

Buick Limited (1936-1942)

The origins of the Limited name date to 1936, when Buick added names to its entire model lineup to celebrate the engineering improvements and design advancements over their 1935 models. It shared its chassis with the top-level Cadillac Series 70 vehicles. Buick had released a new line of cars that were technically superior to their predecessors by offering such features as all-steel passenger compartment tops (GM's Turret Top design), improved front suspension, improved hydraulic safety braking system, alloy engine pistons and an improved engine cooling system. In 1938, the wheelbase was stretched two inches from 138 to 140 inches (3,556 mm), and the Limited, along with Roadmaster, lost its wooden structural members for steel, making them the last Buick passenger cars to rely upon wood components. In 1939, Buick products underwent a substantial redesign; however, the Limited's "limited" production merited it to continue using its 1938 body. The 1939 Limited offered a sectioned rear compartment separating the driver from the rear passengers, and a glass partition could be raised to provide privacy. AM radios were first offered as an option. Behind the scenes, Cadillac executives lobbied to get the Limited out of production because it infringed on their market. While it was priced in the lower end of its Fleetwood series price point, the Limited was listed at US$2,453 ($56,777 in 2025 dollars ) but almost equaled Cadillac's factory-built Imperial Touring Limousine, which cost almost four times as much as the Buick, in its appointments. Buick executives asserted that Limited production averaged only 1,561 vehicles per year for model years 1938 through 1940, an insignificant amount compared to Cadillac's production of its senior cars. For 1940, Buick renamed some of its Ser

1958 Limited

In celebration of General Motors' 50th anniversary, the Buick Limited name was revived as a single-year halo car for the 1958 model year. In comparison to the chrome-laden junior models in the Buick lineup, the GM C platform-based Limited was slightly more restrained than the Special, Century, Super and Roadmaster. Instead of a chromed side panel trim, it got a body color-keyed insert decorated with fifteen slanted hash marks (three groups of five). The Limited also received its own rear tail treatment that traded the heavy chrome tail light housings for a wraparound tail light lens broken up by four chrome bands. Rear bumper "Dagmars" housed "Dual Jet" back-up lights. In the front, it received the same aggressive Fashion-Aire Dynastar grille, cast of 160 chrome squares, each "shaped in a design to maximize the amount of reflective light", according to Buick PR. Power brakes were standard. Available only as a 4-door hardtop, 2-door hardtop coupe or convertible, the Limited rode Buick's 127.5 in (3,238 mm) wheelbase, and overall length 227.1 in (5,768 mm). Interiors were of high quality fabrics in sedans and coupes, full leather in convertibles. Buick sold only 7,438 Limiteds, due in part to their price. The Limited's four-door hardtop sedan started at a base price of $5,112, ($57,046 in 2025 dollars ) which was $221 ($2,466 in 2025 dollars ) higher than Cadillac's entry-level Series 62 four-door hardtop sedan at $4,891 ($54,579 in 2025 dollars ) of which Cadillac sold 13,335 units. For the 1959 model year, Buick renamed its entire lineup, with the Super becoming the Invicta, the Roadmaster becoming the Electra 225.

Limited trim package

The Limited name was used again in 1967 as a trim option on the Electra 225 Custom model and other models. Between 1971 and 1979, Buick added the "Limited" name to its top trim Electra 225, which was previously known as the Electra 225 Custom. The cars were not badged as Electra 225s, but instead wore "Limited" scripts. However, these cars were Electra 225s, and in a break from tradition, the "Limited" trim level could be optioned with either the Park Avenue or Park Avenue DeLuxe options package, each even more well-equipped than the Limited model alone. Buick continued to use the designation of "Limited" through 2005 on its various models, typically to denote the highest trim level in a model range.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name

Buick Limited

Manufacturer

Buick (General Motors)

Model years

1936–1942, 1958

Class

Full-size car (1931–1942), Full-size car (1958)

Body style

4-door limousine (1931–1942), 4-door hardtop (1958), 2-door hardtop (1958), 2-door convertible (1958)

Layout

FR layout (1931–1958)

Predecessor

Buick Master Six

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1002771CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_LimitedCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1366188773 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1937_Buick_Limited.jpgCC BY 2.0 · Photo: Don O'Brien · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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