alextheantiqueautoguy

I believe this to be a 1939 Buick 39-68 5-Passenger 2-door Century Touring Sedan. Officially it can be called 1) a 1939 Buick Century Touring Sedan, or 2) simply a Buick 39-68 or 3) a 5-Passenger 2-door Touring Sedan OR a 4) 1939 Buick Series 60 Touring Sedan... I think that's about all the ways you can fix shwimp. I've been fretting over the possible combinations to make an accurate nameing for Buicks of this era, ergo the purpose for the 5 names. It is indeed rare, it was the only model NOT included in the Buick new car pamphlet that I have.

Did Buick even use the "Master 6" name in 1928? I have Buick literature and I don't see those terms used in those years. To add to confusion, Buick names the three Series, 116, 121 and 129 AND they continue to use the year-model description (which I think is best), like 28-20, 28-54C, etc. This car would be a 28-40 in the "official" Buick description but I don't see Master Six anywhere.

That's what I call an answer! Attaching the picture is perfect.

I am not researching one car in this post. I am collecting specifications for all models manufactured by Buick from the beginning of the world until the end of production 1942. I have the Standard Catalogue of American Cars but it is often loose with it's data. I try to reference factory sources or sources that have used the factory data as their source.

I appreciate the Standard Catalogue but, in spite of the fact that it is a monumental work, I found the data incomplete and in some cases inaccurate. Plugging those gaps with factory based data is my goal. If you know of an online source for "Buick A Complete History" please send it along.

Thanks, this is a great source. It does close up some gaps in some data, though. It doesn't include all of the auto models Buick offered and I prefer a "factory" source or at least data published at the same time the model was introduced. That does limit my sources.

When I become interested in a Car, I often start by making a spreadsheet of the specifications. I am in the habit of including all cars made from the founding until the start of WW2. That's been easy with Peerless, Hupmobile, Franklin and others because their firm ending date is in the 1930's. I started a chart for Buick and hit a wall where I have been unable to get factory based information from 1940, '41 and '42. Is there an online source for that information? To give you an idea of the information I put together, I am including a jpg of one page from the Buick spreadsheet. I am happy to have your comments and corrections on that as well, though it's fair to say I used either factory sources or from a trade magazine of the day, but I can make mistakes. So comment away! Don't forget the specifications from the 40's! I'm stuck. Thanks for any help.

Years later I finally see this post -- It is reported in print that Rockefeller was so impressed with the car that he also bought a Peerless for his wife.

Thank you for clearing up my whole perception of the building. The Demerest connection never was clear and I sure didn't understand there were two buildings built separately-together before.

A great illustration of a de Riancey voiturette but the Selden car should be taken for what it became, a fraud on the American public. In 1899 no one in France had heard of the Selden vehicle or the Selden Patent. After all, it was not until 1899 that efforts to collect patent fees from US automakers were made. Since no Selden vehicle had been made at that point, the whole idea was just a drawing on an unfinished patent. The actual vehicle was cobbled together after 1900 using little of Selden's powerplant. On the other hand, the de Riancey vehicle decends from the French and German avant moteur. It was the intention of some early European engine makers to replace all of the horse-related towing gear with an axle-engine combination; that way the consumer would not have to replace the entire wagon. The idea never really caught on as the money-saving device it might have been. In retrospect, this proves that the requirements of the horse-drawn wagon and the requirements of the automobile are vastly different. The avant moteur was seen on some US early trucks, the Barrows cars and the early US urban taxis. Personally, I like the 1895 Barrows, the motor and batteries hang out front, so heavy that it probably had to be steered by the rear wheels.

You may have been the person who corrected my suggestion of Lycoming engines at the meet that day. I'm still very fuzzy on the later Peerless cars, my interest is on the early cars and I had just come from the Auburn, Cord Dusenberg Museum, so mea culpa.

I had no idea this was open! I'm going to head there this weekend. I didn't think there could be a museum more out-of-the-way in Texas than the Terrill Auto Museum in DeLeon but I think you've found one!

That's not a list, it's a selection. I haven't looked at the AACA list recently, it is difficult to keep up with which ones are still open. There are nearly 300 car museums in the US, from the AACA Museum in Hershey to Zunker's in Manitowoc, MN. If you like antique automobiles you should visit one every time you can. If you value antique automobiles, take a friend with you.

If I never see another mannequin in an auto museum, it will be a good thing. I see from the other comments, I am not alone in this.

