Buick does not build many cars like the Buick XP-300 with 335 hp supercharged V8 engine, built from 1951 at the height of the post-war boom. Its designer of record is Charles Chayne / Ned F. Nickles.
Where it came from
The Buick XP-300 (initially designated the XP-9) is a concept car created by General Motors in 1951. It is a counterpart to GM's Le Sabre concept, with which it shares many mechanical components, including its supercharged V8 engine, which could run on either gasoline or methanol. The XP-300 is representative of GM's "long and low" design philosophy in the 1950s, and includes numerous innovative features ranging from push-button power windows and seats to hydraulic jacks and de Dion axles.
Claimed to have attained a top speed of 140 mph (230 km/h) during testing, the XP-300 was displayed at auto shows across the United States, including the Chicago Auto Show in February 1951 and GM's 1953 Motorama tour. Together with the Le Sabre, the XP-300 pioneered the wraparound windshield, although it ultimately had much less influence on future car design than its counterpart. In 1966, the XP-300 was refurbished and donated to the Alfred P. Sloan Museum in Flint, Michigan, where it remains as of 2018.
Under the skin
Under the skin sits 335 hp supercharged V8 engine. Kerb weight is 3,125 lbs. The gearbox is a Dynaflow automatic transmission. The wheelbase is 116 in. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
In context
On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Toyota Land Cruiser, the Cadillac Eldorado, the Chevrolet Bel Air. Nearby in the Buick catalogue sit the Buick First Call and the Buick Funeral Car.
The money
MotorJury scores cars on the United States complaint and recall record, and the Buick XP-300 has none: too old, too rare, or never sold there. Its value today is a collector's question, decided by provenance and condition rather than by a class average.