Steve Moskowitz Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 David Landow's latest restoration wins a major prize at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. The restoration is over the top and the attention to detail and authenticity simply astounding. The award was presented by the head of GM styling at this weekend's show of over 300 spectacular cars. Even this Olds guy was wowed by this great roadster. 14 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centurion Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 (edited) Is this a 1930 or 1931 model? I'm going with 1931, since the small ornament on the top of the radiator shell appears to be the style that incorporated the "8" (for 8-cylinder) in it. Beautiful car! Edited March 12, 2018 by Centurion (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 I wonder if he will drive it or trailer it home ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dei Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 5 hours ago, Rooster said: I wonder if he will drive it or trailer it home ? If it 'twer me ( and had the money ) I'd trailer this one and have another that was my driver. There was fellow at the Greenfield Village Meet that had a roadster which had just that right "patina" and he seriously was having a ball! To each his own... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moskowitz Posted March 14, 2018 Author Share Posted March 14, 2018 (edited) It is a 1931 and one of the finest restorations I have ever seen. As to it being driven from Florida to the Northeast I don't think so! This owner has other cars and does in fact drive them extensively. This was the first time out for the car as it was fresh out of restoration. Edited March 14, 2018 by Steve Moskowitz better picture (see edit history) 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thriller Posted March 15, 2018 Share Posted March 15, 2018 I judged another of his cars last year in Brookfield. It was incredibly nice and very well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janousek Posted March 15, 2018 Share Posted March 15, 2018 Wow, stunning color combo on an early 31' roadster. Nice to see one get an award, they are usually overlooked at these events. The optional chrome spokes look good also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moskowitz Posted March 15, 2018 Author Share Posted March 15, 2018 Mr. Janousek, you nailed it in your comment. In a row full of V-16 Cadillac's, magnificent Packard's and other larger and more typical cars to a concours this car still stood out. A testament to Buick styling, a testament to the level of restoration and research on this car and a big win for a great car. It was fun to watch the reaction of the crowd, other judges and some of the major players in the hobby come by to see this car. I am sure it will be shown a lot in the coming year or so and you want to look at it very, very carefully. The engine compartment and undercarriage will blow you away. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janousek Posted March 16, 2018 Share Posted March 16, 2018 Unfortunately by the "rules" they should probably be overlooked. When we show our 31' 96Cabriolet it's always "filler" we call it. It just wasn't as prestigous as the 12 cylinder Packard and 16 cylinder Caddy sitting next to it. This car looks exceptional and caught the eyes of the judges for a special award and that is great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted March 16, 2018 Share Posted March 16, 2018 25 minutes ago, Janousek said: Unfortunately by the "rules" they should probably be overlooked. When we show our 31' 96Cabriolet it's always "filler" we call it. It just wasn't as prestigous as the 12 cylinder Packard and 16 cylinder Caddy sitting next to it. This car looks exceptional and caught the eyes of the judges for a special award and that is great. You are referring to "French rules," which the Amelia Island Concours uses. For the most part, you are correct. It does not have the looong swoopy front fenders and hood of the stunning 1930 Packard 745 roadster or the 1930 Packard 734 Speedster that flanked it on both sides, nor of those of the V-16 Cadillacs that bookended the whole class. However, as Steve M noted, this car held its own not just because of the quality of the restoration (like Steve, rarely have I seen a car restored to this caliber), but because of the tasteful and completely authentic attention to every single little detail. In my opinion, had he "cluttered" or "dolled-up" the car with extra mirrors, white sidewalls, plane-jane top material (he went the extra mile and found an almost exact material that it would have been fitted originally), and an incorrect color choice, it may not have had more than a glancing look by anyone other than the main judging team. Because of David's painstaking decision on getting the colors exactly right (only two color options on the roadster... this dark blue, or black), in addition to the absolutely stunning painted wheels/plated spokes/aggressive blackwall tire tread combination, the car stood out BECAUSE it was a Buick. As a judge at this event since the second year, I can tell you that "second tier" Classics with this type of conservative restoration stand out and capture your attention much more quickly than the more commonly seen Duesenberg, Cadillac or Packard. The thought that came to my mind was, "Is that a Buick?" The car was truly "Amaxing", as Steve said in the title of this post. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted March 16, 2018 Share Posted March 16, 2018 Perfect except for the trippe lights and trunk. Agree with the comments that it stands out because of what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawrence Helfand Posted March 16, 2018 Share Posted March 16, 2018 Amazing Trippe lights that turn with the steering ! Never seen this. Was it an option? