- Delightful and jaunty Buick roadster
- Famed valve-in-head engine
Buick's big news for 1914 was Delco electric starting and lighting,
and a switch to left-hand steering with center-mounted gear change.
At the top of the line was the Model B55, a five-passenger tourer
powered by Buick's first six-cylinder engine, a 331-cubic-inch, 48
bhp unit. Most popular, though, were the four-cylinder cars, of
which there were five in two sizes: roadsters and tourers on
wheelbases of 105 and 112 inches. Short-wheelbase models had
165-cubic-inch, 22 hp engines; the longer wheelbase cars, like this
one, used a 221-cubic-inch, 35 bhp powerplant.
The car being offered is a B36 roadster, which, with its B37 tourer
and B38 coupe companions, composed the middle range of Buicks. They
had more modern styling than the smaller B24 and B25 cars. Jaunty
in very deep blue with black fenders and delicate white
pinstriping, this car has been fully restored. It is upholstered in
black diamond-pattern buttoned leather and sports a black roadster
top with windshield. It is fitted with Firestone 34 � 4 Non-Skid
blackwall tires on demountable rims.
Power comes from Buick's famed valve-in-head engine, a
221-cubic-inch inline four developing 35 bhp. It drives through a
three-speed sliding-gear transmission. The engine compartment is
tidy without being over-detailed. A Buick medallion MotoMeter sits
atop the radiator cap. A nice period touch is the 1975 Nebraska
registration certificate issued to B.D. Wood of North Platte
attached to the steering column.
Buick sold more than 20,000 cars in 1914. This B36 roadster has to
be one of the prettiest.To view this car and others currently
consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/hf19.
