Buick Roadmaster

The Buick Roadmaster is an automobile built by Buick in three distinct periods: 1936 through 1942; 1946 through 1958; and 1991 through 1996. Roadmasters produced between 1936 and 1958 were built on Buick's longest non-limousine wheelbase and shared their basic structure with the entry-level Cadillac Series 65, the upscale Buick Limited, and, after 1940, the Oldsmobile 98. Between 1946 and 1957, the Roadmaster served as Buick's flagship.

After being resurrected in 1991, the Roadmaster became the marque's largest vehicle, measuring longer with a greater wheelbase than the C-body Buick Park Avenue. This generation was the first in Roadmaster history to be built on the General Motors B-body platform rather than the C-body, which up to 1984 had been reserved for GM's largest and most opulent models that were not Cadillacs.

A Buick Roadmaster Estate station wagon was introduced in 1947 and was manufactured in several generations through 1996. The final run of 1991-1996 Roadmasters shared powertrains and platforms with the Chevrolet Caprice, Cadillac Fleetwood, and Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser.

1931–1933

The origins of the Roadmaster name date to 1936, when Buick added names to its entire model lineup to celebrate the engineering improvements and design advancements over their 1935 models. Buick's Series 40 was named the Special, the Series 50 became the Super, the Series 60 was named the Century and the Series 90 — Buick's largest and most luxurious vehicle — was named the Limited. The Series 50 was retired, but new for the model year was the Series 80 Roadmaster. The 1936 Buick sales brochure describes, "It literally named itself the first time a test model leveled out on the open highway." The terminology "Series 60" and "Series 70" were shared with Cadillac, while "Series 60", "Series 70", "Series 80", and "Series 90" were shared with Oldsmobile.

The Roadmaster was introduced in a year when Buick's overhead valve straight-eight engines were heavily revised. Buick reduced the number of engines from four sizes to two: a , version for the Special, and a , at 3100 r.p.m engine for the other series. Buick also adopted an all-steel "turret top" and hydraulic brakes. Coil springs were used in the front.

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|related =Cadillac Series 65 Buick Limited Oldsmobile L-Series LaSalle

|designer = Harley Earl

Styling changes for 1938 were modest, with a longer hood extending to a now nearly vertical grill, taller bumper guards, and redesigned hubcaps. Changes were made to both engine and chassis. The ride was improved by replacing the rear leaf springs with coil springs and incorporating double-acting shock absorbers four times the size of others. The frame X-member was changed from I-beam to channel construction, and all wood structural elements were replaced with steel. The engine combustion chambers were redesigned and new "turbulator" pistons raised the compression ratio from 5.9 to 6.5:1, resulting in an increase to .

The four-door convertible phaeton changed from the built-in trunk design to a "fastback" rear appearance. The Limited continued to be offered, and a new fastback sedan was added to the line with 466 being sold. The Roadmaster sedan price was increased to US$1,645 ($ in dollars ). The overall automobile market decreased for the year, but Buick's share increased even with Roadmaster sales falling to 5,568 and now making up 3.3% of Buick's total output from its previous 7.3%. it became standard equipment for 1949. Overall sales were just under 80,000 in both 1947 and 1948, over four times greater than in any prewar year.

1949–1953

thumb|left|1949 Buick Roadmaster 4-door sedanThe Roadmaster received its first major postwar restyling in 1949. Its wheelbase and overall length were reduced, but its weight was marginally increased. The most significant change was a much larger two-piece, curved glass windshield that the sales brochure described as like an “observation car.” It was also in 1949 that Buick introduced "VentiPorts." Four were displayed on each of the Roadmaster and Century's front fenders, with three on the fenders of the Super and Special to denote junior level products. The sales brochure noted that VentiPorts helped ventilate the engine compartment, possibly true in early 1949, but they became non-functional sometime during the model year. The body styles were 2-door Sedanet fastback, 4-door sedan, 2-door convertible and 4-door wagon.

The idea for VentiPorts grew out of a modification Buick styling chief Ned Nickles had added to his own 1948 Roadmaster. He had installed four amber lights on each side of his car's hood wired to the distributor to flash on and off as each cylinder fired, simulating the flames from the exhaust stack of a fighter airplane. Combined with the bombsight mascot, VentiPorts put the driver in the control of an imaginary fighter airplane. Upon seeing this, Buick chief Harlow Curtice was so delighted that he ordered that (non-lighting) VentiPorts be installed on all 1949 Buicks, with the number of VentiPorts (three or four) corresponding to the relative displacement of the straight-eight engine installed.

