1955 Buick Roadmaster Series 70

Most of Detroit's iron received a complete redesign during the Fifties, as cars from the 'Big Three' became longer and lower. The color palette of the 1940s was updated with names like Gulf Turquoise, Cherokee Red, Regency Purple, and Tropical Rose. Manufacturers worked aggressively and covertly on new designs, remaining behind curtained showrooms until the magical date of their introduction, drawing flocks of people and press alike. The elegance and fanfare were highlighted by the generous use of chrome, space-age styling, towering tailfins, wraparound windshields, and two-tone color scheme. Buick entered 1955 with its slogan, 'When better vehicles are built, Buick will build them,' announcing to the world they were bringing motoring excellence to the general public.

From the very beginning, Buick offered solid reliability and great performance, with legendary names such as Roadmaster, Special, and Century. Its 'Valve-in-Head' engine design proved to be one of the best design features ever built in an engine. Its reputation, engineering, value, and styling helped it become one of America's most popular car companies.

Buick offered sedans, coupes, and station wagons with a convertible available in each one of their series for 1955. Nearly 200 color combinations were available, and Buick's signature 'Port holes' adorned its vehicle's bodyside, with four on the Roadmaster, Super, and Century. The entry-level Special had three portholes. The Special and Century rode on a 122-inch wheelbase, while the upper line Supers and Roadmasters ran on a larger 127-inch wheelbase. All of Buick's engines for 1955 featured newly designed cams, ported manifolds, and a bigger four-barrel carburetor.

The Special, Century, and Super used a 322 CID V8 engine with overhead valves, hydraulic valve lifters, and five main bearings. The Special used a two-barrel carburetor and delivered 188 horsepower at 4,800 RPM and the Century, Super, and Roadmaster had a four-barrel setup with 236 hp. The Special and Century rested on a 122-inch wheelbase, while the Super and Roadmaster measured 127-inches. A three-speed manual transmission was standard on all models except the Roadmaster which was equipped with a Dynaflow drive (optional on the other series for an additional $193). Dynaflow drive automatic transmission was upgraded for 1955 with 20 variable-pitch stator blades that either opened fully for quick acceleration or returned to the normal position for cruising ease. Along with improved performance and acceleration, the transmission updates resulted in better fuel economy.

The Roadmaster sedan had a base price of $3,350, the hardtop coupe at $3,450, and the convertible coupe at $3,550. The sedan was the most popular within the Roadmaster body style lineup, with 31,717 examples sold, followed by 28,971 of the hardtop coupe, and 4,730 of the convertible coupe.

Standard features on the Roadmaster included power steering, four-wheel power hydraulic drum brakes, full wheel covers, the Variable-pitch Dynaflow transmission, double-depth foam seat cushions, back-up lights, brake warning signal light, windshield washer, electric clock, trip mileage indicator, and 10 interior choices including brocaded fabrics. The convertible had a power-operated top.

The Roadmaster had nameplate script, in gold colors, on the rear deck and grille, vertical windshield posts, headlamp rims containing the parking lamp units, and gold-accented hood ornament.

Buick reached an all-time record with 781,296 cars produced placing the company in a strong third-place for U.S. sales. On April 5th, Buick produced its eight millionth car and its 3.5 millionth since World War II. If that wasn't enough, Buick produced its one-millionth hardtop on August 3rd. Buicks were also popular on the television screen with the famous 'Highway Patrol' featuring 1955 Buicks for its opening season, driven by Broderick Crawford playing Chief Dan Mathews. On NASCAR's track, Buick entries scored a pair of high-profile racing victories.

The 1955 Buick Roadmaster was graceful without arrogance, regal without pompousness, and sporty without immaturity.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2021