Brewster Buick

[Dan Marx]

I have a 16x20 framed colored picture of a 1940 Buick Brewster Sedanca DeVille. Picked this up at a yard sale. Is there a registry in the BCA for these cars? Can't be many Brewster Buicks around.?

Thanks

Dan

dmarx@voyager.net

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Dear Dan:

I'm curious why you think it's a Brewster car. There was a Town car built on a 1940 Roadmaster that I am aware of, but it's a Derham built unit. That car still exists and is owned by a BCA member who lives near Chicago.

Would you be so kind as to clarify this? You can be sure that, regardless of who built it, that it's very rare.

Regards, Dave Corbin

[Centurion]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DaveCorbin</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Dear Dan:

There was a Town car built on a 1940 Roadmaster that I am aware of, but it's a Derham built unit. That car still exists and is owned by a BCA member who lives near Chicago.

</div></div>

Dave, the 1940 Townmaster, if that's the one you're referring to, was bodied by Brunn.

We've seen photos of 1936 and 1937 Brewster-bodied Buick town cars, but it does seem that I have seen a photo of a Brewster with that company's heart-shaped grille design on a 1940 Buick chassis.

[Barney Eaton]

How about posting the picture.

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Dear Dan:

Brian is correct. I wrote "Derham", but meant "Brunn". The rest is correct. I agree with Barney, how about a pic?

Regards, Dave Corbin

[Dan Marx]

Well now, this is a fine kettle of fish I am in. Here is the pix asked for over two years ago. I forgot all about the request. Sorry folks. This pix hangs in my office, it is a 1940 Brewster Buick Sedanca Deville. Great looking car. Don't know when this was taken, got the pix at a flea maket in Pontiac, MI 6 years ago. The owner is listed as Noel Thompson.

Dan

dlmarx@bellsouth.net

[jscheib]

Dan,

I had not seen your original posting until now. My recollection is that Brewster bodies were built on cars through the late 30's, so perhaps the year on the photo is incorrect. On the other hand, there were often times when the earlier custom bodies were refitted onto newer chassis (in fact I think one may have been on a Ford earler and later a Buick). I can suffest you go to Coachbuilders, Coach Building, Coachbuilt Cars, Coachbuilding History, Encyclopedia of American Coach Builders & Coachwork and check the history of Brewster for more information.

John

[Dan Marx]

Pix is embossed 1940 Brewster Buick. Gotta go with that.

Dan

[Guest my3buicks]

All you need to do to see 1940 Brewster bodied Buicks is to type it in an internet search. I saw a fabulous Limited with the Brewster touch.

[Smartin]

Look at post # 62 here:

http://forums.aaca.org/f165/1940-1941-buick-brunn-bodied-coachwork-274541-2.html

[Guest my3buicks]

Here is the 40 Limited

[JohnD1956]

Well, the car in Keith's picture sure looks like the car in Dan's picture.

[jscheib]

If you scroll throughthe Coachbuilt web site, you will see that Brewster ceased operations in 1936. However, the cars were well maintained by many of their owners, and much of the body is believed aluminum, it stands to reason that the owners elected to place the body on a more modern chassis. This work was probably done by some of the former employees of Brewster who were well familiar with the work required and could the owner could be assured of quality work. That's my quest.

John

[Barney Eaton]

It would appear to be by Brewster because of the distinctive grill, but notice the headlights and fenders. 1940 Buicks had the headlights in the fenders, this appears to be several years earlier than a 1940 model.

[Guest my3buicks]

found a couple more shots - I believe the factory shot appears to be the same car that appears to need restoration except that the one in the factory photo does not have a sidemount unless it's only on one side. I have found it to be listed as both a 36 and a 37. I found another shot of the

'40" and it was listed as a 1937 in this shot.

Barney, it's not uncommon for coachbuilt cars to ahve totally different fenders than stock built cars as can be seen by the car below.

The next post down has some very good information that tells about the 1940 - how factual, I can't say, but it seems legit.

Edited October 18, 2010 by my3buicks (see edit history)

[Guest my3buicks]

http://books.google.com/books?id=XQ_LV-S8zVUC&pg=PA136&lpg=PA136&dq=1940+buick+brewster&source=bl&ots=Q5dvvO541Z&sig=ghxQaTqZE_JP4SAQILL-tG5Oags&hl=en&ei=9JW8TMSNKcL_lgf1qvXSBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CD8Q6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=1940%20buick%20brewster&f=false

[Barney Eaton]

Keith, you are correct that Brewster could have put the older style headlights on a newer car as the article suggest they did.

Comments on the three cars pictured, the first and last picture could be the same car with some changes during it's life. Note that picture 1, the front of the front fenders seems to be open but car 3 they are down to the bumper.

I believe the center picture is of a totally different car.

(1) It has a different 1 piece flat windshield.

(2) note the location of the rear door handles compared to picture 1 &3

(3) note the differences in the external hinges

(4) the last picture shows the grill better than picture 1, note that #3 the top of the grill is noticeabley curverd out at the top, where the center picture grill is about verticle at the top.

(5) note the glass between the driver and passanger, it is tilted back on #1 & 3 and verticle on the center picture as is the rear slope of the side window.

(6) it also appears the center picture headlight are mounted to the fender the other two seem to be mounted to the side of the radiator/hood

[Guest Fred_S]

Guys, the car pictured is indeed a 1940 Brewster bodied series 90, now residing in the Bahre collection up in Maine. It has the distinction of being the first Buick granted "full classic" status by the Classic Car Club and also is a "senior" (1st place winning) car. There is also a 1937 series 90 Brewster that was (is) in New York. The Brewster Co. assets were purchaced by J Inskip of New York, and finished for a specific buyer, and it appears this would be one of them. I am sure there is history all the way back on this. Now all Buick series 90's and 1940 series 80 Limited are considered "full classic", and I will have to research all this. More reading...

[Guest Fred_S]

A little further research shows this is indeed the former Noel Thompson car and was ordered new by a J Whitney of the NY stock exchange. Whether the body was a leftover from Brewster or Inskip had it made is unclear to me reading the history, but Inskip was fully capable of doing this job. There will probably be no Brewster body plate, only an Inskip number (my guess here). I could find a spot for it in my barn... dream on...

[Guest Silverghost]

Mr. John Inskip did indeed buy the remains of the Brewster Coach co.

First Brewster & Co was bought-up by Rolls~Royce of America Inc. in 1926...

When Springfield Mass. based Rolls~Royce of America Inc. went out of business John Inskip along with Brewster continued the custom body & Bewster car building business.

John Inskip was a director of R~R of America and Brewster & Co.

He later became an agent of Rolls~Royce bringing into the USA the Phantom II & III Brittish built Rolls~Royce chassis for which he built custom Brewster & later J. S. Inskip bodys.

He continued the Brewster operation for several years... later changing the name to J.S. Inskip & sons !

I suspect john Inskip put this great body together with left-over Brewster parts.

He later built all J.S. Inskip custom coachwork for many many years.

Edited October 20, 2010 by Silverghost (see edit history)