Buick's Second Century.

Byline: JOHN F. KATZ

The first Buick Century appeared in 1936 as a hot rod version of the entry-level Buick Special (see Escape Roads, Jan. 20, 1997), and the even more powerful 1938 model could actually top 100 mph-fulfilling the promise implicit in the Century badge. When Buick returned from wartime production, though, the performance-oriented Century was missing from the lineup. And while Cadillac and Oldsmobile debuted short-stroke, high-compression, overhead-valve V8s in 1949, Buick stuck by its Fireball straight-eight. After all, Buicks had breathed through overhead valves since 1904.

But conservative Buick soon recognized the sales necessity of a modern V8, and sprinted into the horsepower race in 1953. Nicknamed the Nailhead by hot rodders for the small-diameter valves standing vertically in its conical combustion chambers, the first Buick V8 produced up to 188 hp from 322 cubic inches.

Buick relaunched the Century a year later. All '54 Buicks were longer and lower, sleeker and more slab-sided than the voluptuous tubs of 1950-53. The 322-cid V8, now rated at 200 hp, propelled the big Super and Roadmaster. The smaller Special made do with an under-bored (264-cid), 150-horsepower edition of the same engine. The new Century, like its 1936-42 namesake, put the big engine in the smaller body for maximized zoom.

Then for 1955 Buick shed the last vestiges of its previous appearance-its toothy grille and small round taillights-for a handsome mesh air intake and massively chromed lamps integrated into sturdy tailfins. Higher compression, 9.1:1, and a hotter cam boosted the Century's horsepower to 236 and dropped its 0-to-60 time to just 9.8 seconds. That was a tick quicker than a Chrysler C-300, although the Hemi would still whomp the Buick in a top-speed run.

Easing the '55 Century's swift flight was the latest version of Buick's Dynaflow transmission. Flooring the go pedal now cocked open the stator blades for a more aggressive takeoff. A secondary turbine in the torque ...