What year is this car

[Guest Art Williams]

Can anyone shed light on the age of these cars. The link is from Old classic car forum.

http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/buick-car.htm

Art

[Mark Shaw]

The drum headlight buckets (flat on the back) make it earlier than 1927. It looks more like a 24 or 25 model 45 to me.

Check out the PWD site photos to be sure:

http://www.buickclub.org/prewar/BCA_PWD_photos_1925_29.htm

[Leif Holmberg]

I think this is a 1925 mod 45 or becuse it has accessories wind wings ,50s mod.has that as original, it has a "protection against sun",20s mod.don`t have that, it has the licens bracket between the head lights in the middle ,1924 has that too,but it does`t seems that 1924 mod 40s has the "protections against the sun".And the wheels doesn`t looks as tall as 24" it more looks like 22". That`s what I think.

Leif in Sweden

[bubba]

Art,

Well it's a 1925 for "starters" because it has clear glass in the headlights. Next it's not a model 25 because it's too big. The sure way to eliminate it would be to see where the crank hole is but I can't see it because the bumper blocks it. From the size of the back doors I would say that it's a 1925 Model 49 7 passenger. Compare the doors with my 25-45 on the Buick club site. It's not the best side view but I have another picture that shows it much clearer. I would bet the farm that it's a 25-49.

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Dear Bubba:

Hey, where's the farm located? Seriously, 1925 model 49X all had wire wheels, and this car certainly doesn't. My take on it says 1926 model 45X.

Regards, Dave Cobin

[50jetback]

1924 6 cylinder McLaughlin.

If you look closely in several of the shots you can see the polished metal grab rail to assist entry for the rear passengers. These formed part of the upmarket Mclaughlin finish, along with wooden dash panel, door tops and various compartments including a cocktail bar in the rear of the front seat.

Photos are definitely taken in Australia, looks like a dairy farmer as in one photo the car is full of empty milk churns at a city produce market, possibly Melbourne.

Attached should be a photo of a similar 1924 McLaughlin in the Western Australian Club.

[bubba]

Sorry Dave, this one has wood wheels. The back doors have a much longer width on the bottom than a 45 and the grease door on the apron between the kick plates on the running board is in the middle between them while on a 45 it's close to the front one. It's a 25-49 and you're welcome anytime to work on my farm. In fact a could use some land cleared to build a garage for more Buicks. Heh Heh.

[Leif Holmberg]

I agree ,this is a 1925 mod.49,I just looked at the first photo.In the next photo you can measure that the rear door is much longer than the front dorr. Maybe even the wheel is less than 22" if it`s a Canadian built.??????

Leif in Sweden.

[Guest ewing]

May be a little off the topic, but looking at the front tires on these old pictures, don't you just love the bald tires?

Or did they make tires smooth ?

It amazes me when I look at old cars ( restoration candidates) and in junk yards and the old tires on them. many are worn down till the tire cord is showiing and wearing out. Can you imagine driving on those tires?

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Keep in mind that a car in Australia in the late 1920's is either a Buick chassis with a Holden body or a Buick export model. It's NOT a McLaughlin built car, unless our farmer friend paid a very heavy import tax.

Regards, Dave Corbin

[unimogjohn]

I believe that this might be a 1924 model 45 export based upon the radiator shell and drum headlights. I thought it was a McLaughlin, but the top bows are not the same. The McLaughlin has wood bows and a different mechanism. Also the McLaughlin has the battery box mounted on the right side running board versus inside the car.

Regards, John

28-29 Town Brougham

23-45 McLaughlin Buick export model

[Leif Holmberg]

John,It would be nice to here what`s the differens between 1924 and 1925 radiator shells and also the differens between 1924 and 1925 headlights drums,and how do you do you explain the 10% longer rear door when thinking it`s a mod.45.

Thanks Leif in Sweden.

[50jetback]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DaveCorbin</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Keep in mind that a car in Australia in the late 1920's is either a Buick chassis with a Holden body or a Buick export model. It's NOT a McLaughlin built car, unless our farmer friend paid a very heavy import tax.

Regards, Dave Corbin </div></div>

Dave,

Have a look at that last book of Norm Darwins I put you on to. At page 44 last para he claims " <span style="font-style: italic">All export Buicks imported into Australia until 1922 model year were sourced from Flint USA, then there was a switch to Oshawa, Canada. From 1925 model year exports returned to Flint, continuing from this plant until the end of Buick assembly in Australia " . </span>

This seems to be correct as this 3 year period ( 22, 23 and 24 ) seems to be the only years we have any numbers of McLaughlins here, particularly 1924.

Darwins earlier book tells us an imported 7 seater " big 6 " 24-49 Tourer cost $590 ( that should read pound!! ) which was 20 pound more than an Australian body. Wire wheels were available for an additional 30 pound ( see page 15 The History of Holden Since 1917 ).

The records indicate Holden built 190 bodies for 25-45 Master Six Tourers ( no mention of 1924 Holden bodies ) and no mention of any 24-49 or 25-49 bodies being built.

So my best shot is it's a 1924 model 24-49 McLaughlan, possibly a 1925-49, but definitely McLaughlan, a number of which seem to have survived and been restored.

The other comment I would make is the photos appear to be depression era explaining the tyre condition and the use of that huge rear passenger area for cargo. The owner must have been fond of the car, generally once they got to the cargo carrying stage the rear tub and doors were removed and a wooden deck installed.

[Dandy Dave]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> generally once they got to the cargo carrying stage the rear tub and doors were removed and a wooden deck installed. </div></div>

Say, Mark Shaw has a Buick that resembles that remark. Dandy Dave!

[Mark Shaw]

Right Dandydave:

[50jetback]

And a little more information on 1924, 1925 Buicks in Australia.

http://www.buickclub.org.au/Buick_Pages.php/SectionID/11/ContentID/295

This link to the NSW Buick Club site shows 1924 Buick advertising which indicates all 1924 Master tourers were imported ( no Australian bodies listed as available except for 4 cylinder and standard 6 ) and the last advert dated December 1924 which I would think would refer to the 1925 model year shows the same.

As we know all imported Buicks for those years were sourced from Canada. So if it is a model 49 ( as others have pointed out the length of the body indicates it is the longer wheelbase Big 6 ), either 1924 or 1925 ( must confess I can't tell the difference ) it must be a Mclaughlin.

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Dear Stuart;

I'm still happy with 1926 45X. That means it's not a McLaughlin, doesn't have wood wheels or sidemounts, both standard on a 1925 49X. Close scale of doors indicates door length about the same.

Regards, Dave Corbin

[Leif Holmberg]

If enlarge the second photo from top 100-150% you can measure the doors and see that the rear door is about 10% longer than the front door.

That meens it must be a mod.49.

Leif in Sweden.

[50jetback]

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

I'm still happy with 1926 45X. That means it's not a McLaughlin, doesn't have wood wheels or sidemounts, both standard on a 1925 49X. Close scale of doors indicates door length about the same.

Regards, Dave Corbin </div></div>

Dave,

Follow the link and have a look at Dennis McGavigans 1926 45X found under members cars 1910 to 1940. This is a Flint export model.

West Aust Buick Club