| Buick XP-300 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Buick XP-300 at theAlfred P. Sloan Museum in Flint, Michigan | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | General Motors |
| Production | 1951 |
| Designer | Charles Chayne Ned F. Nickles |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Concept car |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 335-horsepower (250 kW)superchargedV8 engine |
| Transmission | Dynaflowautomatic transmission |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 116 in (2,946 mm) |
| Length | 192.5 in (4,890 mm) |
| Width | 80 in (2,032 mm) |
| Height | 53.4 in (1,356 mm) |
| Curb weight | 3,125 lb (1,417 kg) |
TheBuick XP-300 (initially designated theXP-9) is aconcept car created byGeneral Motors in 1951. It is a counterpart to GM'sLe Sabre concept, with which it shares many mechanical components, including itssuperchargedV8 engine, which could run on eithergasoline ormethanol. The XP-300 is representative of GM's "long and low" design philosophy in the 1950s, and includes numerous innovative features ranging frompush-buttonpower windows andseats tohydraulicjacks andde Dion axles.
Claimed to have attained a top speed of 140 mph (230 km/h) during testing, the XP-300 was displayed atauto shows across the United States, including theChicago Auto Show in February 1951 andGM's 1953 Motorama tour. Together with the Le Sabre, the XP-300 pioneered the wraparoundwindshield, although it ultimately had much less influence on future car design than its counterpart. In 1966, the XP-300 was refurbished and donated to theAlfred P. Sloan Museum inFlint, Michigan, where it remains as of 2018.
The XP-300, which was initially designated the XP-9, was designed byGeneral Motors (GM) vice president of engineering Charles Chayne, along with Ned F. Nickles. Chayne had previously assistedHarley Earl in designing the 1938-39Buick Y-Job, often regarded as the firstconcept car. In May 1951, Chayne granted approval for construction of the XP-300 along with a counterpart GM concept car, theLe Sabre.[1][2]
The XP-300 features a wraparoundwindshield, threetailfins, and agrille that resembles anelectric razor.[1] It also includespush-buttonpower windows andseats.[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 ofBuickproduction 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]
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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) ofground 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 ofheat-treated,aluminum body panels.[1][3]
The car also features relatively heavy and widedrum brakes that necessitated two sets of brake shoes for each wheel.[1][3] In addition, it boastshydraulic steel bars that made it more rigid while being driven, helping form a framework somewhat similar to aroll cage;[1][4] similarly, four hydraulicjacks that could raise either the driver or passenger side of the car facilitated easier tire changes.[1][7] The XP-300 also hasde Dion axles based on aDaimler-Benz design used forGrand Prix race cars.[8] It additionally features fourcoil 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".[9] It has functionalchromelouvers running down itsrocker panels; the forward-mounted louvers served to vent heat from the engine, while the aft ones allowed air to enter the passenger compartment.[10][9] Similarly, a chrome fin runs through the center of the car'strunk, hiding hinges for the twin deck lids, while afloodlight-style,sealed-beambackup lamp was mounted in the central fixture, which imitates the exhaust of ajet engine.[9] The car was originally built with both a folding convertible top and ahardtop 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-leatherbucket seats with adjustable inflatable air bladders and acenter console.[9] The car also has a telescopingsteering wheel and an instrument panel displaying a prominently mounted combinedspeedometer/tachometer as well as afuel gauge.[9] It also boasted numerous technologies considered safety features in 1951, including its dual brakes, adjustable seats, and adjustable steering wheel in addition toseat belts.[6][10]
The XP-300 was powered by asuperchargedV8 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 productionBuick Roadmaster, but is twice as powerful.[7] The XP-300's engine could run on eithergasoline ormethanol, and the car featured two separate fuel fillers and fuel tanks, one for each fuel.[12] The engine was fitted with aBendix-Eclipse two-barrelcarburetor,[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 preventengine knocking during rapidacceleration.[6]
With adisplacement of just 215.7 cubic inches (3.535 L), the engine, which also powered the Le Sabre, had an impressive power-to-size ratio for the era.[13] It also boasted a chain-drivencamshaft andhemispherical combustion chambers,[13] the latter of which allowed it to achieve an air-to-fuel-mixture ratio of 10.0:1, also considerable for 1951.[14] The engine featuresrocker arms that were mounted transversely on itsintake valves but in a fore/aft position for theexhaust valves, which made it more compact and allowed easier installation into the car.[12] It is mated to a customDynaflowautomatic transmission.[6]
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 atauto shows across the United States, where it became a popular fixture with attendees as well as the press.[1] It was displayed at theChicago Auto Show in February 1951, despite not yet being completely finished.[4] Later that year, it was displayed at theGM Proving Grounds alongside the Le Sabre.[4] The two cars were then displayed together duringGM's 1953 Motorama tour.[4] During its unveiling inSanta 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]
Together with the Le Sabre, the XP-300 pioneered the wraparound windshield.[1][12] While the XP-300 inspired the design of the front and upper quarter panels of 1953 and 1954 Buicks,[15] and the headlight styling, wraparound windshield, and adjustable front seats of the 1954 Buick line,[16] it ultimately had much less influence on future car design than the Le Sabre.[15] The Le Sabre, on the other hand, inspired the tailfins on 1953 and 1954Pontiacs as well as 1957Cadillacs, the gull-wing bumpers on various Cadillacs, and even European designs such as the Spohn-bodiedVeritas and theZIS-112.[15]
In 1966, the XP-300 was refurbished and donated to theAlfred P. Sloan Museum inFlint, Michigan.[15] In 1985, it was at the Sloan Museum alongside the1956 Buick Centurion,Buick Wildcat II, Buick Y-Job,Cadillac Cyclone, and General Motors Le Sabre.[17] In 1991, it was exhibited at theMuseum of Transportation inBrookline, 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]
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