Charles D. Barnette
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Posts posted by Charles D. Barnette
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The Motoramas were GM shows that lasted from 1949 to 1961. They were a free show that appeared in several cities of the US and Canada to showcase the new cars and to show "Dream Cars" that predicted the future. They had elaborate musical stage shows as well. They really were Harley Earl's opportunity to show automotive design at its best. The Dream Cars were ordered destroyed after the shows and only a few survive today. See David Temple's book "GM's Motorama". In the case of the Landau it was used as a Buick executive car in New York after the 1954 Motorama. Then a Buick executive by the name of Robert F. Blair bought it saving it from destruction. The car showed the retro look of the past with the backseat having a convertible top and a formal limousine look with the back top up. It also introduced the open rear fenderwell look for the Roadmaster body style from Buick. It is a Motorama Masterpiece. Enjoy her at the show! She drips with automotive history that we will never have or see again! Charles D. Barnette
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The 1954 Motorama Buick Landau has literally exploded out of recent obscurity to back onto the automotive world stage for the year 2010 thanks to her wonderful, current owner Bob Coker, a Senior member of The Buick Club of America. As pointed out above even the latest Hemmings Classic Car magazine (Sept. 2010) on the magazine stands now has a fantastic spread on her written by noted Motorama expert author David Temple. The car in 1954 had a retro and futuristic look at the same time much to the delight of Motorama fans in attendance. One look at her "in person" will steal your heart I guarantee regardless of which automotive marque you favor. She is "America's new Automotive Sweetheart" and my pick (without any reservation) for AACA's "Car of The Year" award. She sets the worthy standard for Buick even today (she is both elegant and sporty looking depending on whether the back top is up or down). Current officials at Buick would do well to study her in every detail! Are you listening Ed Wellburn? In short, the 1954 Buick Landau is a Buick's Buick! Charles D. Barnette-just a car lover in love with the Landau!
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I am sure that never before in the recorded history of the BCA has there been a greater pair than Mr. Earl and the Landau. I love the Landau shirt you are wearing for the event Mr. Earl. I hope one day you will donate that shirt to the GM Heritage Center or to the Sloan Museum! Charles D. Barnette
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Here is a second try at posting the referred to above photos.
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Here are pictures of the Landau being unloaded and being displayed at the
Tex-Ark Antique Auto Museum in Texarkana, Arkansas, in 2008. The continued presence of this great car at car events makes life a little sweeter which is important in the midst of wars, economic uncertainty, and oil spills of our time! Charles D. Barnette
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As a continuing tribute to the Landau here is a photo circa 1961 showing on the left side Robert K. Blair (son of the Buick executive, Robert F. Blair, who saved the Landau from any possible GM destruction orders) and on the right side Mr. Blair's Uncle both celebrating the joy of being in the Landau using the same cups and thermos that would have been used by General Motor's CEO. Notice the Connecticut license plate where the Blairs were living at the time the photo was taken. Charles D. Barnette
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Please be advised that the 1954 Buick Landau Motorama show car will be in attendance at the regional AACA Meet in Blacksburg, Va, starting August 12, 2010. Don't miss this opportunity to come and see this "one of a kind" great car as it competes for a top AACA award. The Motorama Gods have smiled on this car preserving it for future and present car lovers to enjoy. Charles D. Barnette
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Here are two photographs of the 1954 Buick Landau at the Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami, Florida, at the 1954 GM Motorama. Note that the car did not have a top to fold over the back seat at that time.
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Having "wowed" Ames by winning the Gold Senior Award and Mayor's Choice Award, the Motorama Masterpiece 1954 Buick Landau now turns her sights onto Blacksburg, VA., to compete in a regional AACA meet beginning August 12, 2010, hoping to take home an AACA Senior Award. If you are in the area go cheer her on at that time. If that happens she will then be eligible for "Car of the Year"! She will not be only representing Buick, but our club, the hobby, and Dream Cars of the Motoramas as well. She will have one other plus to carry her through-the DNA of Mr. Earl. What is my interest in her you may ask? I spent many a night with her at our local Car Museum guarding her, I kept her cups and thermos in my bedroom until they could be joined up with her-in short she is part of me and all I love about our great hobby. In tribute I will have Carla post 2 pictures of her in her Motorama days when she appeared at the Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami, Florida. Those will be coming up in the next post. Charles D. Barnette
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I see on the internet pictures of Ed Wellborn, head of Design at GM, greatly admiring the 1953 Buick Wildcat I Motorama show car at Meadow Brook last weekend. If he really is partial to Buick show cars of the 50s, he most definitely needs to be in Ames this weekend to feast on the Landau! Charles D. Barnette
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Jeff, you say your beautiful 59 LeSabre 4 door hardtop was sold new in Winnipeg having been made in Canada. As you should know my Canadian 59 Buick Invicta "Copper Top" 4 door hardtop was sold new in Winnipeg as well at Dickson Motors. What dealership was your car sold from first in Winnipeg? From your photos I can read Winnipeg on the back of your car, but I can't read a dealer name. It does not look like a Dickson logo, but I cannot tell for sure. Could we have a picture of the dealer tag on the back closeup? I too eagerly suggest that you write GM of Canada, and they can tell you among other things how many 1959 Canadian 4 door LeSabre Buick hardtops were manufactured by GM of Canada. The unique color combination of your car is stunning! Is this part of the "Spring Accent" colors that Al writes about on the 59 Buick forum? Charles D. Barnette-at some point in life our two 59 Buick Winnipeg 4 door flat tops need to be displayed together!
