1949 Buick Roadmaster Two-Door Riviera Hardtop

The Buick Roadmaster of 1949 was a seminal model, introducing a new design-language to the marque and reinforced an emerging new psychology around buying a car - choosing a Buick had become more of a lifestyle decision and that trend would continue as buyers embraced the new ‘fuselage style’ that was inspired by aircraft design.

These numerous new design features included a larger, chrome-laden grille, and a curved windshield - but some other elements to this new model were to become even more significant, influencing not only Buick's styling theme for years, but creating a whole new style of car for the US-market.

The 1949 Roadmaster Riviera, along with other newly launched, glamorous models – the Cadillac Coupe de Ville and the Oldsmobile 98 Deluxe Holiday Coupe – debuted for the first time on a mass production model for the US-market the ‘2-door pillarless hardtop coupé configuration (the design offered a fixed roofline with disappearing side windows and no B-pillar; when the windows were lowered, the car took on the look of a convertible with its top raised - British cars already had the 'Fixed Head Coupé'; thus, combining the style of a convertible with the security and weather protection of a sedan/saloon). The Riviera offered the best of sporty design and closed practicality, and it would influence two decades of automobile design around the world. Its name would remain a part of Buick’s lineage for 50 years.

Next up, and again significantly for the Buick design-language of its cars to come, was that the 1949 Roadmaster first introduced the (now) iconic ‘VentiPorts’ which went on to be a traditional Buick styling cue for many years. These are a series of three or four ‘vents’ on the front wing behind the front wheels. Four vents were displayed on each of the Roadmaster and Century's front wings, with three on the wings 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.

It is believed that the original idea for these portholes was to fit them with lights that would flash on and off in sequence with the engines firing order – the idea being that VentiPorts put the driver in the control of an imaginary fighter airplane. Upon seeing this prototype set-up fitted to a designer’s own ’48 Roadmaster, 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.

Furthermore, the 1949 Roadmaster Riviera was also notable for first introducing its popular optional ‘Sweepspear’ chrome body side moulding, which would soon become another 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, and was made standard on most body styles at the beginning of the 1950 model year.

On top of all this ‘influence’, the 1949 Roadmaster Riviera specification included a 150bhp ‘Fireball’ 320 CID overhead-valve inline eight-cylinder engine (with dual downdraft carburettor), Dynaflow automatic transmission, independent front coil-spring and semi-elliptic leaf-spring rear suspension, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes – all for $3,203 in 1949.

With production numbers from that year showing only 4,343 Riviera models were produced and a frequently used Buick resource that was published in 1979 states that at that time, less than ten of these vehicles were accounted for, this is now a rare and very special car.

The car presented here is a 1949 Buick Roadmaster Riviera, a truly exceptional example of its type, which was originally restored by the technical advisor to the Buick Club UK. It is believed to be one of only 50 surviving examples worldwide and the only one in the UK and has featured at The Cartier Style et Luxe Lawn, one of the finest Concours d'Elegance events in the world, where the most beautiful cars are presented in exceptional condition. The car was also a former winner of the NEC Car of the Year award. Always garaged and sparingly used, it has always been maintained to a very high standard, accompanied by extensive records of its servicing and restoration history.

As our vendor says ‘this car has to be seen to be believed’; we couldn’t agree more, we look forward to seeing you.