The XP-300 being one of the 1950s Buick dream cars
Ur Dream Car Before leaving Buick in 1951 to move up the General Motors ladder, Charles A. Chayne had approved the Buick XP-300 project and made it as the GM LeSabre's companion dream car, while its name reflects the fact that it was an experimental vehicle with its drivetrain can be spewed power over 300 horsepower.
1951 Buick XP-300 Concept car features a wraparound windshield, three tailfins, and a grille that resembles an electric razor and also includes push-button power windows and seats. (Picture from: OldCarsWeekly)
Besides Charles A. Chayne, in the process of creating the Buick XP-300
concept car (previously labeled as XP-9) also involved other famous
figure in the automotive world such as Ned F. Nickles and Harley J. Earl. As we all knew, Charles Chayne have worked together with Harley Earl since the creation of the first future concept car called the Buick Y-Job more than a decade earlier.
1951
Buick XP-300 Concept car (on right-side) shared many common mechanical components with the GM LeSabre Concept (on left-side), including
its three tailfins and a 335 horsepower V8 engine, which can run on gasoline or methanol. (Picture from: MacMotorCityGarage)
Off course, if seen from the car appearance, it was really inspired by the heyday of the jet era of the 1950s. In addition, it's known the concept shared many common mechanical components with the LeSabre, including its 335 horsepower V8 engine, which can run on gasoline or methanol.
1951 Buick XP 300 Concept sat on display in the Buick collection at the Sloan Museum, Flint, Michigan. (Picture from: Wikipedia)
Despite its somewhat similar appearance to the LeSabre, the XP-300's
styling feels cleaner than the more futuristic and rocket-inspired lines
of its counterpart. Furthermore, although the LeSabre generally
reflects Earl's design philosophy, the XP-300 fits more closely with
Chayne's conception of the future of Buick production cars, and its
front end design ultimately reflects the 1954 Buick line.
Overall, both of concepts (Y-Job and XP-300) are pretty much the same; and XP-300 was a 1950s dream car that is an interpretation of modern vehicles based on design sketches by Ned F. Nickles, an extraordinary talent self-taught designer.
The interior of the Buick XP-300 Concept features pleated blue-leather bucket seats with adjustable inflatable air bladders and a center console. (Picture from: WikiWand)
Meanwhile the XP-300 has aluminum body panels that reduced the overall weight of the car to 3,100 lbs. This was important, because the body and frame structure were welded as a solid unit and the many push-button power accessories (including the rear convertible window) were heavy and added extra pounds.
The
Buick XP-300 Concept features with a striking side trim that would look like a home on the fictional Buck Rogers' interplanetary cruiser. (Picture from: AmazingClassicCars)
And according to OldCarsWeekly, its beauty and innovation went beneath its aluminum skin. Four hydraulic jacks were hidden under the body work and elevated either the driver or passenger side of the car. Upon shutting the doors, steel bars hydraulically slid out so that the car was more rigid, as these bars completed the rollcage-like framework within the body.
The
Buick XP-300 Concept's beauty and innovation went beneath its aluminum skin, features also with four hydraulic jacks were hidden under the body work and elevated either the driver or passenger side of the car. (Picture from: AmazingClassicCars)
The XP-300 convertible concept car has the appearance looks like partially of sports car and spaceship sized 16-ft that glides just 6-1/2 inches above the ground. This car features an "electric shaver" grille, a wraparound windshield, a three-fin tail with an electric radio antenna protruding from the center fin and striking side trim that would look like a home on the fictional Buck Rogers' interplanetary cruiser. It even has push-button seats and windows!
The
Buick XP-300 Concept also features with a three-fin tail with an electric radio antenna protruding from the center fin. (Picture from: AmazingClassicCars)
The interior of the XP-300 features pleated blue-leather bucket seats with adjustable inflatable air bladders and a center console. 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. 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.
The XP-300 was displayed at auto shows across the United States, where it became a popular fixture with attendees as well as the press. The XP-300 accumulated nearly 10,400 miles (16,700 km) of driving, although it did not drive as far as the more publicized LeSabre. In 1966, the XP-300 was refurbished and donated to the Alfred P. Sloan Museum in Flint, Michigan.
Besides Charles A. Chayne, in the process of creating the Buick XP-300
concept car (previously labeled as XP-9) also involved other famous
figure in the automotive world such as Ned F. Nickles and Harley J. Earl. As we all knew, Charles Chayne have worked together with Harley Earl since the creation of the first future concept car called the Buick Y-Job more than a decade earlier.
In 1985, it was sit on display at the Sloan Museum alongside the Buick Centurion, Buick Wildcat II, Buick Y-Job, Cadillac Cyclone, and General Motors Le Sabre. In 1991, it was exhibited at the Museum of Transportation in Brookline, Massachusetts, along with four other GM cars. As of 2018, it is still at the Sloan Museum, where it is one of five Buick concept cars on display and was also insured for $1 million. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | WIKIPEDIA | WIKIWAND | OLDCARSWEEKLY | AMAZINGCLASSICCARS | MACMOTORCITY GARAGE ]
