1951 Buick Roadmaster Series 70 news, pictures, and information

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Estate Wagon
Chassis Num: 162055245

There were around 679 examples of the Roadmaster Estate Wagon constructed in 1961. Only twelve are known to exist in modern times. This example shown, finished in light blue with wood door panels was owned by a single family from new until 2006. It is powered by a 320 cubic-inch eight-cylinder engine capable of producing around 150 horsepower. There is a Dynaflow automatic transmission and four-wheel drum brakes.

The Dynaflow transmission was offered by Buick in 1948, which was a fully automatic gearbox. It was instantly popular and doubled Buicks estimated production for that year. For the following year, Buick freshened up its line with an updated look. More visual improvements followed in 1950. The Buick cars introduced some signature design features such as the portholes in the fenders, known as VentiPorts.

This 1951 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon was offered for sale at the 2007 RM Auctions held in Amelia Island, Florida. The car was estimated to sell between $80,000 - $100,000. It is in very original condition with the exception of a repaint, thou to its original color. The wood is all original, as are the seats and door panels. It has spent most of its life in Dallas, Texas where it was in single ownership until 2006.

At auction, the car failed to find a buyer. An opportunity was lost, as it is hard to find an Estate Wagon that is in original condition and has been this well treated. With only a few still existing, the opportunity to own one comes only so often.

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Riviera Hardtop

The 1951 Buick Roadmaster Series 70 Riviera hardtop was the top of the line closed automobile offered by Buick. The Roadmasters exclusively were fit with the large, straight 8,320 cu.in. 'Fireball' engine. The Buick automatic transmission was shift-less and called the DynaFlow, and was known for its smoothness in operation.

This car was displayed at the 100th year anniversary celebration in 2003 in Flint, Michigan - the birthplace of Buick. The hardtop design gave the sportiness of a convertible but with the comfort of a closed car. The original price for the Riviera Hardtop was $4,145 with around 12,901 examples being produced. The Riviera Hardtop rested on a 126.25 inch wheelbase while the Riviera Sedan was given a 130.25-inch wheelbase. The Sedan version cost $3,200 with a total of 48,758 examples being produced. The Other two Series 70 bodystyles available were the two-door Convertible and four-door Estate Wagon. The Wagon cost nearly $4,000 while the convertible fetched $3,450. The estate wagon was the most exclusive with only 679 examples produced. A total of 2911 Convertible Roadmasters were sold.

The Roadmaster named first appeared on Buick automobiles in 1936 as a celebration of their engineering improvements and advancements in design. The Buick Series 80 became known as the Roadmaster. The Roadmasters were built on the longest wheelbase Buick had to offer. From 1946 through 1957 they were the most elegant and prestigious automobiles that Buick sold.

From 1936 through 1948 the Roadmaster appeared in coupe, sedan, convertible and station wagon bodystyles. A hardtop coupe was added in 1949 and dubbed the Riviera.

The Roadmaster named reappeared in 1991 and continued in production until 1996. It served as a replacement for the Electra model line and offered as an Estate Wagon. A sedan was introduced in 1992.

The end of the 1953 Buick Roadmaster station wagon meant the end of the last wood-bodied station wagon to be mass-produced in the United States. In 1996, the end of the Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon meant the end of the full-size family station wagons.

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