Back in October, I featured a 1996 Buick Roadmaster station wagon as my Pick of the Day. It was a bit of a “sleeper” thanks to having a 260-horsepower LT1 V8 engine despite conveying the appearance of a boring people-mover. Back in the 1950s, the Roadmaster had a vastly different look.
The Pick of the Day is a 1956 Buick Roadmaster convertible listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Athens, Georgia. (Click the link to view the listing)
“I only see one of these come up for sale a year, making this a very rare car,” the seller says. “She underwent a restoration about 30 years ago and still shows very well.”
Between 1946 and 1957, the Roadmaster was the top-end flagship of the Buick model lineup. For most of that span, it shared the General Motors C-body platform with badge-engineered cars like the Cadillac Series 62 and the Oldsmobile 98. Available configurations for the Roadmaster included a two-door convertible, a two-door hardtop, a four-door sedan, and a four-door hardtop. The hardtop models were named “Riviera.” (Obviously, the Riviera name in later years was more of a Buick nameplate)
This 1956 Roadmaster takes brightwork to whole new level. From front to back (and even on the interior) it is graced with lots of ornamentation, including the characteristic fender-mounted portholes, sweeping side spears, and trunk lid accent bars. One of my favorite features is the “bombsight” at the leading edge of each front fender. Some vehicles used that type of design for a hood ornament; this car received two! The seller says, “Chrome is very clean with no pitting on outside trim or bumpers.”
This Roadmaster was also nicely optioned for its time, complete with features such as power steering, power brakes, power windows, a three-way power seat, a power antenna, and a power retractable top. Under the seller’s ownership, the car received a new convertible top motor and associated hardware.
Power comes from a Fireball 322cid V8 mated to a Dynaflow two-speed automatic transmission. The seller says, “Everything works as it should. All lights, wipers, horn, gauges, etc.”
Do you prefer to think of the Roadmaster as a glamorous 1950s convertible or as a souped-up station wagon from the 1990s? Either way, it is a model that will forever be remembered as a Buick favorite.
The asking price is $79,500, which includes an owner’s guide, a shop manual, and the original hub caps.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
I had a 1957 Century(?) with the upright steel dashboard and the two-tone blue and gray. The foot start was a great immobilizer. Memory says $2500 for an unblemished original in 1977. And I remember thinking I paid too much. And maybe it was ’87? Those years are a tad lacking in focus. I do recall that even my young wife enjoyed driving the car.
Gorgeous car, can you tell folks with drop tops to get a pic with the top dropped? IMO thats where convertibles shine the best.