Finding your 1:1 car in scale has to be one of the true joys of collecting models. In the 16 years I've had the pleasure of possessing this '57 Roadmaster Riviera Sedan (Series 70, Model 73) below,
the models available keep growing, not in size but in number.



These scale treasures also show the dizzying array of roof treatments the owner could specify on the year's top-range Buick. Motor Max's 1:18 RM Convertible Coupe (Model 76C in 1:1 real-car scale) is inexpensive and loaded with detail,
and models faux stainless steel luggage straps on the trunk.



Conquest's 1:43 RM 75 Riviera Sedan was not inexpensive and has the quality one expected from the fine English company. (Except for the wide whitewall tires, which were never clean from the moment I un-boxed it)! The real Model 75 Riviera Sedan and Model 75R Riviera Coupe, introduced in mid-March 1957 with near-Cadillac-quality interiors, were not offered with the stainless strips on trunks or roofs. I know this to be true, as I have the March 18, 1957 issue of Automotive News that contains an item about the 75's (and the '57 Eldo Brougham's) debut earlier that week.
(Also, the RM 75's made a splashy debut in BUICK magazine's Spring 1957 issue).

The baby of the bunch, Racing Champion's 1:64 RM Riviera Coupe (Model 76R) shows the top treatment well for its small size and miniscule price. From the '57 line's intro in October '56, RM Riviera Sedans and Coupes (separate Models 73A & 76A, respectively) were also available without the roof stainless, but wore the stainless trunk strips. Oddly, according to a recently-acquired Canadian '46-'57 Master Chassis & Body Parts manual, only the RM 73 & 76R versions were available to our friends in the North. Just for fun, pop the hood on the littlest RM and you'll find a tiny "Fireball" 320 cid straight-eight, rather than the correct 364 cid "Nailhead" V-8. (The motor is a holdover from RC's earlier issue '49 Riviera Coupe).

Dealership Parts Managers, restorers, and sellers on ebay have been in a state of confusion ever since, and no article yet written covering '57 Roadmasters has ever got it right. Buick called them one- and three-piece backlights, but in reality the actual rear glass interchanges with all corresponding Cadillacs and Buick Super Models 53 & 56R (check your Hollander's Interchange or GM parts manuals if you don't believe me). The Buick Special (40 Series) and Century (60 Series) and ALL Oldsmobiles in '57 used three separate pieces of glass in their B-Body backlights. All Cadillacs (save the limo), RM's and Supers used the longer, wider C-Body. (For example, if you see a '57 grille for sale and no parts numbers or model reference is available, count the vertical "electric razor" bars; 104 for Series 50 & 70, 100 for Series 40 & 60).



For lack of a better name, I just call this cool roof treatment the "Tiara Top," and it's my favorite design element on the entire car. (There are many of those elements to choose from on what Buick called their "Dream Car Designed" '57 Buick line). It reminds me of the Domeliner Observation Cars on railroads of the day.

In small-scale metal, I'm lucky to have such an abundance of choice; with the '57's growing popularity (previously thought of as the Rodney Dangerfield of '50's Buicks), it's only a matter of time till a 1:24th scale model joins the brood.
And then my little fleet will be complete!

TG

P.S. This was meant more as a short treatise, not the Unabomber's Manifesto, sorry.

Tom, thanks for another great topic, and I'm sorry that I missed it earlier.

As an addendum to your notes regarding the '57 Roadmaster in scale, I purchased one of Joe Wheat's "Memory Lane" '57 Roadmaster 2-door Riviera promos in 1/25-scale a few years back. These are based on the Modelhaus resin-cast kit, and are molded with the "Tiara Top". Mine is finished in the copper brown (upper)/white (lower), since this was the color combination of my Aunt Kathryn's beautiful '57 Century.

Tom, I have endeavored to accomplish something similar with my Silver Birch 1959 Buick Electra 4-door hardtop.

Here's the 1:1 Buick in its original "Magic Mirror Silver Birch" at a recent event in Bellingham, Washington:



The diecast manufacturers have offered Silver Birch 1959 Electra 225 convertibles in both 1:43 and 1:18 scale, but I had to get a little more creative to obtain replicas of the 4-door hardtop in standard Electra trim.

I. 1:12-scale S.C. Miller resin-cast kit, built by Paul Hettick

Back at the 1959 GM Motoramas and Chicago Auto Show, the Buick display included large, 1:12-scale (more than 18-inches long) fiberglass models of the Electra 225 4-door hardtop in each of the original factory colors. These original models, which are not perfectly proportioned, are now very difficult to locate and expensive. S.C. Miller of West Virginia utilized one of the original models to create a mold, from which he produced a very small number of expensive resin-cast kits. S.C. Miller died in 2003, and the models are long out-of-production.

After much searching and swapping of some other models, I acquired one of the unbuilt S.C. Miller kits. I contacted 1959 Buick owner and professional model builder, Paul Hettick, to build the model as a standard Electra 4-door hardtop in Silver Birch. The result is huge and spectacular!









II. 1:16 Scale (approx.) Japanese Tin Toy by SUDA

Shortly after purchasing my 1959 Buick and prior to taking delivery of the car, a friend casually mentioned that he had seen a toy '59 Buick at an antique store some thirty miles away. I now realize that some of the '59 Buick toys are quite common, but, having no idea at the time that a wide range of '59 Buick toys could be easily obtained via ebay, I took the time to travel to the antique store. Am I glad I did! The toy just happened to be one of the rarest and largest of the Japanese tin '59 Buicks. Better yet, the car was a silver 4-door hardtop. In nearly ten years of watching ebay, I have yet to see another of these 14-inch toy cars, with the exception of a couple of heavily damaged "parts" cars.

Needless to say, this Japanese tin Buick is one of the crown jewels of my collection.





III. 1:25-scale resin-cast kit by Tom Coolidge, built by Paul Hettick

I have collected the 1:25-scale kits/promos and 1:24-scale diecast model cars for many years, so always hoped that a '59 Buick 4-door hardtop would someday become available. My wish was recently granted, when resin-caster Tom Coolidge began offering a 1:25-scale '59 LeSabre 4-door hardtop. Paul Hettick built an "Electra-fied" version of the model in Silver Birch, once again replicating the appearance of my 1:1 '59 Electra.







[img]http://photos.aaca.org/data/506/1-25IV.JPG[/img]


One of these days, I'll build or have someone build up the little H.O. scale '59 Buick 4-door hardtop kit I picked up a few years ago, and I continue to hope that one of the precision die-cast manufacturers will offer a '59 4-door hardtop.

Great topic! Anyone ever had a model built of their car? Had a friend in Baltimore years ago who had a model kit company come up and measure their 1934 Plymouth They made a kit from it and presented him with a couple of the 1st ones off the line. We're looking for scale models of the MGBGT. Got a few of the typical dinkys, hubley, etc but are there others out there? Would love to find a plastic model kit so we could built an exact dupe of ours.
Terry

Terry,

www.diecast.org is the website that kick-started my dormant, decades-long 1/43rd scale model addiction;
they have separate forums devoted to 1/43, 1/24/ and 1/18th models.

I'm confident you will open up a Pandora's Box of MGBGT model availability.
Be warned, however it's like eating a Lay's potato chip!

You heard it here first!
TG

Brian,

It's great to see your amazing, unique models added here, and thanks for doing so. Few folks have the passion as you do and are able to follow it through to completion. Your dedication to modelling on a higher level is obvious, and I wish I could be so focused.

I know all who read it will appreciate your Electra-fying quest for the symphonies-in-scale that are these renditions of our favorite cars. (Did I already mention Lay's potato chips?)

Regards,
TG