1935 buick missing right tail light

[35buickakaBelle]

Does someone know why does this Buick is missing the right tail light. Did it come like that from factory or limited. hope someone knows. found picture on a Buick website.

[nickelroadster]

At this time most cars only had one tailamp as this was all that was required.

[Xander Wildeisen]

A 47 Hudson truck only had one tail light on the drivers side.

[35buickakaBelle]

oh i was wondering because some classic cars have 2. So I'm assuming that they were put in custom for safety driving. 

[keiser31]

A few cars came with two taillights in the 1920s and 1930s. Most came with one. These days, a LOT of folks add a light on the passenger side for safety, so it's hard for the average person to tell if it actually came from the factory with one or two.

Edited May 31, 2017 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[35buickakaBelle]

1 hour ago, keiser31 said:

A few cars came with two taillights in the 1920s and 1930s. Most came with one. These days, a LOT of folks add a light on the passenger side for safety, so it's hard for the average person to tell if it actually came from the factory with one or two.

 

awesome good to know as I'm new to the classic car and more and more am learning about my car. So I'm guessing since my buick don't have the right tail light it come that way from factory and I was think on adding one but now I'm going to leave it as is.

[Rusty_OToole]

Turn signals became mandatory in 1951. Until then all you needed was one tail light. Most cars had 2 by that time but a few cheap cars especially station wagons only had 1 tail light in the late 40s and early 50s. In 1935 cheaper cars came with 1 tail light. I'm a bit surprised a Buick, a medium priced car wasn't better equipped. Maybe it was the "low price leader" model.

[Grimy]

1 minute ago, Rusty_OToole said:

I'm a bit surprised a Buick, a medium priced car wasn't better equipped. Maybe it was the "low price leader" model.

It's Series 40, the lowest-priced of the four Buick series for 1934-35, the other series being 50, 60, and 90.  However, the series 40 had an all-new, greatly improved engine with downdraft carburetion.

 

The 50-60-90 cars came equipped with two taillight-stoplights, which do NOT interchange with Series 40.  I believe a second tail-toplight assembly was indeed an option for 1934-35 40s.  I owned for >40 years a 1934 56S sport (rumbleseat) coupe.

 

If it makes anyone feel any better, only for 1934 did Pierce-Arrow have two tail-stoplights standard.  Pairs were used on 1933 "Salon" (higher trim level) cars, and I believe the second light was an option on the standard (but still luxurious) trim level cars.  Fords 1937-40 (at least) had one rear light on "Standard" cars, and two on "Deluxe" cars--again, higher trim level.

[Paul Dobbin]

 

It's a Series 41 Buick from 1935. the car that saved Buick from BANKRUPCY in 1934 & 1935. It was a low priced Buick, under $900 dollars, dispite that dealer's price on the door in Minneapolis. Must have been with tax title & shipping, out the door price.  The right tail iight was available at extra cost, as so was the luggage rack and a side mount spare, whitewalls, hood ornement, etc.

Edited June 2, 2017 by Paul Dobbin
Removed duplcate verbagei (see edit history)