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38Buick 80C Posted March 17, 2018 Share Posted March 17, 2018 2 hours ago, Lawrence Helfand said: Amazing Trippe lights that turn with the steering ! Never seen this. Was it an option? Pilot Ray lights. yes an option. I have them for my '30 Buick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janousek Posted March 17, 2018 Share Posted March 17, 2018 Those pilot rays are the only accerssory I don't like. A set of regular Trippe's would be more appropriate/proportioned to the size of the car. I'm glad to see the blackwall tire in vogue right now. That car looks so tough and the chrome spokes would wash away with a set of whites. I don't know about it sticking out "because it was a Buick". Almost always Buicks are skipped over at these events. Part because they aren't always restored this nice and 2nd its wasn't the finest available. Part of the judging is how impactful the car was during it's release. I feel Buicks to one of the nicest cars available but most weren't as impactful as the big dogs. Grandfather's 53' Skylark used to get ribbons at these events because they were so special/impactful. I've driven a lot of the big iron of the 30's and our 31' Buick always impresses me. Other than it's ability to outrun the mechanical brakes it's a delight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted March 17, 2018 Share Posted March 17, 2018 (edited) 5 minutes ago, Janousek said: I'm glad to see the blackwall tire in vogue right now. That car looks so tough and the chrome spokes would wash away with a set of whites. I was going to say this but I feel like I'm a broken record on the subject (hey, wonder if anyone under 30 knows what that is??). I'll disagree slightly with the rest of your comment. I believe that it does stand out because it is not one of the other "run of the mill" great Classics. Those other cars (J, Packard, Lincoln, Pierce, etc) are awesome, but also frequent flyers at concours events. It is very hard to find something different. Which is why I got in to Reo Royale . Edited March 17, 2018 by alsancle (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janousek Posted March 17, 2018 Share Posted March 17, 2018 Al, All I'm saying how many Buicks do we see in the stable of the high end collectors? Obviously some guys go against the grain but it's a pretty small ratio. When we show our car at a ccca event it feels like they can't walk past it fast enough. Like maybe the middle class feel with grab their pantlegs. I could be entirely wrong with my view but I suppose it's my experiences that have led me to conclusions. True car guys know what a Buick has to offer. I was doing a Chrsyler for a guy and we had a 40' Buick Special conv at Meadowbrook 15+ years ago. He wanted to follow us back to our shop and look at the progress. We drove the Buick to the show as we always do. It's a 2 hour drive 3/4 highway and rest back roads. He got out at our place and couldn't believe the car buzzed down the highway no problem. He told me that is why he had Cadillacs because he didn't think much of a Buick. It changed is perception. Your not gonna change the perception of the average big collector that just drives from the rig to the show field. I'm happy that this car was built. It raises the values of other 90 series and brings attention to the marque. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted March 17, 2018 Share Posted March 17, 2018 I saw your Buick at St Johns and thought it was pretty cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janousek Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 Thanks Al, I appreciate the compliment. My wife is on the car selection and they needed to fill a spot so we drove it over. Without a car in the show we can't always stay on location so it's a win for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted March 19, 2018 Share Posted March 19, 2018 I think West’s post is spot on. I was able to look the car over while it was at the trailer parking field. Very tastefully done. Colors perfect. Wheel treatment excellent. Terrific restoration but not over restored. Rare, rare car. I agree with Al about removing the lights and trunk for showing. I made the comment to West while it was in the trailer that the clean look of the original design wasn’t masked by a bunch of junk placed on it. Interestingly, the big Buick is also an incredible driver, power to weight ratio is better than a Cadillac eight, and the motor is much lighter as is the chassis so it steers and stops better, with a much better rate of acceleration. Also, the Buick hood gives a better line and scale to the car than the short nose on a small Cadillac. Later in the thirties the boys over at Cadillac started to complain about Buick’s increased sales share eating into the Cadillac market, and GM squashed the slow but steady climb of the large series Buick’s. The “Big Buick’s” were one of the best values in the market at the time. It’s a wonderful car and deserved to win. Ed. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moskowitz Posted March 19, 2018 Author Share Posted March 19, 2018 Yikes Ed...I will take the junk any day! I have personally always have liked the Trippes and Pilots and this particular trunk is gorgeous with wonderful fitted luggage. Everyone has their own taste thank goodness as there room for each to his own in this hobby. So, Ed send me all your trunks and lights...happily will accept them. Oh, and you have way, way too many Snap On cabinets for one man. I'll take a few of those too! While I am at it that Sun distributor machine would be nice too!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted March 22, 2018 Share Posted March 22, 2018 Careful what you wish for Steve, I am cleaning out the garage next week, and have two trunks and four sets of Pilots that need to find new homes........... It is a FACT that a true car collector can NEVER have too many Snap-On cabinets or tools. Used the Sun distributor machine for several hours today......that is a keeper! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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