More Wizardry, Less Cost.(News)(Buick)

Byline: MIKE COVELLO

The Great Depression was a tough time to be selling cars, but Buick entered 1932 with a two-pronged attack: lower cost and more technology.

Buick dropped its six-cylinder engines and tooled up three different versions of its straight eight. One of the headlines in Buick news of the day trumpeted, "Buick is the first large producer to adopt eight-cylinder engines exclusively.''

While the most expensive of the 26 different Buick models cost $3,275 in 1932, the Model 56 Business Coupe, at $935, was the lowest price ever for a Buick. The smallest straight eight offered had 82.5 hp from 230.4 cubic inches of displacement, but it was the clutch and suspension that Buick emphasized to set the car apart from the competition.

"Wizard Control'' was 1932 Buick marketing-speak for freewheeling and a power clutch. The magic wand that opened the door was located to the lower left of the clutch pedal. By depressing this control button while lifting your foot off the accelerator, you could get the car moving, freewheel downhill, and shift gears-all without depressing the clutch. This was accomplish- ed using engine vacuum through a control valve and an assortment of rubber and brass piping. Wizard Control vanished after 1934.

"Ride Regulator'' was a lever on the left side of the steering column that was used to adjust the shock settings. Through an elaborate series of linkages, the valving in the shocks could be changed from the No. 1 setting for a smooth surface to the No. 6 setting for rough roads. The disappearance of this feature the following year spoke to its expense and complexity.

Buick stylists had a few changes to denote the arrival of the 1932 models. Louvers had graced the hoods of Buicks since 1907. Now hood doors served the same ...