1956 Buick License Plate Frame Question

[Fred Zwicker]

I have a very original 1956 Buick Roadmaster Convertible and everything is original. The first owner bought the car new in 1956 and owned car for 35 years and the second owner has owned car for 25 years. Car has about 30K original miles - all documented.

First owner is deceased, and yesterday I talked to the second owner who said that when he bought this car 25 years ago it had a very nice pair of front and rear license plate frames installed on the car. He said that he is not certain if these frames are original or not and has always wondered, but failed to ask the first owner before he died.

Attached are pictures. Does anyone know if these frames were offered as a Buick accessory in 1956? The reason that I am asking is that I am taking the car to Charlotte for the Buick Nationals at the end of this month, entering car as an unrrestored original. We have examined this car in great detail and to our knowledge, these frames are the only questionable items that may or may not be either original, or an authorized accessory in 1956.

Thanks for whatever help can be extended.

Fred

[JohnD1956]

Awesome Roadmaster Fred. I looked in my two dealercatalogs and neither showed or talked about a license plate frame. That does not mean it's not, but I'd pull em if you were concerned they may cost you a medal.

[1957buickjim]

Fred,

License Plate Frames were a factory option on the M Accessory group of options that came on the 1956 Buick. I would venture to guess that they are factory originals on the car. The best way to check is to look through the dealer accessory brochure that should be available for your car. But by JohnD's post, they may have only been a factory installed option, not available to the dealers.

The M code for the Accessory Group (standard options on the Roadmaster), factory installed on the car were: Trunk Light, Electric Clock, Wheel Covers and License Plate Frame. If you have all those on your Roadmaster, then I would think that the frames are original. Especially for this unrestored beauty.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Edited June 14, 2012 by 1957buickjim (see edit history)

[Fred Zwicker]

My car is "loaded" with every option that was available except air conditioning (to the best of my knowledge). It has a clock, trunk light and wheel covers (plus the license plate frames in question - front and rear). They are heavily chrome plated and not at all like what I have seen on frames from auto supply stores back in the 50s and 60s.

I have a copy of the original Ohio Title, showing that the car was purchased on 6/7/56 from Wilbur L. Coy & Co. in Salem, Ohio. Model 76C. Delivered Purchase Price was $3480.00 plus Ohio Sales Tax of $104.40. Ohio stamped titles every year when plates were renewed and the original title is full of rubber-stamp renewals. Attached is a picture of this title, plus some engine pictures.

Car has always been stored in a heated garage and never driven during inclement weather. It is a true "time capsule" and I am very lucky to have been able to buy this car. I am the 3rd owner - all documented.

Last picture shows the car in our car museum at TP Tools in Canfield. See www.tpcarcollection.com for additional pictures, plus see www.facebook.com/tptools This car will be shown at the Buick Nationals in Charlotte on June 30, 2012.

We can remove these license plate frames if necessary for judging (unrestored class), but they are so nicely installed that renewal won't be easy and this would be a last resort, so am hoping for more feedback if possible.

Thanks, Fred

[1957buickjim]

Fred,

My guess is with all the other options, those are original frames and you could actually defend it with the fact that it has the M Accessory Group as a standard option on the Roadmaster. If you need some documentation, I have some for you. Let me know. Thanks.

[Fred Zwicker]

Thanks Jim,

Any documentation you (or anyone else) can furnish will be greatly appreciated. This car is so original that it is almost unbelievable, and I plan to keep it that way. I originally felt (and was hoping) that the license plate frames were original, as everything else certainly was so.

A little more history. The first owner ordered the car new in 1956 from Coy Buick in Salem, Ohio, and at the same time the second owner (Richard) was working at his uncle's Buick dealership at about age 20. Richard actually prepped the car for the new owner (undercoating and whatever else was done) in June of 1956. Richard kept in contact with the owner, who finally sold it to Richard after 35 years. Richard's main goal was to keep the car original. However earlier this week in getting the car ready for judging, the license plate frames were questioned, as we truly did not know.

Concerning originality - The only thing that came up over the years was that the stitching on the convertible top was getting dry-rotted, and about 5 or 6 years ago Richard took the car to the famous Jim Roll of New Philadelphia, Ohio. Jim is deceased now, but was not only the best around, he was a historian and spent countless hours on research so that his jobs were exactly the same as original. He correctly advised Richard that once a convertible top is removed, the material (especially near the bottom edges) is often dry-rotted, so it was necessary that a new top be installed. However the specs of the new top were identical to the original (including the number of stitches per inch as when new), and I am glad that this was done, as nothing distracts from a car more than a faded, dry-rotted top.

Pictures do not do this car justice, as in person, the fit and finish exceed anything imaginable. Yesterday when we closed the driver's door after a safety check, it closed with a nice click like a refrigerator door.

I am hoping that many can see and appreciate this car in Charlotte on Saturday, June 30 when it will be on display and judged in the Archival Class. This is one of the nicest non-restored cars that I have ever seen or owned, and spent its entire life only about 20 miles from my home since 1956. The owner and I still keep in contact and he still admits that he did not really want to sell the car (and still feels that way), but wanted it to be on display for others to see in our Car Museum at TP Tools in Canfield, Ohio. I appreciate his feelings and he has "visitation rights" to see the car any time. LOL. He is happy that the car is being shown nationally at Charlotte. See www.tpcarcollection.com or see www.facebook.com/tptools

* As a side note, this car has the "original" whitewall tires from 1956, which were removed by the first owner after about 3000 miles and retained. He gave them to Richard, who reinstalled them on the car for the Glenmoor Gathering show last fall, where car won first place. The car now has these same "original" tires for viewing at Charlotte.

Attached are two interior pictures, as well as some trunk pictures. Still looking for even more input on the license plate frames if possible and thank Jim and John for their ideas on this. Thanks guys!

Fred

[Leif Holmberg]

Here is a picture from my Buick magazine November 1955 with a licens frame on rear bumper.Maybe "Agent" Budd can solve your questions,he seems to have all of Buick 1956 litterature.

1956 Buick

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

There you go, Fred. Print Leif's picture and take it along!! Looking forward to seeing this beauty.

Ben

[Fred Zwicker]

Thanks to all who helped figure this out. I printed this entire post and pictures and will bring to Charlotte in case judges have any questions.

Fred

[Budd]

Thanks to all who helped figure this out. I printed this entire post and pictures and will bring to Charlotte in case judges have any questions.

Fred

Fred and I chatted offline about this (thanks Lamar!) and I see two examples in the literature of heavy steel & chrome license plate frames as a purchasable option along with a price. One 1956 Buick accessory brochure shows Fred's here as an illustration (versus a photo) and it matches perfectly. While I have never seen one in person myself, the illustration and description of it being heavy steel and chrome, covering all corners of the license plate matches what Fred has on his car here. Along with all the other matching options that can be ordered along with it, as noted by the order code of "M", and that Fred has these present on his car -- I'd say this these license frames are legit. I forwarded Fred all the PDF's to support the claim should he be questioned. While I'm no "authority" per se, I do enjoy my 1956 Buicks !

Cheers,

Budd

[bhambulldog]

Very Nice!!!