1910 Buick Speedster

I made a similar inquiry in the BCA General forum a few weeks ago, and thought I'd try the

pre-war forum also.

My Grandfather, Glenn Brown of Hutchinson, Kansas had a 1910 Buick built as a raceabout or

speedster for about 50 years. When he died in 1990, the car was sold at an auction to a Texan. I don't

remember his name (said he had "the biggest antique motorcycle collection in the country" ).

Engine serial # was: 9864. If anyone knows where it wound up, please send word.

Jeff

Jeff...

Did you ever track down the 1910 Buick you asked about in this 2007 post?

I met your grandfather, Glenn Brown, a few times in the late 1970s and remember his Buick...it was a Model 16 originally, if I remember correctly, and had been made into a speedster many, many years before I learned of it.

Mr. Brown, as my wife and I always addressed him, was a real gentleman and I always enjoyed talking with him and seeing his cars. I remember he told me about racing the Buick when he was younger...he said that it would go 60 mph. I asked him how it handled at those speeds, and he said, "Like a frog on a hot stove."

A couple of years ago I ran across reference to the 1928 Elcar Cabriolet he also own now being part of an Indiana collection. I don't know who ended up with the Buick.

Was just thinking about Mr. Brown and his Buick tonight and did a Google search that turned up your message...hope somehow you come across my reply.

allcars,

That's great that you met my Grandfather Brown. Maybe you are in the HCCA or BCA. "Glenn D.", as some people called him, was member No. 415 in the Horseless Carriage Club. Glenn always called this Buick a 1909...though a BCA member, Dave Corbin, told me its engine serial No. 9864 makes it a 1910-model-year car and either a Model 16 or 17.

I asked around and think the buyer of the Buick Raceabout was possibly someone named E.J. Cole of Texas. E.J.'s nephew is Lonnie Isam, and now has 800+ antique motorcycles...now in the National Motorcycle Museum, Anamosa, IA. What became of the Buick -- I've never been able to find out. If Mr. Cole were still around he would be quite up in years.

I wish I could have acquired this Buick when my grandfather died, but it went up for auction and could not possibly have afforded it. Evidence suggests that the car was always a Raceabout -- not a conversion.

----Jeff

The Model 16 roadster, from the factory, was about as close as you could get to a speedster or raceabout.....great cars, with a big 4 cylinder engine under a long 6-cylinder-looking hood (trying to emulate look of more expensive 6 cylinder cars)....

I have a 1909 Buick Speedster. It has a motor #881, and a frame #1736. Does anybody know what year this really is? I believe it's a 1909 but no sure.

mikehagi,

Welcome to the forum and this twice resurrected older post. But it is always refreshing to hear about speedsters. I might be good if you could post a couple of photos. And I wish we could have been able to find the one in the original post.

John

i can't get my computer to upload a pic on this site. Any suggestions on how to do this? It keeps telling me upload failed.

1910 Model 16 Buick Raceabout, Glenn D. Brown Collection, circa 1984

Hi John,

I'm still around seven years later, but still don't know what happened to my family's 1910 Buick. Not that I could do anything about it if I knew where it was. A car like this is a little more valuable than it was 23 years ago. I could not afford what the car brought at auction in 1990....and I suspect the NADA Value Guide price for a '10 Buick Model 16 Raceabout is more than I made this year and last year.

Since I started the thread I communicated with "allcars", and we shared some more stories about my Grandfather. One funny one is a Duesenberg {J-580} that was in Hutchinson for decades that I thought was a '29. In 1944, Glenn said, the owner drove up to his jewelry store on Main in the Duesy and said he would sell it for $500. Allcars said it was actually a '37 instead of a '29 and that he has kept track of it.

I have a couple of pictures of the Buick, and I will try to go through the process of posting one here over the next several days.

[miraculously, I was able to post a picture on the first try!]

. . . . Jeff

[ATTACH=CONFIG]241106[/ATTACH]

1910 Model 16 Buick Raceabout, Glenn D. Brown Collection, circa 1984

I have a couple of pictures of the Buick, and I will try to go through the process of posting one here over the next several days.

[miraculously, I was able to post a picture on the first try!]

