A fine-looking example of the achingly cool Buick Special two door saloon
Clearly having been previously restored this 65-year-old icon looks ready to cruise
A great value entrée into the fun and active world of American Classic Car ownership
The Appeal
Buick had been losing ground in sales terms to some of the other General Motors brands by the mid 1950’s. With the Special having been a previous best seller, Buick entered 1957 with some significant model updates. Most importantly this included a bigger capacity 364 cubic inch V8 engine across the Special range. This provided a minimum of 250bhp and endowed these big cars with a compelling performance and, hence, sporty image. Despite the size, a 0-60mph time of around 11 seconds was reported with a top speed in excess of 100 mph.
This example is somewhat of an enigma with very little known about its earlier life. No provenance providing paperwork is present leaving us to deduce what we can from the appearance of the car. That appearance is amazing, presenting in bright red with the American classic prerequisite chrome in evidence. This is likely to be a great value American classic ready to do some serious wafting and cruising.
The History and Paperwork
The Buick was produced in 1957 as one of the revised Specials
Likely to have been produced in Flint, Michigan or “Buick City” as it was known
Public records suggest the car was first registered in the UK in 1988
This suggests that the Buick was imported from the USA at around this time
Today the car is being sold by a specialist classic car dealer in Yorkshire
No paperwork is currently available with the Buick
The car is UK registered so a V5 registration document will be made available
The Buick has Historic Vehicle status being more than 40 years old
As such it is MOT and VED exempt in the UK
The Interior
Like the exterior, it seems clear that the Buick has been previously restored
The spacious interior appears to be in a bright, clean and excellent condition
The seats are finished with grey, self-patterned fabric centre sections
The vinyl bolsters are finished in red Cordaveen material with piped edges
In true US classic style, the front seat is comprised of a full width bench with split backrest
These backrests fold forwards and inwards to provide access to the rear
Grab handles are built into the rear of the front seats
The rear bench is identically upholstered and of an equally good condition
The woollen carpets are finished in a complementary red hue
These appear to be in an excellent overall condition
The dashboard is a 1957 period delight finished in off white painted steel and chrome accents
Padded black vinyl top and bottom rolls are fitted as an early safety feature
A horizontal speedometer and ancillary gauges are fitted ahead of the driver
A big Bakelite steering wheel is fitted with chromed horn rim
An original “Power Steering” inscribed centre boss is fitted
In the centre a chrome fronted, original Sonomatic push button radio is fitted
In front of the passenger is a generously sized, oblong clock
A big circular, chromed air conditioning and heater control is in evidence
Both headlining and door cards appear to be in an excellent condition
On both sides the articulated chrome, directional spot lamp arms are fitted
This interior is awash with charming period detail
This includes the day / night mirror switch and labelled “power brakes” pedal cover
The Exterior
This Buick Special is an eye-full of classic American charm on the outside too
The 1957 bodywork was all new as part of the major model refresh of that year
Our car presents in gleaming Seminole Red which was a Buick colour for this year
Like the interior, the exterior has clearly been subject to a restoration
All panels appear to exude a deep shine with no major imperfections noted
In side profile the car features a wide chromed trim line running the full length of the car
This is centred with a white coachline and features a signature “tick” shape on the rear wings
Buick aficionados will know this as the “Sweepspear”
Another signature feature are the three “Vintiports” adorning the tops of the front wings
The front profile is finished with a fullwidth chromed grill and big twin headlights
The huge, chromed bumper terminates in twin “jet engine cowl” finishers
The twin A pillar mounted search lights are a charming period addition
The rear bumper is even bigger than the front
It is extended rearward to provide a mount for the body-coloured spare wheel cover
The large vertically orientated rear lights are finished with ridged chrome bezels
The cabin glass is subtly tinted and contrasts nicely with the bright red livery
The wheels are steel items fitted with original “roulette wheel” chromed Buick hub caps
The radial type tyres feature thick white walled details with additional red accents
The tyres appear to retain plenty of tread, but their age is unspecified
The Mechanics
All 1957 Buick Specials were fitted with the same 364 cu in (6L) V8 “Fireball” engine
There were varying states of tune across the range, however
This is believed to be the twin carburettor model originally rated at around 250bhp
Power is fed to the rear wheels via a two speed Dynaflow automatic gearbox
This is operated via a column shift lever
Little is known about the maintenance history of the car
The under-bonnet presentation is very positive, however
It is very clean and straight with a number of new parts noted
The original tag data plate appears to be present and correct but not pictured in detail
Equally the underside looks in keeping with a well maintained and cared for car
The chassis has clearly been quite recently treated with preserving material
Some new parts are evident with both sump and fuel tank looking very good
Summary
Buick worked hard with the 1957 models to claw back their earlier sales success with a redesigned and bigger engined range of cars. Their pricing was reasonable, too, that helped make this period of Special very popular. For those already part of the thriving US Classic scene, or those wanting to get involved, these models provide an enjoyable and affordable point of entry.
Whilst little to nothing is documented about the earlier life of this car, it seems clear that someone has loved it and cherished it in the recent past. It has clearly benefitted from a diligent restoration with exterior, interior and mechanicals all appearing to have been attended to. Definitely a car to get yourself noticed in and likely to provide excellent value for money, too.
Notice to bidders
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