Buick Y-Job

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The 1938 Buick Y-Job is claimed to be the first concept car in history [1].

Designed by Harley J. Earl, the car had power-operated hidden headlamps, "gunsight" hood ornament, wraparound bumpers, flush door handles, and prefigured styling cues used by Buick until the 1950s.

The "Y" in the name has several explanations:

• All experimental cars were called "X", so Earl simply went to the next letter in the alphabet [2].
• "Y" is an inverted Mercedes-Benz star. An alleged Earl's in-joke.^{[citation needed]}
• The "Y" designation was selected by Earl because it was used extensively in the aviation industry denoting the most advanced prototypes. ^[1]

[edit] External links

• http://www.carofthecentury.com/the_star_buster.htm
• Edmund´s, The World's First Concept Car: 1938 Buick Y-Job
• Why the 'Y-Job' -- Harley Earl and the Buick Dream Car
• World's first concept car

[edit] Sources