It is easy to forget today just how revolutionary the Buick Century was at the time of its introduction for the 1936 model year.

Combining the larger, more powerful 320-cu.

in.

straight eight of the larger Roadmaster with the smaller Special platform resulted in a car with memorable performance, 165 bhp sustaining speeds of 100 mph, hence the Century name.

Besides offering the best performance of any car in its price class, combined with traditional rock-solid Buick engineering and quality, the Century innovated the idea of combining an automaker’s hottest engine with its lightest platform.

It was an idea that other General Motors brass would revisit over a quarter-century later to create the modern American muscle car.

The inaugural Century was surprisingly rare even when new, especially the two-door body styles.

The sport coupe with rumble seat, known familiarly by its style no.

66S to Buick aficionados, sold only 1,018 examples.

While the number of survivors is not known, i...