John_S_in_Penna

Does anyone have a Riviera emblem? I want to put it on my keychain to identify the car, so the emblem doesn't have to be perfect. Maybe something out of your junk box or accumulation? This way, I can identify the keychain at a glance and show my Buick enthusiasm. Ideally, the emblem would be for a 1973, in which the "R" is slanted a bit. A used emblem is fine, even a little pitted from your junkbox. The studs for attachment can even be broken, since I'll file them off to make the emblem flat. Here's a picture of the C-pillar emblem from the internet--and just for interest, a picture of my car. Thanks!

Station wagon fans, and Studebaker fans, should like this car. And it's probably realistically priced for what it is, and for its fine condition. Thanks, Steve, for posting this excellent find. Some car fan should buy it and equip it with 1950's luggage or picnic gear!

Steve's (58L's) description is excellent. I'll just add that the trunk lid with the spare-tire impression was seen on a number of "enhanced" Lincolns of that era. You're right, it is not from the factory, but I believe it was a readily available after-market item. It is not home-made. I like the Lincolns of this generation with the original trunk lid. I think, however, the convertibles look good.

I agree. Is the paint a subtle 2-tone, with the roof being a lighter color? Or is that appearance just the lighting in the picture? The apparent 2-tone makes the car more distinctive in my opinion.

Who's to say that Tuckers aren't $50,000 cars--or a bit less, or a bit more--instead of million-dollar cars? What's the inherent value in a low-production experimental car that's maybe not particularly road-worthy? A point to ponder: Wouldn't a fine-running Buick or Oldsmobile be MORE desirable for enjoyment, reliability, and actual use? I think a Tucker could be priced in that realm instead. Years ago, they evidently were!

That's a good point, Ed, which today's market doesn't realize. We can see, from the back portion of Krause's "Standard Catalog of American Cars," that there were quite a few companies that barely got started or who made just a handful of cars. (Typically in the post-war era they were sporty cars.) For some reason, people like the Tucker story and have made Tucker into something extraordinary, with prices to match.

And just as remarkably, the family had saved a lot of memorabilia for 90 years from that very car--the original license plate, some Penna. registration cards, even the original salesman's business card!

Here's a remarkable case--not mine, but one of our late region members', which I included in a past newsletter. He got the car back after more than 90 years! His grandfather owned a general store in McConnellsburg, Pa. In 1906, on a buying trip to Philadelphia for his store, he purchased a 1906 Cadillac for $979 at a Cadillac-Peerless dealership, the Automobile Sales Corporation, on North Broad Street. He shipped the car home, mostly by rail, and replaced his horse Old Nell with the latest in 25-mile-per-hour mechanized transportation. In 1914, he traded the ’06 Cadillac for a new Franklin car, and the Cadillac was used for a while to power machinery at a local sawmill. Eventually, though compromised and unrestored, it ended up in the growing accumulation of pioneer car collector Emmert Swigart. The car sat unseen in a Swigart storage building for many decades. It wasn't until 2007 that our member Harry Johnston was able to return the 1906 Cadillac to the family. When the Swigart Museum auctioned off some surplus cars that year, he reacquired the Cadillac. "I wasn't going home without it," he said determinedly. Then he had it restored. Here is an old picture and a modern one. The headlights (optional) hadn't yet been reinstalled in the newer picture:

Well, Andy, you certainly began a popular topic here! Thanks for the inspiration.

Glenn, your knowledge and insightful comments, especially in your Oldsmobile specialty, are always welcome. Just wanted to let you know they're appreciated.

Definitely! It's always encouraging to see an excellent car, realistically priced. Thank you, Steve, for the posting, and to Mr. 55er for corroborating the quality first-hand. Our forum community does a lot of good for each other.

I agree: They can legitimately be called rare. This is a good find, and thank you, Fin Seeker!

Thank you, Tom. We on the forum help each other, work together, and help protect each other!

I think it's a beautiful car. Note that, when for sale 3 years ago, the asking price was $26,500. Now it is $23,500. This wasn't a good "investment" to the buyer, but I hope he at least had 3 years of fun with it. Potential flippers of 2024, please take note.

I like it. Four-door sedans aren't especially popular, but this model has good lines. The sweeping roof and up-swept rear-quarter sheet metal give it a style that's far from stodgy. And the price might be right, too, if we knew more. Thank you, Steve, for your continuing good finds.