Jump to content

1950 Buick Roadmaster 2 door Fastback ?


bczar

Recommended Posts

Guest imported_Thriller

Welcome to the forums!

The model 76S - 2 door Roadmaster Sedanette had a factory price of $2528, shipping weight of 4025 lbs, and 2968 were produced, according to <span style="font-style: italic">Standard Catalog of Buick</span>.

That would be a great car...can't wait to see some photos. wink.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Derek,

I had to double check that because I was pretty sure that 1949 was the last year for the long wheelbase Sedanette. I have never seen a 50 Roadmaster Sedanette nor was I aware they built them.

I need photos of the body and the body plate before I'll believe it. I have even read in articles the car does not exist.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest imported_Thriller

I'm just going from the one book I have that has that information...these things all have errors, but this particular book has been pretty good so far. It's not the most definitive source though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i don't think you are in error Derek, I have the same book and I see the same entries. It's kind of like folklore to me, I guess - I've never ever seen a 50 Roadmaster 2 door model that wasn't a Riviera hardtop and even those are rare.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One of the models I had hoped to see at the Buick Centennial in 2003 was a 1950 Roadmaster Sedanette, and I was not disappointed. A positively stunning example was displayed in dark blue. The owner had added the Riviera side trim, and, it looked so nice that I found myself wishing that Buick had built them that way.

Another '50 Roadmaster Sedanette turned up online earlier this year, destined for a local auction. This one was light blue, and I thought to myself how much I would love to own it.

Still waiting, though, to see another ultra-rare Sedanette -- the 1951 Super 56S.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I succeeded in locating my old topic on the BCA General forum regarding the 1950 Roadmaster sedanette in Flint. I did obtain photos of this spectacular car, but no longer have them.

I had forgotten Pete Phillips' comments regarding the presence of a '51 Super Sedanette in Flint, and it's one that I unfortunately missed.

Here's the topic:

http://forums.aaca.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=2&Number=177800&Searchpage=12&Main=44818&Words=1950+roadmaster&topic=0&Search=true#Post177800

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have read that the 1950 styling was referred to as the P-38 body after being inspired by the P-38 Lightning fighter bomber of WW11

The fastback series in all models released for 1950 were officially referred to as "Jetbacks" and were substancially different from previous models, including wheelbase, overall length/width and dramatic bodystyling changes.

The Special series were the first introduced in August 1949 and the Jetback Series consisted of:

Series 40 Model 43 4 door Jetback sedan 58,700 produced

Series 40 Model 43D 4 door deluxe sedan 14,333 produced

Series 40 Model 46 Jetback business coupe 2,500 produced

Series 40 Model 46D Deluxe Jetback coupe 76,902 produced

Series 40 Model 46S Jetback coupe 42,935 produced

Several months later the Super and Roadmaster series were released. Ther were no Jetback 4 door sedans available in the bigger series cars, only the Jetback coupe.

Production figures were:

Series 50 model 56s Jetback coupe 10,697 produced

Series 70 model 76s Jetback coupe 2,968 produced

In the following year all Jetback models were discontinued from the Special and Roadmaster series.

The only Jetback coupes built in 1951 were:

Series 50 model 56s Deluxe Jetback coupe 1,500 produced

The Jetbacks did not appear again after 1951.

A lot of this information is sourced from a great article written by Tim Howley appearing in the August 1995 edition of Collectible Automobile titled 1950-52 BUICK: AMERICAN ICON.

In this article Tim made the interesting comment " Of particular interest to collectors should be the '50 Super and Roadmaster Jetback coupes. With 10,697 and 2968 built, resectively, they're far rarer than the Riviera hardtops today."

Incidently Centurion, the 1950 Roadmaster Series came with the the new sweepspears while the Super and Deluxe Special series only had the straight-line body trim so I think the 76s we all saw at Flint back in 2003 was sporting original to 1950 Roadmaster sweepspears.

From an owners point of view I can say they are a great car that pull a crowd anywhere you stop. The biggest problem is trying to convince people the car is factory supplied in 1950 and not " chopped, cut, lowered" or radically changed in anyway.

Several years ago General Motors Holden produced a concept car inspired by our 1954 FJ Holden. It was called the EFIJY ( or something similar ) and if you google it you should find a photo, I know it toured the US car shows in the last year or two. Have a look at it and tell me what you think inspired it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Stuart,

Thanks much for the update. I take particular interest in the historical meaning of some of your research. Many on this forum, and Mr. Howley and others (myself included), simply have been going on the "urban legend" that the 50 Sedanette did not exist outside of the 40 series Special.

Part of that folklore has been passed along because so few have been seen. Still, at roughly 13,000 or so, you would think there would be more out there.

Of curious note on my part is why? We have the Riviera model coming along in 1949 with much fanfare, then in 1950 the floodgates open on the hardtop styling throughout Buick and GM, yet the 50 Sedanettes are specifically marketed with tie-ins to the jets. (ergo jetback: which I have heard all along about the Specials)

I see quite a few 1950 Buicks on ebay relative to other early 50's years so a number of them survived. I still have never seen one - and to think that the body was continued into 1951 (leftover bodies perhaps?) is still morec urious.

The Sedanette body style was introduced by GM and Buick in 1941 and included the Cadillac series 61, that replaced the LaSalle. It is my belief that GM was hedging it's bets on using the fastback styling on Cadillac, fearing a backlash for it's "sportiness" but as we know it prevailed into post war years.