Dynaflow was now standard equipment, and engine output was increased to through a slight increase in the compression ratio. With the now-standard Dynaflow, this contributed to giving the new Buicks a top speed of . In the middle of the year, the Riviera joined the body style lineup, selling 4,314 units. Featuring power windows as standard equipment, the two-door Buick Roadmaster Riviera, along with the Cadillac Series 62 Coupe de Ville and the Oldsmobile 98 Holiday, was among the first hardtop coupes produced. The Riviera Hardtop was conceived by taking the convertible and welding a steel roof, which simplified manufacture and improved the car's appearance.

The Riviera was also notable for its popular optional "Sweepspear" chrome body side molding, which would soon become a Buick trademark. This chrome-plated strip started above the front wheel, then gently curved down nearly to the rocker panel just before the rear wheel, and then curved around the rear wheel in a quarter of a circle to go straight back to the taillight. The "Riviera trim", as it was initially called, was also made available on the Roadmaster convertible late in the model year. With 88,130 sold, the all-time annual record for Roadmaster, the model accounted for 27% of all Buick sales, a high proportion despite its price being slightly less than a Cadillac Series 61.

left|thumb|1950 Buick Roadmaster convertible

The 1950 restyling featured a "toothy" grille. The Sweepspear design was made standard on most body styles at the beginning of the 1950 model year, and on the station wagon and a new long-wheelbase sedan mid-year. The long-wheelbase sedan was lengthened by ). Like the convertibles, the Riviera and the long-wheelbase sedan came with power windows and seats as standard equipment. Roadmaster sales fell to 75,034, with Roadmaster's share of total Buick output plummeting to 12%.

For the 1951 model year, the long-wheelbase sedan was also called a Riviera, although it was not a hardtop. The regular wheelbase sedan were discontinued, alongside the Sedanet, with the fastback body style having become outdated by the turn of the decade.thumb|left|1951 Buick Roadmaster Riviera 2-door hardtopStyling changes were minimal in 1951 and 1952. Power steering was added as an option in 1952, and the engine rating climbed to primarily to a new four-barrel carburetor. Sales continued to decrease to about 66,000 in 1951 and totaled 51,000 units in 1952.

left|thumb|1952 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon

A new V8 engine was introduced for 1953, Buick's Golden Anniversary year. Although the Nailhead (as it was popularly called) was nearly identical in displacement to the straight-eight Fireball (322 versus 320 cubic inches), it was shorter, lower, and lighter, but with , it was 11% more powerful. The compression ratio increased from 7.50:1 to 8.50:1 and torque increased from .

The compact dimensions of the V8 engine enabled Buick to reduce Roadmaster's wheelbase by across the line. However, styling differences behind the engine cowl, apart from the new V8 emblem hubcaps, were nonexistent. Buick also introduced a new "Twin-Turbine" Dynaflow as a companion for the V8 engine. Estimated to increase torque at the wheels by 10 percent, the new transmission provided faster and quieter acceleration at reduced engine speeds. Both power steering and power brakes were made standard. Air conditioning was a new option, and a 12-volt electrical system was adopted years before many other makes.thumb|left|1953 Buick Roadmaster Riviera 4-door sedanA new body style for 1953 was the Skylark convertible. The Buick Roadmaster Skylark was one of three specialty convertibles produced in 1953 by General Motors, the other two being the Oldsmobile 98 Fiesta and the Cadillac Series 62 Eldorado. The Skylark featured open wheel wells, a drastically lowered beltline, a four-inch-chop from the standard Roadmaster's windshield, the absence of VentiPorts, and a new Sweepspear that anticipated Buick's 1954 styling. Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels and a solid boot cover were standard. At US$5,000 ($ in dollars ) only 1,690 units were produced. The following year, and for one year only, it would become separate series built on the all-new Century chassis. This was the last year for the Roadmaster Estate, and it was the last wood-bodied station wagon mass-produced in the United States. Its body was a product of Ionia Manufacturing, which built all Buick station wagon bodies between 1946 and 1964. Priced at US$4,031 ($ in dollars ), the Estate was second in price only to the Skylark, with 670 being sold. Overall, Roadmaster sales went up to 79,137.

1954–1956

thumb|left|1954 Buick Roadmaster convertible rear

left|thumb|1954 Buick Roadmaster interior

For the 1954 model year, the Buick Roadmaster and Super shared with Cadillac and Oldsmobile 98 the new General Motors C-body, adopting the new "ponton" appearance, and the addition of "Dagmar bumpers" to the front. These were large, roomy cars, as much as five and a half inches longer in wheelbase and more than longer overall than in 1953. Roadmaster script was placed on the rear quarter panels and within the rear deck ornament. Rear fenders had a blunted fin at the rear edge, with dual "bullet" taillamps below. A new panoramic windshield with vertical side pillars was used. Seats had chrome bands on two-door models, and rear seats had an armrest on four-door models. The front suspension was refined, and Roadmaster's engine output was increased to , while the pillared coupe and the Estate wagon were no longer offered as body styles. Overall sales dropped to 50,571 (which was 11% of model year production). and the Roadmaster Convertible was listed at US$3,521 ($ in dollars ). and the Roadmaster Convertible replaced the exclusive Roadmaster Skylark convertible.

