1939 Buick Series 80 Roadmaster Sport Phaeton

In 1939, a Buick Roadmaster Convertible Sedan was used to pace the Indianapolis 500. Along with this tremendous honor, Harlow Curtice, Buick's chief, was determined to set a new sales record. A sales target of 200,000 cars was set, and at the dealer's kickoff meeting, an airplane was displayed on stage with the number '200,000' painted on its wings. The goal was a success, as Buick sold more than 208,000 cars, earning it number four in the industry.

Buick's entry-level, Series 40 Special was responsible for most of Buick's sales in 1939, with over 166,000 units sold. The Roadmaster, positioned above the Series 60 Century and below the Series 90 Limited, brought in over 6,000 sales. The Touring Sedan found the most buyers, with 5,460 units produced. Just three were Sport Phaetons. 311 examples of the Phaeton, 303 Formal Sedans, and 20 Sport Sedans accounted for the remainder of the Series 80 sales.

Powering the Series 80 was an overhead valve eight-cylinder engine offering 141 horsepower and was mated to a three-speed sliding gear transmission. Hydraulic brakes could be found at all four corners.

This Roadmaster is an '80C' Sport Phaeton. It has a 'fastback' trunk which is differentiated from the more common 81C 'Trunk-Back' model, also known as the Bustle-back. This vehicle is presented in Indy 500 Livery and finished in yellow finish with gold lettering with a red interior and black 'parade tonneau.'

In 2011, this car was offered for sale at the Hershey, PA auction presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $75,000 - $95,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold to the sum of $62,500 inclusive of buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2011