Motoring Masterpiece - 1934 Buick Model 98 Victoria

Compared to today's extremely limited style offerings, it's astounding how many different variations auto manufacturers presented back in the day, especially during the 1930s, when this stunningly beautiful 1934 Buick Model 98 was built.

Imagine carmakers today producing similar-looking models with four different wheelbases. And in 24 different-size body styles, no less! Yet, that's exactly what Buick did, as did nearly all the other major car companies.

Precisely machined and assembled, and authentically refinished to factory-correct standards, the Series 90 engine, which all Model 98 cars were equipped with, was Buick's largest for the 1934 model year; it displaces 344.8 cubic inches and develops 116 horsepower.

For the 1934 model year, Buick offered four different lines— Series 40, with a 117-inch wheelbase; Series 50, with a 119-inch wheelbase; Series 60, with a 128-inch wheelbase; and the Series 90, with a lengthy 136-inch wheelbase. The Series 40 and 50 had five different body styles each, the Series 60 had six, and the high-end Series 90 had eight.

If that wasn't enough variety to entice buyers into Buick showrooms, there were four different sizes of valve-in-head, straight-eight engines, too. The Series 40 had a 93-hp, 233-cu.in. engine; the Series 50, an 88-hp, 235.3-cu.in.; the Series 60, a 278.1-cu.in. that made an even 100 horsepower; and the larger and heavier Series 90 models were powered by the 116-hp, 344.8-cu.in. powertrain.

Each instrument, original to this car, was disassembled and carefully restored to exacting standards, as was the woodgrain dashboard.

Our feature car is one of the rarest Buick Series 90 models built in 1934: a Victoria coupe, of which only 347 were made. The other seven body styles were a four-door, four-passenger sedan; a seven-passenger sedan; a convertible phaeton; a limousine; and the two-door club sedan, convertible coupe, and sport coupe. The Series 90s were also the best appointed in the lineup, and therefore the most expensive, with the Victoria coupe having a base price of $1,895 (about $36,280 in today's money). Can you imagine walking into a Buick showroom today and having the option to buy either a LaCrosse or a Regal in six different body styles?

Although Buick's motto was: "When better automobiles are built—Buick will build them," another motto could have been: "When better model options are offered—Buick will build them."

Based on the five-window, two-door coupe body, what made the Victoria coupe different from the other coupes— besides its ability to accommodate five passengers via its two separate seats up front—were its front vent windows; D-shaped, sliding-glass rear quarter windows; and pronounced rear shape with integrated trunk.

Considering its large size, the car's proportions were perfect: The roof ended near the centerline of the rear wheels, giving it a much smaller appearance than its long, 136-inch wheelbase would lead you to believe. This "compact" illusion was clearly aided by the lack of side-mounted spares, which allows the eye to view the car's horizontal lines in a smooth, unbroken plane. All these design elements combined to lend this Buick an imposing, yet dignified, form, with a special elegance about it that yielded a standout shape of unmatched proportions and beauty. For this particular example, factor in its unusual bright green exterior, and the refined look of the non-distracting blackwall tires on matching green wheels, and here is an incredibly beautiful two-door prewar coupe like few others in existence. This Buick truly is a masterpiece of American automotive styling and design.

Note the Octane Selector knob (left) that allows the driver to adjust to the type of gas being used.

Beneath its body shell lies a stout, X-type girder frame, and a separate front crossmember designed to support the independent front suspension and Buick's new center-point controlled steering for more accurate handling. Buick called this suspension system Knee-Action Wheels, which, along with coil springs and Delco-Lovejoy hydraulic shock absorbers, permitted the use of low-pressure tires on artillery-type steel spoke wheels for a smoother ride.

The rear suspension features the combination of Delco-Lovejoy hydraulic shocks and leaf springs, plus a "Ride Stabilizer"—Buick's name for what was essentially an anti-roll bar that reduced body roll during cornering. Buick was proud of the ride it had engineered, and the 1934 brochure stated: "Around sharp curves of the Proving Ground, the new Buick ride stabilizer was thoroughly tested in action many thousands of times before it was approved by Buick engineers."

Large, vacuum-assisted, mechanically operated drum brakes front and rear provide plenty of stopping power to haul the hefty, 4,571-pound coupe to a reasonably quick stop. To help reduce vibrations, Buick's all-silent Syncro-Mesh manual three-speed transmission is cushioned on five rubber mounting points for even greater quietness.

The key to the Buick's smoothness of operation is its modern- style overhead-valve engine. As stated in its brochure: "The new Buick, like every Buick, is powered with the famous Buick Valve-in-Head Straight Eight Engine, notable the world over for power, flexibility, dependability and long life."

Individual front seats were a feature on all Victoria models.

In the Series 90 chassis, Buick's largest engine offering featured a bore and stroke of 35/16 x 5 inches. Its single updraft Marvel carburetor was equipped with an automatic choke for easier, more expedient starting, while its crankshaft was contained in five main bearings for added smoothness. No longer was there an accessory shaft alongside the block, as the timing chain, water pump, and generator were now driven off the fan shaft. Another new feature was an adjustable ignition timing device that could be controlled by the driver from inside the car. At 3,200 rpm, maximum horsepower reached 116.

Construction of its body shell was another area where Buick excelled in its pursuit of perfection, and boasted about it in its brochures: "To determine whether this newest Buick was watertight, it was driven through the 'bath tub'—a depressed section of concrete roadway built to hold water. In that way engineers assured themselves that windows, doors and floorboards were properly sealed; they satisfied themselves that the brakes, carburetor and ignition were unaffected by this penetrating deluge."

The Series 90 Victoria coupe shown here is owned by lifelong Buick aficionado Nicola Bulgari from Rome, Italy, and resides in the collection at The NB Center for American Automotive Heritage in Allentown, Pennsylvania. A chance encounter by The NB Center's curator, Keith Flickinger, while attending a Buick show in Maryland in 2003, led to its acquisition. Although showing only 65,000 miles on its odometer at the time of purchase, the Buick was in the kind of scruffy state that meant its originality simply could not be preserved, thus it underwent an intensive body-off restoration in 2012. The restoration itself was performed entirely at The NB Center's all-encompassing restoration facility, and took two full years to complete. Every single aspect of this Full Classic Buick was executed to correct factory specifications, making it a truly authentic example of the breed.

One of the biggest challenges encountered during the car's extensive rebuild was finding a replacement cylinder head, as the original head was long gone. Through Keith's vast network of collectors, restorers, and parts suppliers, he was able to track one down after many months of searching. Aside from the plating, all work was performed in-house, including the fabrication of new rear window rubber assemblies, and the casting of front floormats; even the carpeting, headliner, and entire interior were made at The NB Center, each carefully crafted to exacting standards of absolute authenticity.

As to the Buick's distinctive and most attractive exterior color, the factory-issued shade of Moritz Green Light was applied in numerous coats of single-stage urethane enamel, but not until months of laborious bodywork, which included painstaking filing and sanding, was done to obtain perfectly smooth panels without the use of excessive body filler. The one component fitted to the Buick that wasn't on the car when originally built— but available as a factory option—was the radio.

When we asked Nicola about this Buick, he expressed admiration for his beloved Victoria. He said: "The 1934 Buick Victoria is one of the best examples of design in the early 1930s. Not only is the design great, but the color that we chose really highlights the beautiful lines of the car, which is so important to that era! Obviously, the power of the 90-series inline-eight-cylinder engine makes it a dream to drive."