left|thumb|1956 Buick Roadmaster Riviera 4-door hardtop

In 1956, Roadmaster had a shallower Sweepspear that did not dip down to the rocker panel as on other models. Twin chrome strips were on the decklid, and Roadmaster was spelled between them. Roadmaster script was positioned on the doors beneath the vent windows. Fender tip dual bombsights were standard. Two stator wheels were adopted to improve the Dynaflow transmission. A brand new four-door Riviera hardtop, proved to be the most popular Roadmaster, with 24,770 units sold and beating the pillared sedan by more than two-to-one. Overall sales were 53,427 (which was 9% of model year production). A padded dash became standard.

1957–1958

left|thumb|1957 Buick Roadmaster 4-door hardtop rear

The 1957 Roadmaster featured a lowered body style with an even more panoramic windshield with reverse slanted pillars. A red-filled Sweepspear lined the bodyside, and a chromed rear fender lower panel filled the area between the wheelhouse and the bumper end, continuing to offer "Dagmar bumpers" at the front. A new centered fuel filler was located in the rear bumper, the ends of which the single or optional dual exhaust passed through. Roadmaster script was placed within the deck and grille emblems. Two-door models had a trio of chevrons on the rear quarters, while the four-door models had a Roadmaster emblem nestled within the Sweepspear dip. Interiors featured a padded dashboard, broadcloth and nylon in four-door models, nylon in two-door versions, and leather in convertibles. Front hip room was 65.3-in.

A new engine was rated at . A new ball-joint suspension system improved handling. The four-door Riviera hardtop proved popular the previous year so that the pillared sedan was dropped from the model lineup. Also, new was a mid-year production (March 1957) Roadmaster designated as Model 75 that featured standard power seats and windows, carpeted lower doors, a one-piece rear window (instead of a three-piece that was a design feature of the smaller Special and Century models), Deluxe hubcaps, and a Series 75 script identification on the rear quarter body panel of the Roadmaster coupes and the rear door panels on the Roadmaster four-door body styles, thus replacing the standard three chevrons found in the same location on the standard full model year Roadmaster model lines. Overall, Roadmaster sales dropped to about 33,000. The overall economy was in a recession starting in late 1956 and extending into 1958.thumb|left|1958 Buick Roadmaster 75 Riviera 2-door hardtop

thumb|left|1958 Buick Roadmaster 75 Riviera 4-door hardtop

For the 1958 model year, GM was promoting their fiftieth year of production, and introduced anniversary models for each brand; Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Chevrolet. The 1958 models shared a common appearance on the top models for each brand; Cadillac Eldorado Seville, Buick Roadmaster Riviera, Oldsmobile Holiday 88, Pontiac Bonneville Catalina, and the all-new Chevrolet Bel-Air Impala.left|thumb|1958 Buick Roadmaster 4-door hardtop interiorIn 1958, the Roadmaster was available in the well-equipped "75" version, and the body was fitted with bulkier and more heavily chromed styling, while the top trim package Limited was the most expensive and fully optioned vehicle. A new "drawer pull" grille was used that Buick called "Fashion-Aire Dynastar", made up of rectangular chrome squares. For the first time since 1948, there were no distinguishing VentiPorts on the front fenders. On the rear deck, the Roadmaster name was spelled out in block lettering beneath a Buick emblem housing the trunk lock keyway. Wheelhouses had bright moldings, rocker panels had an ebbed molding, and a large rear fender bright flash with ribbed inserts replaced the previous year's chromed rear fender lower panel. Four headlamps were standard. New brakes featured cast-iron liners in aluminum drums. Sales fell further to about 14,000.

There was a complete restyling for 1959, but this time, the names of the various series were changed. Not until 1991 would there again be a big Buick known as the Roadmaster; the biggest Buick models were renamed the Electra.

1991–1996

thumb|1995 Buick Roadmaster Limited sedan

thumb|Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon

thumb|1993 Estate Wagon interior

The Roadmaster name returned to the Buick line for the 1991 model year after a 33-year absence, with the third generation Buick Estate wagon becoming the Roadmaster Estate. A four-door sedan was added to the Roadmaster line for the 1992 model year, the first rear-wheel drive Buick sedan since 1985. Combined sales showed an over tenfold increase over 1991 thanks in part to an extended production run which had 1992 models going on sale in March 1991.

Chassis

As with its precursor, the new Roadmaster Estate wagon was based on GM's full-size rear-wheel drive B platform, which was closely related to the GM C-body and D-body chassis reserved for top of the line Buicks and Cadillacs. It rode on the same wheelbase since the wagon series was downsized from the C-body in 1977, yet it was three inches shorter than the 1990 model.