For Buicks part, sales remained strong but when you have a dynamic leader like Harley Earl in charge, pushing the envelope, by 1949 it appeared to have run it's course. perhaps, as in 1941, GM was hedging it's bets against a backlash against the new 2 door hardtop, although unlikely, maybe because it offered such a new feeling inside the car, such a change from since the dawn of the automobile.

Hard to say without communication insight into the management at the time but i am glad this subject came up. Now all I need are PICTURES of these great cars.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that EFIGY concept car won the American Hot Rodder

"Car of the Year" recently ?

It is a beautiful piece of engineering built here in Australia and I believe it sits in the front foyer of GM Australia Head Office after extensive world touring / exposure at car shows. Perhaps someone with more computer skills than me could attach a picture of it from the website. smile.gif

Ken ( aka Rooster)

1929 / 25

1954 76R ( Ire)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest imported_Thriller

Wow...it reminds me a bit of a hardtop version of the Blackhawk.

Is that 6 litre V8 a production engine? If so, which models is it used in? Only in Oz? Just curious.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have you fellas seen the late model Pontiac GTO ?

Well guess what !!! That car was designed AND built in Australia and exported LHD to USA. How's that for a coup, selling Pontiac badged cars made in Australia. grin.gif

Here the car is sold as a Monaro , a re-birthed model from the classic 1960s-70s Australian sports coupe.

The Gen IV 6 litre engine is the same in those cars as is the EFIGY

Ken ( aka Rooster)

1929

1954 76R ( Ire)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BJM</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

Of curious note on my part is why? We have the Riviera model coming along in 1949 with much fanfare, then in 1950 the floodgates open on the hardtop styling throughout Buick and GM, yet the 50 Sedanettes are specifically marketed with tie-ins to the jets. (ergo jetback: which I have heard all along about the Specials)

</div></div>

BJM,

Hard to fathom the thinking back in 1950/51. The Riviera Coupe wasn't destined to replace the Jetback Coupe. The Jetback range appear to have been replaced in the 1951 Special lineup by a notchback Sport Coupe (46S) and a Special Deluxe two door pillared sedan (48D).

The 1951 production of 2 door models were:

45R Riveriera Hardtop Coupe 16,491 produced

46S 2 door Sport Coupe 2,700 produced

48D Deluxe 2 door sedan 54,311 produced

This trend continued into 1952 with the 2 door pillared sedans seemingly stronger sellers than the Riviera.

Maybe the buying public just didn't feel safe without that pillar holding the roof on???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well thank god you've got the original rear fenders. I have to clean up my morning coffee now, I'm awake.

I can't tell but did they remove the ventiports, or maybe I do need more coffee.

Send more pictures. Where did you buy? i have not seen on ebay.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hello again

well I have known about it for almost 3 years but it was hard as a nut to get a deal with the guy

had to buy a 50 special sedanette as well as a package

bought it up in Southington CT..........and got it transported down to grantville PA for loading to sweden

the ventiports are all there...only the cromerings is off and inside the car......have a bill of sale from The Woodlands TX from 1964 on the car as well so it has been around..sadly it has rust in the front floors

have a lots of more photos so email me and I can send

regards stig

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 11 months later...
Guest DaveCorbin

Dear Stuart:

I think some of those Jetbacks might have come your way. The production figures you give are correct as totals. Of the 1950 56S, 120 were export jobs. For the 1950 76S, 10 were exported. The 1951 56S had 42 export cars in the run.

Regards, Dave Corbin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DaveCorbin</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Dear Stuart:

I think some of those Jetbacks might have come your way. The production figures you give are correct as totals. Of the 1950 56S, 120 were export jobs. For the 1950 76S, 10 were exported. The 1951 56S had 42 export cars in the run.

Regards, Dave Corbin </div></div>

Dave,

Well that's interesting. Do we know if they were RHD?

The general view over here is once GMH started building the Holden Sedan in 1948 all Buick imports ceased. There were local dealers who were doing some direct imports but they seemed to be LHD which were converted to RHD once landed and were cars not specifically produced by Buick for export. I think they would also have been 4 door sedans as things were pretty austere in Australia in the 50's and cars with only 2 doors were more inconvenient than anything, besides, you cant fit a bale of hay or a 44 gallon drum in the boot ( trunk ) of a Jetback!!!!

Having said that there was a 1950 Jetback coupe on Ebay Australia recently over in Queensland. It had obviously spent most of it's life here as there wasn't much left ( like nothing right around the bottom three inches of the body - no floor etc ) but it was RHD.

What else can you tell us Dave??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know this may be heresy, but Troy Trepanier did a 50 Buick Sedanette into a Pro Street car. He called it "Bumongous", which I thought was appropriate.

I saw this at the Americruise back about 10 years ago. It was displayed in the booth for one of those sound systems (Kicker2???).

I'm not really into Pro Street cars, but this one left me drooling down my chin. It was painted a tangurine color and had a big block Chevy engine in it (ugh!!!!).

Here is a link for a few pictures of the car: http://www.radrides.com/gal.htm?sub=bumongous&ci=1

I have no idea what ever became of the car. Sure is a dynamite car, though!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Professor, that is a nice car done by Troy, all the cars he does must have over 500 HP. I think he should of kept it all Buick. It does give some ideas for my 50 Special Jetback DSC01776.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...