1928 Buick model number

[humber349]

Hi all,

I think I have possibly read the answer to this somewhere before, but I can't find it now.

The chassis plate on my UK built Standard 6 shows Model 28-20C.

What does the 'C' signify please?

Phil

[Mark Shaw]

Although I checked in no less than three Buick reference books I could not find the key to the Buick model code system.

Therefore my best guess is that C stands for Convertible.

[Guest Oracle]

In 1928 there was a a 28-54C Country Club Coupe...and 28-26S & 28-47S ..the former a Special Coupe and the latter a Brougham; oh and a 28-50L Limousine...so I have always assumed S = Special, C = Coupe and L = long wheelbase.

[Leif Holmberg]

Here are a scan from the Canadian Reference Book and nothing about a C on model 1928-20,but when reading on the US Seventy Years of Buick ,1928-20 is mentioned as a Coach ?.

Leif in Sweden.

[nzcarnerd]

In the 1930s C was usually added for the convertibles (for example, 66C was a roadster, 68C was the phaeton in 1934), S was for coupes and L was for limousine (but not long wheelbase, just a regular big car with a division) but I think that the 20C in question here might be a UK special - maybe a Carlton body?? In the 1920s US models there was no set pattern of add-on letters. There was a one-year-only 54CC in 1929 - a convertible Country Club Coupe.

There is book somewhere, which I can't find my copy of at the moment, which consists of reprints of Motor and Autocar (UK) roadtests of Buicks and there is mention there of the UK built bodies.

Leif that Canadian list is the same range as the US models, which prompts another quesion of how much of these cars was actually manufactured in Canada. Even the Model 49 is listed and Buick only built 2 of them.

Edited June 16, 2011 by nzcarnerd (see edit history)

[Mark Shaw]

Perhaps Dave Corbin could shed some light on this....

What say you Dave?

[pepcak]

In Canada they definitely built more than two 28-49s, as at least 5 of them has survived until today. One is in Canada museum, other one in India, third one in Spain, fourth in UK and 5th in Czech Republic. See under link. http://forums.aaca.org/f165/1928-mclaughlin-prague-257454.html

[nzcarnerd]

Am I right in guessing that all of the major mechanical parts of the Canadian Buicks came from the US? Are their engine numbers part of the US sequence? Did McLaughlin press their own body panels or just supply upholstery etc.

[pepcak]

David Corbin is the definite authority here, but I understood that engine numbers in Mclaughlins are part of US Buick numbering sequence; finished cars have their own serial number sequence. I would say that it makes sense that all (or at least major) mechanical parts have been exported from US due to custom reasons also because to ammortise all tooling with lot less cars built in Canada would possibly have been difficult.

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Dear NZ car nerd:

Josef (Pepcak) has it right. Engine numbers are gererally Buick and so a McLaughlin can usually be dated from it's engine number. The McLaughlin serial numbers started at 101 in 1908 and continued until 1935, when McLaughlin changed the format.

I think the major stampings came from Buick, but McLaughlin used a supplier namrd Conboy to actually make up the bodies ready to mount and paint until at least 1916. After that, they made the welded up bodies themselves.

Pepcak also correctly notes that the reason was the high cost of body dies.

There were some McLaughlins where model numbers don't match. Since I have an advertising brochure for a McLaughlin using a Rauch & Lang electric chassis, you can be absolutely sure it didn't!!

Regards, Dave Corbin

Edited June 18, 2011 by DaveCorbin (see edit history)

[Guest kelly.hackman]

Hello Everyone

Where was the vin number located on a 1924 Mclaughlin

Thanks

Kelly Hackman

Canada

[nzcarnerd]

Kelly I suggest you start a new thread for this one. In that era they did not have vin numbers. There will be a serial number somewhere on the frame. The US Buicks had it in two places, both on the left side. There will also be an engine number which is what it might have been titled by, depending on who did it. Hopefully a 1924 McLaughlin owner will send a photo of his one.

[unimogjohn]

Here is the id plate and engine ID for my 23 McLaughlin Buick, Model 45 Special. On the engine you can see the stamping CP, which stands for Canadian Product (ie made in Canada). Over the C you can make out an P, which stands product, X is for export. I have not found a stamping on the frame itself. CPX4319

The pic will not load so will have to try tomorrow or take another when I get home.

Edited October 14, 2011 by unimogjohn (see edit history)

[Guest Oracle]

CPX = Canadian Products Export....the Canadian Products Division was based in Walkerville, Ontario and later became the Windsor Tranmission Plant. There was a limited company of that name but it never traded as such it seems; GM of Canada ran the plant directly. You may find that the castings have a 'HW' cast in, for Hiram Walker, as in whisky fame, as the family owned Hiram Walker Metal Products Ltd in Walkervile (along with other businesses) that by 1924 became Walker Metal Products Ltd and continued to supply castings.

The 23-45 SPEC was a four-door Special Touring. Serials ran # 57700 to 65184; known engine serials # CPX3000 to CPX6750. Note no 'R' suffix for rhd and yet Chevy engines of that period that were also built at Walkerville had 'CP', 'CPX' and 'CPXR'.