As devastating to American life as it was, one of the better things to come out of the Depression years of the 1930s was Art Deco. Its flamboyant styling is still admired today and is mimicked in contemporary art and fashion. The designers of the better automobiles at this time were well aware of Art Deco and soon the cars they styled bore its influence. Buicks in particular from 1937 had a styling flare with Art Deco overtones. The cars looked racier thanks to a 1.5-in. drop in height, while the floors were dropped 2.5-in. to provide additional headroom. Engineering improvements consisted of a quieter valve train, as well as a new oil pump and cooling system.

The Special convertible coupe offered here was beautifully customized by a former owner. It benefits from a late-model Corvette drivetrain, with automatic transmission and disc brakes, ensuring remarkable performance. The body is subtly lowered and chopped, and finished in a handsome metallic medium blue, while the interior boasts modern bucket seats and a rumble seat, upholstered in tasteful cream leather. Inspection shows careful attention to quality and detail throughout, including modern instruments and a stereo head well-integrated into the original Buick dashboard.

This would be a superb addition to any custom collection, and surely the most fun way to get to the malt shop in Glendale or Phoenix this winter.