Buick renamed its entire model lineup for the 1936 model year to celebrate the engineering improvements and design advancements over their 1935 models, introducing a "streamlined" appearance.
Buick's Series 40 model range became the Special, the Series 80 became the Roadmaster, and the Series 90, Buick's largest and most luxurious vehicles, became the Limited.
The Century took the place of the Series 60.

The basic formula for the 1936 to 1942 Century was established by mating the shorter behind-the-engine cowl Special bodies to the Roadmaster's larger straight-eight engine (and consequently longer engine compartment). (
In contrast, the 1940 Series 50 Super combined the larger Roadmaster body with the smaller Special engine.)
While the Special was powered by Buick's 233 cu in inline-8, rated 93 hp (69 kW) at 3200 rpm, Centurys produced between 1936 and 1942 were powered by the 320-cubic-inch producing 141 hp (105 kW), making them the fastest Buicks of the era and capable of sustained speeds of 100 mph (161 km/h), hence the name Century (100), earning the Century the nickname "the banker's hot rod."

The Century was discontinued at the end of the abbreviated 1942 model year, during which total model production only accounted for about 10% of Buick's total output.
Buick renamed its entire model lineup for the 1936 model year to celebrate the engineering improvements and design advancements over their 1935 models, introducing a "streamlined" appearance. Buick's Series 40 model range became the Special, the Series 80 became the Roadmaster, and the Series 90, Buick's largest and most luxurious vehicles, became the Limited. The Century took the place of the Series 60.
The basic formula for the 1936 to 1942 Century was established by mating the shorter behind-the-engine cowl Special bodies to the Roadmaster's larger straight-eight engine (and consequently longer engine compartment). (In contrast, the 1940 Series 50 Super combined the larger Roadmaster body with the smaller Special engine.) While the Special was powered by Buick's 233 cu in inline-8, rated 93 hp (69 kW) at 3200 rpm, Centurys produced between 1936 and 1942 were powered by the 320-cubic-inch producing 141 hp (105 kW), making them the fastest Buicks of the era and capable of sustained speeds of 100 mph (161 km/h), hence the name Century (100), earning the Century the nickname "the banker's hot rod."
The Century was discontinued at the end of the abbreviated 1942 model year, during which total model production only accounted for about 10% of Buick's total output.
Buick Century