. . . . Jeff

I found one of the photos of the Buick I was looking for and posted it successfully on the previous post. If you click on it 3 times a fairly large version appears. Jeff

Jeff, good to see you on the Buick forum. Being born and raised in Hutchinson, Kansas I knew your Granddad fairly well. I remember the Buick 'speedster' pretty well. The one fellow mentioned the Elcar. If my memory serves me right, I think Bernie Wray (Wray Roofing) bought the car at the auction. Bernie had quite a collection at the time he died. The kids sold all the cars and I don't know who ended up with the Elcar. I was at the auction when the Buick sold. That name sounds sorta right and I do think the car went to Texas. I remember Mr. Brown driving the old Lincoln quite a bit. As you remember I had that 1928 Willys-Knight when you had the Model A Coupe. I'm not sure how much younger than me you are, but I remember when Kansas celebrated its centennial in 1961. Your great grandfather rode with the Governor in part of the parade during the 4th of July week. He was 100 years old that summer. I stopped into your granddad's jewelry store one afternoon to ask him about some moto-meter parts for the Willys-Knight. Lucy, the lady who worked for him (wish I could remember her last name) said he was gone and would be back shortly. I stuck around and talked with him when he got back. He went into the back room and came back with two cigar boxes chock full of parts. I was needing a glass and the brass disc that had the Willys-Knight script on it. He looked through the boxes and came up with just what I was looking for. I asked him how much he wanted for the pieces and he told me that a Willys-Knight car need a proper moto-meter on it. He told me to just take them along with me. He was just that kind of person. He always helped the young guys getting started in the hobby. You know, Jeff, that seems like a lifetime ago. I was 21 when I bought that WK.

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

Thanks Jeff,

The running board is longer on mine. I believe it may have had a Mother in law seat. What do you think?

MikeHagi, I answered your posed question on the other post, your speedster appears to be based on a 1912 Buick. It has a gas tank behind the front seat, and rarely did they put a mother in law seat behind an exposed gas tank. The reason your running board is so long is that your car was originally a touring car, Model 28 or 29. Your car is NOT a Model 16, as Jeff's appears to be. It sounds as if you may be choosing not to believe this answer, but based on wheelbase and serial/motor number that appears to be the case.

Jeff's car appears to have an added windshield base, and a later windshield frame, added over the original scuttle dash. Very desirable car these days.

Thanks for your response. It's not that I don't believe you. I just was trying to get as close as possible to the original car. I do agree with you regarding it being a touring at one time.

Terry,

Thanks for remembering my Granddad.

I was living in Los Angeles when the parade was going on and missed the festivities in Hutchinson. I remember it was Governor Avery who rode with my great grandfather and even saw a photo of the two of them in the parade once....but cannot remember if they were in the Buick or some other car. Lucy's last name was Kleckner. The 1922 Leland-Built Lincoln is two cars back from the red car It went to the Ed Towe Collection in Deer Lodge, Montana. Ol' Bernie Wray gave me his card when he bought the 1926 Elcar straight 8 cabriolet. I went to all three of the auctions in South Hutch. The Elcar is now in the Elcar Museum in Indiana.

Since we are on the Pre-War Buick Forum, I thought someone would have spotted the 1936 Buick Century three cars back from the red one, but it's hard to see.

Mike and David,

Thank you for your comments!

----Jeff

Louis Chevrolet drove a Model 16 Buick racer to several important wins for the Buick racing team.

FYI, here's a link to a wonderful vintage photo of a new, or nearly new, Buick Model 16 Tourabout (aka Surrey), taken in September, 1910 at Dorrance, Kansas:

http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/1497/page/1

Allcars, that's a great picture. One interesting thing about it is the color of the car. The Model 16 was offered in two color choices: dark red running gear with red body, and ivory running gear with dark blue body. The car pictured appears to be a light gray, or maybe even an off white, which I believe is the color of the Model 10 "White Streaks".

This is the first picture I've ever seen of a light colored original Model 16....at first I thought it might be a later picture of a repainted car, but your positive dating, and the style of tire that's on the car, indicates it's original.

Buick was trying to emulate the then-passion for six cylinder cars, and housed their big four under a very long hood....thanks for sharing picture...

I found a similar car in white at the "Brass at Berks" tour March 2013. Waited around for over an hour for the owner to return so I could speak to him. Never did connect.

The vertical tube/fin radiator would date that car as a 1909.

Just beautiful!

Keith

The guy you are looking for owns a flea market in Pearland, TX, called Coles Flea Market. The flea market had a section in it full of antique motorcycles and always a few antique cars. He also owns a rather large antique store as well in Warrenton, Texas, called COLES. I'm not sure if he is still around, but his businesses are booming. The store in Warrenton, TX, is open in the Spring and Fall during the Warrenton / Roundtop, TX Antiques Week. I bet you could look up either place and place a call to find out how to find what happened to the car. I live not terribly far from both places.

Allcars, Terry, and David,

I've been looking for a better photo of my grandfather's 1910 Buick. Haven't found it yet....but here's one taken from a different angle showing him standing next to it.

Carlisle1926,

Thank you for the lead on Mr. Cole!

Jeff

Thanks for sharing the photo, Jeff.

This is an old thread, but the car sold last December at a Mecum auction and is now in the hands of a collector who is getting it back on the road.  It's a 1910 Model 16 that has had a few modifications over the years, but is a "real" car.....