1932 model 57 tail light question

[Pete Phillips]

The 1932 model 57 was Buick's effort to lower the price of a new car in the Depression. The model 57, therefore, has only one tail light, which is on the driver's side rear. There is no provision for a tail light on the passenger side. My question is, which type of tail light assembly does it take? There are two types: 1. tail light with the license plate bracket attached to the top; or 2. tail light with the porcelain BUICK emblem attached to the top. I'm putting my model 57 together, the last few parts, and can't find out from the literature which type of tail light it should have.

Pete Phillips, BCA #7338

Leonard, TX

[Robert Engle]

The taillight assembly with the license plate goes on the drivers side.  The Buick badge taillight goes on the passenger side.

 

The tailight assembly with the license plate is not correct for a 1932 Buick.  The sharp ridge on the stanchion is a 1933 stanchion.  The 1932 assemblies are smooth rounded.  

 

The 1932 56S and 57S had lights on both rear fenders. The 56S and 57S would have chrome plated stanchions.  

 

The taillight bucket for the left rear would have had a rectangular lense to light up the license plate.  The Buick badge bucket had a round lense to light up the Buick logo.

 

To add further confusion, there were two different lengths of stanchions:  short ones for the sedans and longer ones for coupes.

 

The red lense in the bucket is the tailight light.  The yellow lense is the brake light.

 

Bob Engle