1917 Buick Series D

Sold for $19,250 at 2011 RM Auctions - Hershey.
The 1917 Buick was available in two wheelbase sizes, a 106- and 115-inch platform. Body-styles included a roadster and tourer on both wheelbases and a coupe and sedan reserved for the larger 115-inch wheelbase. The Series D-34 and D-35 were powered by an overhead-valve four-cylinder engine displacing 170 cubic-inches and offering nearly 20 horsepower. The Model D-44, D-45, D-46, and D-47 came equipped with an overhead valve six-cylinder engine of 225 cubic-inches and producing 45 horsepower. A sliding gear transmission was available to all models as were the mechanical drum brakes on two wheels.

The D-34 and D-35 entry-level models were priced at a reasonable $600 and $675 respectively. The larger, more powerful Model D vehicles (D-44, D-45, D-46, and D-47) sold for over $1,000, with the D47 being the most expensive at $1,840.

One of David Dunbar Buick's biggest contributions to America's automobile industry was the adoption of the advanced valve-in-head engine design of Walter L. Marr and Eugene Richard. The production genius of Charles Nash and Walter P. Chrysler make Buick a champion of superior performance at an affordable price and provided a steady stream of income for General Motors during a turbulent period under 'Billy' Durant, Wall Street bankers, and Sloan's duPont-backed leadership.

In 2011, the car was offered for sale at the Hershey, PA sale presented by RM Auctions. The car was estimated to sell for $30,000 - $45,000 and offered without reserve. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $19,250 inclusive of buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2011