1946 Buick Series 70 Roadmaster

Buick resumed civilian automobile production in 1946 using mildly updated versions of its pre-war models. The lineup included the Series 40 'Special', the mid-priced Series 50 'Super,' and the top-of-the-line Series 70 'Roadmaster.' The Special rested on a 121-inch wheelbase, the Series 50 measured 125-inches, and the Roadmaster was 129-inches. All three included a sedan and Sedanet body style, with the Super adding a convertible coupe and station wagon, and the Roadmaster a convertible coupe. The Special and Super were equipped with an inline eight-cylinder engine with overhead valves, five main bearings, mechanical valve lifters, a two-barrel carburetor, and 110 horsepower at 3,600 RPM. The Roadmaster was powered by an inline eight-cylinder engine with overhead valves, a cast-iron block, mechanical valve lifters, a two-barrel carburetor, and delivered 144 horsepower at 3,600 RPM. It was backed by a three-speed manual transmission with a steering column-mounted shift lever.

The Special was the only 1946 Buick model to use the Fisher B-body fastback styles of the pre-war era. The Super used the Series 70 body with the engine from the Special. The Special came standard with rubber floor mats, painted instrument panels with round gauges, rocker panel moldings, and twin strips of stainless steel traveling from the front wheelhouse to the rear edge of the standard rear wheelhouse skirts. The Series 50 added two-tone, woodgrained instrument panels.

The Special Sedan sold for $1,580 and the Sedanet at $1,520. The Super sedan was $1,820, the convertible coupe at $2,045, the Sedanet at $1,740, and the station wagon at $2,600. The Roadmaster sedan listed for $2,100, the Sedanet at $2,015, and the convertible coupe at $2,350. The convertible coupe was the most exclusive with 2,576 examples built. The sedan was the most popular with 20,597 examples built. 8,226 examples were of the Sedanet.

Optional equipment included a Spotlite Sonomatic radio, Prismatic inside rearview mirror, 'Breeze-Ease' draft deflector, auxiliary driving lights, seat covers, a Weather-Warden heater/defroster, and a non-glare 'E-Z-I' rearview mirror.

by Dan Vaughan

The 1946 Model 76C is one of the rarest postwar Buick convertibles; 2,587 were produced, four of which remain, three are located in the U.S. and one in Argentina.

The engine-turned dash panels date the production of this car to the period before a labor strike in the spring of 1946. Afterward, Buick used body-colored dash panels. The car weighs in at 4345 pounds, has a 129-inch wheelbase and sold new for $2,347. It was powered by a straight-eight overhead valve engine, making 144 horsepower and feeding into a three-speed manual transmission.

The current owner purchased this car in the summer of 1999. It had traveled just 31,000 miles and was quite solid. Restoration began at Jenkins Restoration in North Carolina. The work required 4,000 hours and was completed in late 2002. The car has won a Senior Grand National award as well as other AACA and concours awards. The car has been shown at 3 AACA events, where it scored 400, 399, 400 points respectively.

The Roadmaster's name first appeared on Buick automobiles in 1936, known as the Series 80 Roadmaster and as a celebration of the engineering improvements and advancements in design. The Roadmasters were built on the longest wheelbase Buick had to offer, and 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 body styles. A hardtop coupe was added in 1949 and dubbed the Riviera.

The Roadmaster's 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.

by Dan Vaughan