Unique is an overused word in automotive styling, but it certainly applies to the massive grille teeth of the 1950 Buick.
Let us assert right from the start that we are not here to criticize the unusual grille and front bumper treatment of the 1950 Buick. There’s been plenty enough of that—one Hemmings writer recently described the look as a “virtual disaster.” Instead, we will note that when we really think about it, what we celebrate about 1950s American automotive styling is its relative lack of boundaries. So join us in celebrating the 1950 Buick’s grille setup. It’s unique, yet emblematic of the Harley Earl era at General Motors design (1927-58) at the same time—consistently breaking boundaries.
Speaking of boundaries, we see that the ’50 Buick’s vertical grille bars refuse to be confined to the grille opening. Rather, they spill out of the grille and completely over the front bumper, forming a matching set of nine parallel bumper guards, if you will. The arrangement must have given the production engineers and crews fits, as each of the nine chrome-plated stampings was a unique component with its own GM part number. Marked 0 through 9 with 7 in the center, each one had to be installed in its own station to make the teeth align properly. That would probably never happen today. In modern auto manufacturing, that bottleneck would be nipped in the bud.
The waterfall grille era of vertical grille teeth at Buick, as it is known, began in 1939, took a brief break before resuming in 1942, and then lasted through 1954. And there we can see the challenge for auto stylists at midcentury, the era of planned obsolescence and annual model changes. A design not only had to be beautiful, it had to be different, to give consumers a reason to buy it, to give their friends and neighbors something to notice. Nobody can say the 1950 Buick with its giant overbite—the Bucktooth Buick, it was called—-wasn’t different.
So while styling experts (and we’re not experts) can disparage the ’50 Buick’s unconventional grille treatment as they find necessary, it has to be noted that Buick sold nearly 668,000 cars that year, a record for the GM division. In the following year when Buick returned to a more conventional vertical-tooth grille treatment, and for whatever reasons, sales slipped 11.3 percent.
Well, I’ll be odd man out and say that not only do I like the 1950 Buick grille, it is my favorite face of the Fifties. And on a fastback? Perfection! Proving that there is a style for everyone.
The sales figures also say something. New record for the division…
I’m biased because I own a ’53 Special, but I love the ’50 Buick. Like Don above, I’d love a Sedanet, but I’d also love a hardtop. There’s too many cars I’d love…
I think the 1950 Buick Waterfall Grille is a thing of beauty. And I certainly admire the Buick designers, toolmakers and line-workers for taking such a complex piece to production. It must have cost a fortune to make.
I always thought a dentist would like the grills, they certainly were a distinguishing feature of the car. Someone once said, Jay Leno, maybe, companies put a lot of work into the grill. It was the 1st thing one saw when approaching. GM probably was the most, the 1958 Buick grill, the ” Fashion Aire Dynastar Grille” was made up of 160 separate chrome squares alone. There was no question it was a Buick.
So what happened? Safety issues mostly, relegated the bumper and grill to be one piece, and nobody cares what you drive anyway.
when I was a little kid, my dad’s best friend Lamar had a ’50 Buick in ratty 16 or 17 year old car shape but I sure thought it was a cool looking car
I remember my dad telling me that he had a Buick like this. Someone accidentally backed into his car and damaged two or three of the “teeth” in the grill. He was able to obtain just the damaged parts and replace the himself. Not something anyone would be able to do with one of today’s cars.
The grille treatment looks more flattering looking up from below, which is no doubt why the factory images favor that angle. Viewed from above looking down, it’s peculiar.
Had a neighbor who owned one and he called it “Hillary”…………..
In 1979 when I turned 21, my Dad gave me a 1950 Special Sedanet (model 46D) two door.
He’d bought it about 10 years before from the estate of the original owner for $100.
He got the original title for it, and found it had first been registered on Dad’s 16th birthday in 1950.
The car was a near twin to the one he had when he met my mother in 1956, except his first one had the Dynaflow and this one was a 3 on the tree.
As he told the story, the car had been sitting in a field for some time when Dad found it. Flat tires, some body rot, wouldn’t start.
Dad was driving car haulers in those days, and planned to bring it home on the truck. He asked a local garage man for some help and the guy just laughed and walked away.
Dad used an air hose he kept on the truck to air up the tires from the truck’s compressor, hooked jumper cables to the battery (note it was a 6 volt system and the truck was 12 volt). Pulled the air cleaner off, a few minutes with a can of gas and a paper clip across the ignition switch on the carb, and it came to life.
Garage man wasn’t laughing so much when Dad drove it on the trailer.
I had many great rides in that car. Even beat a brand new Camaro Z28 on the rolling hills of US 51 north of Millington, Tennesee one fine spring morning.
When the time came for a new clutch, I gave the car to my brother who was living in Illinois at the time. He got it in his barn and up on jacks. He left for a 3 day run. While he was out, the barn went up in flames and the poor Buick was a total loss.
I miss that car. Rode smooth, slow off the line, but, great top end.
It was at it’s best when just leisurely cruising down a two-lane road. Speed limit in those days (remember it was the late 70s/early 80s) was only 55 and the Buick would just ease on down the road nicely.
Here’s why MCG is so great. Unique and in-depth take on something we all find fascinating . I fell in love with these Buicks (and the well dressed model) when I came across my Dad’s copy of the dealer brochure in the 70’s that I still have. Individual part numbers- must have drove body shop guys crazy!
What was Sylvester Stalone’s car in his movie ‘Cobra’?
1950 Mercury. I believe the car still exists
I’m just saying…in case of accident you need an orthodontist