This may be the best remaining public auto museum in Texas since the close of Dick's Garage Museum. Just over a dozen cars, the oldest is Howard Coffin's 1901 steam carriage. Henry Ford bought it and later donated it to the Smithsonian. I do not yet know how it ended up in DeLeon, Texas. There's a pretty little Buick Model 10 Toy Tonneau and my favorite, a Crow-Elkhart Cloverlear Roadster. No theme, this is just the collection of one man's car interest in a little (not small... little) mid-Texas town. De Leon is between Dallas and Abilene, about two hours west of Ft. Worth. Keep the hobby vital, take a friend to visit.

The Boyertown Museum is my favorite museum in the northeastern states. Beautiful layout of the cars; the collection of Duryea's is inspiring. There are lots of surprises for anyone visiting, it's so eclectic that it defies description. Call it a Nethercutt in minature.

Thanks for sharing this. I am not a bike fanatic but I enjoyed visiting these pages.

The passing of Mr. Litchfield is a great loss to the automobile hobby and to Peerless fans in particular. His book "The History of the "Peerless Motor Car Company" is a landmark work, well researched and with lots of rare information. I'm sure that all extend our sympathies to his family. If you happened to see the video of Mr. Litchfield driving his 1916 Peerless on Facebook, you will know what a fine tribute it is to him. If I may add, it is also a fine tribute to the Peerless automobile he is driving. BTW, looking at the tapered water tube Mr. Litchfield made, he may have had the skills to manufacture trumpets and trombones as well! Congratulations on a life well lived!

South_paw, Thanks for the pictures of the Peerless Building. I thought I had collected a fair number of photos but that layout of the interior was a phantastic find. If you have a larger version, please post it. I don't have the reference in hand but the official name of the building to City of New York departments was the "Demerest/Peerless Building." Demerest was a publisher. Peerless began to close all its Agencies in US cities in 1913. The property in New York, Boston and Chicago was among the assets of the company that a corporate raider could sell off for a tidy profit. The Boston building still exists, too, at 660 Beacon St. and is quite a handsom building even now. This is the Google Map photo of the Peerless Building location, 3 blocks South of Central Park. That's Broadway sweeping up to the park. Alex www.theantiqueautoguy.com

I don't think the one and two-cylinder Peerless engines (1900-1902) were designed by Misch, these were the engines that Peerless had been making for De Dion-Bouton. The 1903 16-hp 2-cylinder engine was designed by Louis Mooers (correct spelling) and his descriptions indicate they built them in-house, though it is only categorically stated that they assembled the engines. Teetor Hartley made engine components for some manufacturers including Franklin and Auburn. I have never seen a reference to pre-1915 Peerless using Teetor-Harley engines except on forums like this. In 1915 Peerless used both a 4-cyl and a 6-cyl engines in their "All Purpose Line." That line of cars lasted only one year, Peerless officials said they lost money selling them as cheaply as they did. Next year's (1916) V-8 cars actually sold for LESS that the 4s and 6s, so something doesn't add up. The Peerless V-8 engines of 1916 and later, the so-called "Two-power range engines" were supplied by Hershell-Spillman.

I had quite a time joining them about a year ago, maybe more. In this age of online functionality, I felt the experience with them was decidedly old style.

Thank you for sharing that. I really enjoyed the ride. Funny how much stuff is "loose" and dripping or shaking. 15mph much seem like NASCAR in the Motorette.

I am pleased and relieved to announce the release of my book Peerless Automobiles in the Brass Era: 1900 ~ 1915. Brass Era cars fascinated me and there was nothing of substance published about Peerless. As I say on the website, Peerless was an important chapter of the American automobile history that was only known as one of the three P's. A little light has been shed on the brand now. I have had my head into it for so long that I feel like I'm finally coming up for air. If you are one of the 16 Peerless Automobile fans and are interested, visit the book's website and have a look. http://www.theantiqueautoguy.com/

I have jpgs of all of the Peerless Girls, some in posters, some in ads. Nary an ankle or wrist shows in any of the pictures.

Thanks for your kind notice. This could be a roll up but it is a 1912 model and I haven't found a source for 1912 window cranks. I may even have to edit my first comment to 1914, not 1913 but I'm working on it. Nothing like a fast post to make you scramble to check your sources. Prior to 1914, windows could be raised and lowered by means of a sash that hung inside the door. Effective but clumsy with heavy plate glass windows. Below are photos of the interior of the 1912 48-Six (or the Model K or the Model 36) Limousine. Notice the sash on the door.