NEW PRICE! One of only 312 built. Fantastic older restoration in great colors. Newer leather interior and top, rebuilt engine and dual carbs, new stainless exhaust, recent radials. Fast, smooth, comfortable Full Classic tour car ready to cruise!
The Roadmaster Phaeton used the same body as the Cadillac Series 62 convertible sedan, yet was faster, more powerful, and offered a more sophisticated suspension, all for hundreds of dollars less. You can bet the Cadillac boys were none too happy about that! Styling was a home-run, with headlights fully integrated with the fenders, chrome that accentuated the lines rather than obscuring them, and a sleek profile made possible by the torque tube drive. This gorgeous Roadmaster wears Monterey Blue, a factory color, and it was probably applied sometime in the ‘80s. Yes, there are a few signs of use and age, but thanks to high-quality workmanship nearly 40 years ago, it has a nice shine and zero signs of the original Touquet Beige in any of the nooks and crannies. There’s some checking in the finish, but none of it is coming apart and if this were our car to keep, we’d leave it alone and just enjoy. We gave it a good cut and buff, so it has a deep shine and rich color, and the chrome is in remarkably good shape, including the pot-metal pieces that show almost zero pitting. Someone invested big in this car at some point in the past, and you can benefit from that today.
The red leather interior was freshened a bit more recently and remains in fantastic condition. Buick’s gorgeous engine-turned instrument panels are expensive to restore and almost impossible to get right, and these are in excellent condition and filled with fully operational gauges with handsome cream-colored faces. Plush carpets reflect the Roadmaster’s upscale image and someone has applied significant insulation underneath, so this convertible remains comfortable even on warm days. Shift action is firm thanks to brand new bushings in the linkage and seat belts were added for safety. Overhead there’s a recent tan canvas top, and despite the size it’s relatively easy to manage and stows easily in the well behind the seat. A new matching tan canvas boot gives it a sleek top-down look, and yes, the original convertible sedan center posts are included—they’re virtually irreplaceable. There’s also a good-sized trunk that’s correctly finished and shows no rust in the tool tray, which is always where trouble starts.
But the real reason you own a Roadmaster is because it is powered by the most muscular engine you could buy in 1941: Buick’s 320 cubic inch overhead-valve straight-8. It cranked out 165 horsepower, 15 more than Cadillac’s V8 and 5 more than Packard’s considerably larger 359 cubic inch straight-8. It’s this engine that makes the Roadmaster arguably the finest pre-war road car you can own—effortless power at any speed, bulletproof reliability, and incredibly smooth. Recently rebuilt and fitted with two fresh Carter carbs rebuilt by 1941 Buick expert Doug Seybold, it starts quickly, idles well, and cruises easily at 65 MPH. Most of the time it runs on the front carb, but like a modern 4-barrel it brings the second carb online when you plant the throttle—it pulls like a freight train! It’s also beautifully detailed with Dante red paint on the engine itself, proper hose clamps, a reproduction wiring harness, and a correct air cleaner assembly. It stays cool under all circumstances, makes great oil pressure, and there’s a wonderful 8-cylinder burble from the tailpipe complements of a new stainless exhaust system.
The only transmission available was a 3-speed manual, and with a light clutch and well-chosen ratios, the Buick is comfortable anywhere. This car cruises so effortless at high speeds that we suspect that it may have the optional 3.60 gears in place of the standard 3.90s, but we can’t confirm—it certainly works well, though! The floors, particularly the area at the base of the front door pillars and the trunk pan, are in excellent condition and you’ll note that the under-seat heater is still in place and fully operational. Original steel wheels carry hubcaps and trim rings, plus a recent set of 225/75/15 Diamondback wide whitewall radials that ride and handle great.
This is the ultimate 1941 Buick; it drives superbly, it’s rare, and just last year it was awarded Full Classic status by the Classic Car Club of America, which means it’s eligible for all the big events. Don’t insist on perfection, just get in and drive!
