From The Classifieds: 1956 Buick Roadmaster

From The Classifieds
1956 Buick Roadmaster

Like the rest of the world, the USA was still emerging from war in the early 1950s and this was nowhere better represented than in the car industry.

Having been on hold virtually from the outbreak of WWII, car-makers had been peddling late-1930s designs for a lot longer than intended and only started to emerge from the dark days in the early-1950s, in the golden days of the Eisenhower era.

Among the General Motors brands, Buick was overshadowed by Cadillac as the most aspirational nameplate, but it still carried significant weight, especially the top of the line Roadmaster series. Its credentials were good enough for an Australian Prime Minister: Bob Menzies used a 1940s Buick Eight as transport during his extended reign.

By the 1950s (and just before American car-makers went crazy with extravagant tailfins) Buick signatures included the straight-eight engine design and distinctive styling that included a toothy, vertical-bar grille, a bombsight bonnet mascot, boldly-chromed “Sweepspear” side garnishing and front guard porthole motifs (introduced in 1949 with three in lesser models and four in the Roadmaster series).

The bulging, extended bonnet required to house the lengthy overhead-valve powerplant was another Buick trait.

Unlike today’s sedans and coupes, but a standard expectation in just about any large car from the era, the Buick was a full six-seater with all-bench seating and rear-compartment access available by folding down the split front backrest.

The fifth generation model (like all Buick Roadmasters from 1936 and continuing through to the seventh generation model in 1958) was designed by the legendary Harley Earl and encompassed the now-familiar styling signatures, as well as Dynaflow automatic transmission and standard power windows.

But although it featured the age-old inline eight, a new, lighter and more powerful V8 of similar capacity (5.3 litres compared to 5.2 litres) was made available in Buicks from 1953.

This faithfully restored, left hand drive mint green Roadmaster pillarless coupe (the first of the fifth-generation models introduced in 1949) is a pristine example of early-1950s America that, according to its Perth-based owner, is all original, right down to the straight eight engine, power windows and two-speed Dynaflow automatic transmission.

The owner is prepared to help organising transport to other states and says the car comes well documented – and is even available with a set of uncut gold keys.

The price? The owner has put $58,000 on the Buick, which will buy you (apart from a roadworthy certificate which is not supplied) a fully-restored American classic.

Small price to make you instantly feel as if you’ve been transported straight back to the early 1950s.