TG57Roadmaster

Some unrestored, original, low-mileage instrument panels. 1949 Buick Roadmaster... 1957 Buick Roadmaster... 1960 Buick Invicta... 1963 Lincoln Continental...

Impressive Nash "400" Advanced Six Model 460 Coupe on the 130-inch wheelbase. No wonder it impresses...it's a big car!

So, it's a KA five-passenger Model 531 Convertible Sedan-Phaeton, designed by LeBaron, built by Lincoln on special order on the 136-inch wheelbase. Sources show 75 built, so perhaps the "one of 17" means that many were ordered with dual sidemounts. With a $95K reserve, it's going to be collecting dust for some time. TG

Elpad, Wow! I would give my right arm to find another copy of that '59 Directorio Telefónico de las Provncias. I have a '52 Provincias version but need newer info...I envy you for having it! Sante Motors, S.A. Buick GMC Vauxhall is on the back cover of the 1952 Directorio Telefónico de La Habana. TG

My '57 Roadmaster Model 73 Riviera Sedan came from John Tygard Buick in Aiken, SC. When I last saw the dealership about 18 years ago it was closed, but had Nissan signage out back. The area has been extensively rebuilt, so I'm sure it's long gone. TG

Bob, The Glidden Trophy lives at the headquarters of the AAA outside Orlando. The Anderson Trophy, donated in 1911 by the city of Anderson, SC is at our county museum for another year. In 2007, we arranged for AAA to share the Anderson Trophy's possession on a biannual rotational basis with our county museum. TG

It's very exciting to see the battered 1905 Glidden Trophy out in natural elements at the VMCCA Meet. 1910 Nathan Lazarnick photo of the Glidden Trophy. Even then, it appears that the little silver 1901 Napier, perched atop the trophy, representing the car the Gilddens used on their multi-year world tour is missing or perhaps just removed for safety's sake. Its porcelain enameled finish shows plenty of abuse, and recent images indicate major touch-ups. Thanks to the AACA Library & Research Center for bringing that early 16mm color film back to life! TG

Close, but straight up is on, left is off and locked, and right is off and unlocked on the original switch. I just drove mine two days ago and can confirm. TG

The Anderson-Overland Company was built in 1924-25 in Anderson, SC, as an Overland dealership and was later Olds-Cadillac, Buick, AMC, then Datsun/British-Leyland. Designed by local architects Casey and Fant, in 1981 it became storage for a car repair shop, and fortunately its original tri-fold showroom doors survive for the building's future restoration. There are mezzanine level offices, with access by a ramp from the showroom, street level to an unfettered upstairs space with parking for about a dozen cars. Three of us AACA'ers use the building for car storage and light repairs. The AACA Library & Research Center's 1955 Chevy Bookmobile shared this upstairs space for many years before its 2011 donation. Here she is making a Rip Van Winkle-like debut coming down the ramp after years of slumber. It's a pretty cool place, and an amazing survivor! TG

Pick a color, any color, and add a clay tile roof. Plaza Vieja was restored in period colors under the auspices of the Historiador de La Cuidad de La Habana, Dr. Eusebio Leal. For an old building in the Provinces, you can't go wrong with beige with white or blue trim. 😉 TG

It looks like corrugated or flat tin panels framed in wood, with a basket-weave wood fencing above, nothing special. TG

I can't fill in any blanks about how or why the Packard is in the photo, but I can give you a couple of ballpark suggestions on where it came from. At the time of the photo, the Packard Distributor for Cuba was J. Ulloa y Cia., which ran a dealership in La Habana at 3-5 Prado, beside the Hotel Biscuit. If it's his car, Señor Linares could have bought it there, or it may have come as checked baggage on one the many ships that arrived weekly in the various ports around Cuba. Obviously, all automobiles arrived by ship whether they were part of dealer stock or were brought in by private owners. This ad from a 1926 issue of SOCIAL magazine shows a similar Packard Single Six. The "Dance of the Millions," the wild postwar fluctuation in Cuban sugar prices from 1919-20 played havoc on the island's financial structure, but I don't know how it affected baseball or Señor Linares' finances. In 1920, Cuba's income from sugar was $794,000,000, and in 1921 plummeted to $280,000,000. By 1923, sugar income had rebounded to $422,600,000. This small, grainy image from the June, 1921 El Automóvil Americano shows J. Ulloa y Cia. at 3-5 Prado, where they retailed Chandler, Chevrloet, Cleveland and Packard cars, plus Packard and Federal trucks; later, the address changed to 53 Paseo de Marti. The Prado and the Paseo de Marti are one in the same, and this is one rare instance where the street numbers have changed.. Behind it is the Hotel Biscuit. There is no doubt that J. Ulloa y Compañia's fortunes rose and fell, too, but I believe (and have yet to prove) that around 1931 they bought the former Hotel Biscuit and renamed it Hotel Packard. Both the dealership and the Hotel Packard remained at their locations till the Revolution though, by 1958, J. Ulloa y Cia. was selling Porsches at the 53 Paseo de Marti store. Who knows, perhaps Señor Linares' Packard arrived in the hold of one of the United Fruit Company's ships, as depicted in this postcard... Image from Cubaism. com The Iberostar Grand Hotel Packard Havana just opened after dramatic renovations and additions, having laid empty in ruins for at least 20 years. I was there in November and had drinks in the 6th floor bar/restaurant, taking in the sweeping views out over the infinity pool of La Punta Fuerza and El Castillo del Morro. which I strongly suggest you do if you are ever in La Habana. Anyway, continued success and, ¡Feliz año nuevo! TG

A week ago last Sunday, took the Roadmistress to a friend's gathering at her family's 1790 Century Farm, "Boxwood Manor" in Sandy Springs, SC. They have an annual Fall Festival, with food, music, artisans' works and other vendors, plus a small car show. Her son makes the coolest jack o'lanterns from old oil, gas and watering cans. Just in time for Halloween, I couldn't resist getting a couple! TG

Wow, how cool is that? The publicity train has left the station! TG

"The C-platform was new for 1940 and featured a wider body with no running boards. That platform was used for the Buick Super and Roadmaster for 1940 and 41, the Cadillac Series 62, and the large series Oldsmobile." The C-Body of 1940 was also shared by the Pontiac Torpedo Eight on the 122-inch wheelbase, one of those times (through '41) when a Pontiac would wear the big body. For 1941, an A-Body was shared among all GM lines except Cadillac, that mimicked the wildly popular C-Body design. I'm going to be monitoring your resto progress for tips for some friends in Cuba who are are working on a '40 Super 56C, the only real Super convertible left on the island. Best wishes, TG