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Bill is the guy in the forefront of the first Landau picture bowing to Her Majesty or simply taking a picture of Her Majesty? Charles D. Barnette
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Pete, thank you for the Landau picture. I am glad Bob and the Landau made it safely and soundly. Gosh she is gorgeous! Mr. Earl will not be disappointed. Charles
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Pete be sure and get the Landau as it is unloaded. As you know I am stuck in Texarkana with the shingles. Charles D. Barnette-thanks.
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She is an Ambassador for the great GM Motorama Shows of 1949-1961. She is a one of a kind Dream Car and Concept Car-particularly in preluding the open rear fenderwell for the Roadmaster Buick. She will have Buick lovers fainting and falling out at the first glimpse of her beauty-better have paramedics on standby at Ames. From the 1954 Motorama show circuit, to the Buick executive and CEO of GM Harlow Curtice and family uses in New York City, to the big save by the Blair family, to the eventual addition to the Bortz Collection in Chicago, to the ownership and restoration of Amelia Island Concours President Bill Warner, to the purchase by the attorney John M. O'Quinn of Houston, to the Texarkana reuniting ceremony of the cups and thermos in 2008, to the tragic death of Mr. O'Quinn last year, to the purchase by Senior Member of The Buick Club of America Bob Coker this year, this car has been blessed by the Motorama Gods! I can see it in my mind now from the very moment she arrives in Ames in her special trailer and is unloaded to the time she is loaded up again to leave Ames all the while guarded by Mr. Earl, the Landau impact will be monumental! Better assign a special detail to Mr. Earl to make sure he eats and rests properly during the meet. I expect to hear the shouts from the crowd approval audible all the way to Texarkana! Charles D. Barnette
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I believe it is safe to predict that the 1954 Buick Landau will be named by the AACA as "The Car of The Year". Better see her in Ames before she reaches Super-Stardom. Right now Landau Fever is hotter than any fever associated with having "Shingles"! Charles-am I getting through to you guys?
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As luck would have it I have developed a bad case of the "Shingles" in my face extending into my left eye making me see double. Plus I can give those in public who have not had "chicken pox" or vaccinated for same the "chicken pox". I guess I am still under stress from my dad's death on April 20th. I am therefore relegated to root for the Landau from Texarkana. But root for her I will as loud as I can. It is high time for her to get the recognition she deserves. She will be the star of the show at Ames. Wait till you see her now! Bob Coker deserves hero status! Charles-let the party begin in Ames! (By the way for those of you over 60, there is a shot that can be taken to prevent "Shingles".)
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The 1954 Buick Landau will be at Ames as everyone should know by now ready to rock the Buick World! Just in time also is David Temple's article on the bookshelves now in Hemmings Classic Car magazine (September 2010 issue) about the Landau written when the Landau was in Texarkana in 2008. A good prelude for Ames !!!!!!!!!!!!!!What a Motorama Masterpiece! (She will be sporting her new reproduced wheelcovers at Ames-keep it a secret) Charles D. Barnette-she is well on her way to becoming the most famous Buick ever made!
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If you look back at the original artist drawing from the brochure, 2 posts back, the car was originally to be called the 1958 Buick Limited Westerner! You can see the letters of the word almost spelled out on the back quarter panel: "WESTE". Further originally on the interior is a letter "R" like a Riviera "R" above the pistol handle on the inside passenger door that didn't make it to the original. Finally in the back side material next to the seat is a steerhead that did not make it to the original! Charles-remember the Texan had steerheads on the inside of each door. Also all the pictures in the brochure show the car with combination spotlight/mirror units on the doors. The model has only single mirrors on the doors. The brochure says the upholstery was in natural Danish calf, and the carpet was natural Jersey hide also used on the lower areas of the doors.
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After placing my order for the Sun Star 1/18 scale model of the 1958 Wells Fargo Buick back in July of 2009, it finally arrived today, which means it is now available! It was well worth the wait! It is beautiful with the "longhorn steer head emblem" on the front of the hood and pistols in their holsters on the inside of the doors and two removable rifles mounted into the console between the seats. Also you get with the model a brochure containing pictures I have never seen before of the real interior. The two cowgirls shooting at each other near the real car remind me of the 59 Buick Texan pictures. The length of the console in the Wells Fargo pictures where the rifles are housed remind me of the length of the enclosed console of the Texan (we have one picture of a rifle leaning up against the Texan while on display). Carla will scan the pictures of the brochure and post same and will also post pictures taken by me of this great model shortly. Let's find the real cars-both the Texan and the Wells Fargo! Charles D. Barnette
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It is monumental to me that Mr. Bortz is now completing yet another full restoration of a great Motorama car-the 1955 Chevrolet Biscayne. Mr. Bortz of course not only deserves Buick admiration for the Wildcat I, but also was a past owner of the 1954 Buick Landau that will be shown at Ames by its new owner. Mr. Bortz is one of my auto heroes who is a legend in his own time. The Bugle article explains about his early passion for the hobby. Thank you Mr. Joe for all you continue to do for the hobby. Charles D. Barnette-can't wait to see the Biscayne complete!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I just got my May 2010 Bugle and read Joe Bortz's excellent article on his 1953 Buick Wildcat I Motorama Show Car. Not only are the pictures fabulous, but the text is interesting as well. The story on how the missing "roto-static" hubcap was formed from the top of a Weber grill is American ingenuity at its best! We need more of that creative thinking now in this country to deal with our problems. Well done! Charles D. Barnette
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The 59 was trailored-I doubt that it runs. There was no price posted. Charles
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See www.supercars.net/cars/4688.html. Wow, what a beauty. Charles
Concours Monterey 2010 pictures
in General Discussion
Posted
OK beautiful pictures, but where are pictures of the Tucker (number 1045) that sold for over One Million Dollars? Thanks, Charles