Buick XP-300

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Buick XP-300
Curb weight
3,125 lb (1,417 kg)

The Buick XP-300 (initially designated the XP-9) is a

de Dion axles
.

Claimed to have attained a top speed of 140 mph (230 km/h) during testing, the XP-300 was displayed at auto shows across the United States, including the Chicago Auto Show in February 1951 and GM's 1953 Motorama tour. Together with the Le Sabre, the XP-300 pioneered the wraparound windshield, although it ultimately had much less influence on future car design than its counterpart. In 1966, the XP-300 was refurbished and donated to the Alfred P. Sloan Museum in Flint, Michigan, where it remains as of 2018.

Background

The XP-300, which was initially designated the XP-9, was designed by General Motors (GM) vice president of engineering Charles Chayne, along with Ned F. Nickles. Chayne had previously assisted Harley Earl in designing the 1938-39 Buick Y-Job, often regarded as the first concept car. In May 1951, Chayne granted approval for construction of the XP-300 along with a counterpart GM concept car, the Le Sabre.[1][2]

Design

The XP-300 features a wraparound

electric razor.[1] It also includes push-button power windows and seats.[1] Although somewhat similar in appearance to the Le Sabre, the XP-300's styling was noticeably cleaner than the more futuristic, rocket-inspired lines of its counterpart.[1] Furthermore, while the Le Sabre generally reflected Earl's design philosophy, the XP-300 was more in line with Chayne's conception of the future of Buick production cars, and its front end design ultimately foreshadowed the 1954 Buick line.[1] The car's name reflects the fact that it produced over 300 horsepower (220 kW) and was an experimental (XP) vehicle in nature.[3]

Body

Buick XP-300 interior

The XP-300's body and frame were welded together into a single unit.[1][3][4] It shares many common mechanical components with the Le Sabre.[1] Representative of GM's "long and low" design philosophy in the 1950s, the XP-300 measures over 16 feet (4,900 mm) in total length and has a 116-inch (2,946 mm) wheelbase with just 6.6 inches (168 mm) of ground clearance.[1][3][5] The car is 53.4 inches (1,356 mm) in height and 80 inches (2,032 mm) in width.[6] Weighing in at 3,125 pounds (1,417 kg),[4] the total weight of the car was reduced by its use of heat-treated, aluminum body panels.[1][3]

The car also features relatively heavy and wide

Daimler-Benz design used for Grand Prix race cars.[8] It additionally features four coil springs and a hydraulic system more complex than that of the Le Sabre, which operates the car's cowl vents, door-locking devices, hood, jacks, seats, and windows.[9]

The car was painted "Venus White".

backup lamp was mounted in the central fixture, which imitates the exhaust of a jet engine.[9] The car was originally built with both a folding convertible top and a hardtop that were interchangeable, although the hardware to mount the latter has been removed and the hardtop can no longer be used.[9]

The interior of the XP-300 features pleated blue-leather bucket seats with adjustable inflatable air bladders and a center console.[9] The car also has a telescoping steering wheel and an instrument panel displaying a prominently mounted combined speedometer/tachometer as well as a fuel gauge.[9] It also boasted numerous technologies considered safety features in 1951, including its dual brakes, adjustable seats, and adjustable steering wheel in addition to seat belts.[6][10]

Engine

The XP-300 was powered by a supercharged V8 engine made of aluminum that weighed just 550 pounds (249 kg) yet produced 335 horsepower (250 kW).[1][11] This engine is 250 pounds (113 kg) lighter than the engine used in the contemporary production Buick Roadmaster, but is twice as powerful.[7] The XP-300's engine could run on either gasoline or methanol, and the car featured two separate fuel fillers and fuel tanks, one for each fuel.[12] The engine was fitted with a Bendix-Eclipse two-barrel carburetor,[12] with one using gasoline and the other methanol.[7] The methanol carburetor automatically cut in once the gasoline carburetor reached 40% throttle,[7] in order to prevent engine knocking during rapid acceleration.[6]

With a

exhaust valves, which made it more compact and allowed easier installation into the car.[12] It is mated to a custom Dynaflow automatic transmission.[6]

Testing and touring

AC Spark Plugs magazine advertisement featuring the XP-300

During testing, Chayne claimed that the XP-300 achieved a top speed of 140 miles per hour (230 km/h) in the hands of Buick general manager Ivan Wiles.[1][3][4] Chayne also used the car personally, and reached at least 110 mph (180 km/h) in it himself.[1]

The XP-300 was displayed at

GM Proving Grounds alongside the Le Sabre.[4] The two cars were then displayed together during GM's 1953 Motorama tour.[4] During its unveiling in Santa Ana, California, Chayne called the car "undoubtedly the safest, most comfortable, high-performance car on the road today".[6] The XP-300 accumulated nearly 10,400 miles (16,700 km) of driving, although it did not drive as far as the more publicized Le Sabre.[4] The XP-300 was also insured for $1 million.[7]

Legacy

Together with the Le Sabre, the XP-300 pioneered the wraparound windshield.

ZIS-112.[15]

In 1966, the XP-300 was refurbished and donated to the

Buick Wildcat II, Buick Y-Job, Cadillac Cyclone, and General Motors Le Sabre.[17] In 1991, it was exhibited at the Museum of Transportation in Brookline, Massachusetts, along with four other GM cars.[10] As of 2018, it was on display at the Sloan Museum, along with four other Buick concept cars.[1][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Gunnell, John (October 21, 2014). "Car of the Week: 1951 Buick XP-300 concept". Old Cars Weekly.
  2. ^ Temple 2015, p. 16.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "1951 Buick XP-300". Flint Cultural Center Corporation. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Temple 2015, p. 22.
  5. ^ Temple 2015, pp. 21–22.
  6. ^
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  7. ^
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  8. ^ Temple 2015, pp. 20–21.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Temple 2015, p. 21.
  10. ^
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  11. ^ Lentinello, Richard (May 10, 2017). "General Motors Concept Ad". Hemmings Motor News. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  12. ^ a b c d Temple 2015, p. 18.
  13. ^ a b Temple 2015, p. 17.
  14. ^ Temple 2015, pp. 17–18.
  15. ^ a b c d Temple 2015, p. 23.
  16. Newspapers.com Free access icon
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  17. ^ Lamm, Michael (April 1985). "Yesterday's Dream Cars". Popular Mechanics. 162: 179 – via Google Books.

Sources

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