The Roadmaster sedan, a C-body vehicle over its eight previous generations, shared the B-body for the first time. It stood not only as the largest Buick, longer with a greater wheelbase than the apparent top-of-the-line C-bodied Buick Park Avenue, but larger both in wheelbase (2 inches) and overall length (6 inches) than the K-body Cadillac Sedan de Ville.

Powertrain

The standard engine for the 1991 wagon was a 5.0 L L03 Chevrolet small-block V8. It was replaced a year later with a 5.7 L L05 Chevrolet small-block V8 shared by both wagon and sedan. In 1994, both received a substantial power and performance boost with an upgrade to a modified version of the advanced 5.7 L sequential point fuel-injection LT1 V8 introduced two years earlier in the C4 Corvette. Coupled with standard dual exhaust, it increased output to .

This version of the LT1 was shared with a limited range of B-and D platform luxury and performance cars such as the Chevrolet Caprice Police Package and Cadillac Fleetwood, as well as specialty versions of GM's two F-bodied pony cars, the Chevrolet Camaro Z28 and Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Engines used in luxury cars had iron instead of aluminum heads for durability, camshafts tuned for increased low-end torque, and intake silencers to decrease engine noise.

While installed partly to better comply with emissions and fuel-economy standards, the LT1 V8 not only offered an power increase, but raised rated fuel economy by 1 mpg, to 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway. As a result of this significantly boosted engine output, General Motors limited the softer-riding Roadmaster (which ran on lower speed-rated tires than used on the Corvette) to a top speed of . For 1996, the LT1 became OBD-II compliant.

All three Roadmaster V-8s were paired to a four-speed automatic transmission. In 1994, the hydraulically controlled 4L60 (700R4) transmission was replaced by the electronically controlled 4L60E.

When ordered with the factory towing package, the 1994 through 1996 Roadmaster was rated to tow up to . For the station wagon, this could be raised to 7,000 pounds with the use of a weight-distributing hitch, dual sway controls, setting rear tire pressure to 35 PSI, and disabling the Electronic Level Control. The towing package added 2.93 rear-axle gears and a limited-slip differential, heavy-duty cooling system including oil and transmission coolers, and a factory-installed self-leveling rear suspension called Dynaride, which consisting of air shocks, a height sensor between the rear axle and body and an on-board air compressor. Most visibly, a pair of electric fans offset to the left under the hood was replaced by the combination of one conventional fan driven mechanically from the engine alongside one electric fan.

Body

The Roadmaster Estate wagon shared its body with the Caprice Estate and Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser; common styling features included the Caprice's headlights and the Custom Cruiser's 2nd-row "Vista Roof" with a sunroof. Simulated woodgrain sides were standard, though the treatment could be removed for credit. All three wagons offered an optional rear-facing third-row seat, bringing the seating capacity to eight. The Roadmaster sedan had a distinct fascia, featuring its grille and headlights stacked above running lights and turn signals. It shared a formal sedan roofline with the Cadillac Fleetwood, but was nine inches shorter in length and six inches in wheelbase. The 1995 and 1996 sedan models no longer had the Roadmaster emblem mounted on the quarter panels.

The interior was redesigned for the 1994 model year, which included new dual airbags, moving some instrument panel gauges closer to the steering wheel, and revisions to the radio and climate controls. The side-view mirrors were changed in 1995, changing from a "Lolipop" style mirror mounted on the door skin, to a new folding design mounted on the sail panel. The 1995 Roadmaster retained its skirted rear wheels (removed from the Caprice/Impala SS), while the sedan was updated with new bodyside moldings. Station wagons saw a shade for the Vista Roof and a cargo cover. In 1996, automatic climate control became standard, and the rear seatbelts were redesigned with a "cinching" feature.

Discontinuation

With production of over 200,000 Roadmasters over six years, a combination of overcrowding among Buick's high-end sedans and pressure from full-size SUVs on the Estate wagon led to GM focusing on higher profit margin vehicles, such as pickups and the truck-bodied Chevrolet Suburban. In 1996, the Arlington Assembly facility in Texas was converted to assemble SUVs and pickup trucks, marking the end of Roadmaster production. The final vehicle was built on December 13, 1996. All 1996 Roadmaster Estates received a "Collector's Edition" hood ornament in place of the traditional tri-shield Buick badge.

!Sedan

!Wagon

!Yearly Total

|1991

| -

|6,729

|1992

|59,712

|11,019

|70,731

|1993

|28,829

|9,525

|38,354

|1994

|26,429

|8,669

|35,098

|1995

|22,942

|5,522

|28,464

|1996

|12,581

|8,962

|21,543

!Total

!150,493

!50,426

!200,919

References

External links

Consumer guide to the 1991-96 Buick Roadmaster