Built in 1938 as a design study that influenced Buick production cars for decades, the Y-Job is widely considered the world's first concept car. While some argue that other carmakers built concept cars as early as the 1920s, the Y-Job continues to impress more than 80 years since it was shown to the world.
The fact that the Y-Job is still around is downright fantastic. Because many carmakers had a bad habit of scraping many unique vehicles like this back in the day. The Y-Job managed to survive thanks to its creator, Harley J. Earl, who used it as a personal car for about a decade.
Stored in a warehouse for a few years, it was then placed in the Sloan Museum and then moved to the Henry Ford Museum. Following its restoration, it was brought back to the GM Design Center in Michigan and has remained there since.
Fortunately enough, the concept wasn't retired for good. Even though it spends a lot of time in storage, GM is kind enough to release it out in the wild from time to time. Most recently, the Y-Job showed up at the 2022 Detroit Concours d'Elegance, where it shared the stage with other GM concepts from the past.
And needless to say, the black Buick looks just as good as it did when it was unleashed to the world in the late 1930s. It's complete, it looks perfect from just about every angle, and the 320-cubic-inch (5.2-liter) straight-eight engine still runs.
If you missed the event, "DtRockstar1" was on hand to film Buick's first-ever concept car on the go. The video also includes footage of the 1951 GM LeSabre, yet another stunning one-off designed by Harley Earl. Essentially a follow-up to the Y-Job, the LeSabre also became Earl's personal automobile for a few years.
While this concept did not morph into a production model, Buick eventually used the LeSabre name on a full-size car. Introduced in 1959, the LeSabre soldiered on all the way until 2005. Hit the play button below to see both the Y-Job and LeSabre concepts showing off their stunning design cues.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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