Vehicle Description
West Coast Classics are proud to present a superb and extraordinary
example of this very rare and original 1957 Buick 50 Super V8
Convertible with its original and legendary and highly desirable
364 CID/300 HP 4BBL V8 engine and frame up nuts and bolts restored
in a very attractive two-tone color combination of 'Starlight Blue
over Dresden Blue' color paint with a matching two-tone 'Blue' full
leather interior, new Blue 'Haartz' convertible soft top with soft
parade boot, full carpeting, trunk light, 'Sweepspear' stainless
bodyside trim with painted insert, front and rear bumper guards,
outside LH rear view mirror, 4 Ventiports on front fenders; power
top, front seats amp; windows and with original electric Buick
clock and with rare factory options of: Heater amp; Defroster
($102), Power brakes ($42), Power steering ($107), Easy-Eye tinted
glass ($40), Full wheel covers ($20) and 'Sonomatic AM radio
($102)!The 1955 Buick Super was one of Harley Earl's personal
favorite designs. Buick's ad campaign pointed out that the car was
'Super ... and that means superior in every respect,' and was it
ever. The return of Buick's pre-war 'factory hot rod' with a
sweeping side body line, strong face, and jet-age tail embodied
everything that made the Mid-50's GMs the pinnacle of American car
design. A huge symbolic change was the use of four portholes on
Century's and Super's as well as on Roadmaster's to identify the
cars with the larger engines rather than longer wheelbases.The
Super was a true high-performance car combining Roadmaster power
with with about half having three speed manual transmissions and
the other half were equipped with Buick's improved and more
efficient Variable-Pitch Dynaflow drive. The Super could go 0-60
mph in 9.8 seconds and cover the quarter mile in 17.5 seconds, the
sizzling Super with 255HP was not only fast off the line but they
were also genuine 100mph cruisers. A 1955 Century hit 110 mph the
Flying Mile competition at Daytona SpeedWeeks and in 1955 Buick
took the only two wins in NASCAR Grand National stock car racing
that it would see for many years. The 1956 Buick Super was built on
the larger Buick platform available for the year as was the
Roadmaster and was powered by the same division's largest engine,
the Roadmaster 322 c.i.d. It is noteworthy that the smaller
platform of the same generation Buick Century, combined even
lighter weight with the same high horsepower 322 c.i.d. engine, and
was appreciated by law enforcement agencies, many of whom used them
for patrolling freeways and turnpikes across the nation where they
were well suited for high speed pursuits. One year later the
California Highway Patrol placed a huge fleet order for Century
2-door sedans. This body style was not available to the general
public and was a special order only. The Century 2-door sedan
combined the Special 2-door sedan body shell with Century
power-train and trim. In the popular TV series 'Highway Patrol',
Broderick Crawford was shown driving a 2-door Century sedan during
the first season.In 1957 Buick introduced the enlarged 'Fireball
V8' engine with greater bore and stroke, increasing displacement to
364 cubic inches and producing 250-300HP, depending upon the model.
This 1957 Buick Super 364/300HP V8 Convertible is one of only 2,056
built for 1957 and is the rarest of all Buick's built in '57!
Offered in the Super series were both two- and four-door hardtops
and the Model 56C, sporty and attractive convertible. With a base
price of $3,981, buyers got a lot for the money starting with the
enlarged 364 cubic-inch V-8 rated at 300 HP in the Super which
equated to 400 ft/lbs of torque. Also new was the Instant Variable
Pitch Dynaflow transmission which offered seamless power during
acceleration. There were other amenities that cost extra in lesser
cars such as in-line Safety power steering, power windows, two-way
power front seat, power-operated convertible top, deluxe steering
wheel, self-locking parking brakes other desirable features of the
day. For 1957, 2,056 customers stepped up for a Super convertible
from Buick. This particular now very rare and desirable 1957 Buick
'Super' 364/300HP V8 Convertible example has been frame up restored
with no expense spared and every nut and bolt replaced and is in
very pristine condition throughout with a laser straight original
body with all original sheetmetal and with the floor boards, trunk
and all the typical rust-prone areas solid and rust free and with
the car showing no signs of any accidents. Starting with an
original that spent most of its life in Southern California, it was
stripped down to bare metal and then refinished in the attractive
factory combination of 'Starlight Blue over Dresden Blue'. Both the
front and rear seats were trimmed in harmonizing two-tone blue hand
stitched leathers that present a better than new appearance.
Carefully remove the soft parade boot cover and with the flick of
the switch and the new dark blue Haartz soft top silently lifts and
folds into position to provide comfortable protection from the all
the elements. The car is very handsome and boasts power windows,
power steering, power seats, a power top and power brakes. Under
the hood the legendary Nailhead V-8 looks showroom fresh and is
ready to roll. Properly detailed including factory stickers and
markings, everything has been restored to show-car quality
condition including the totally rebuilt power steering and power
brakes featuring the trustworthy Treadle-Vac system. This is truly
a full-power car which also includes the top, windows, front seat
and even the radio antenna for the Sonomatic push-button radio. The
original '364 cid/300HP V8 engine runs strong and sounds absolutely
magnificent and this particular car drives really well - a truly
remarkable daily driver that will give any modern day car a run for
it's money! For 1957, Buick used plenty of chrome trim and all the
brightwork on this car has been given a deep and reflective
replating that is sure to win hearts and impress even the most
fastidious of judges. Even the luggage compartment has been
completely finished and carpeted with the spare tire encased in a
protective vinyl covering. It sports a set of new 'Truespoke'
chrome wheels featuring Buick emblems in the center of the
simulated knock-off spinners wrapped with wide whitewall tires.
Ride, comfort, luxury, opulence, and rarity; this 1957 Buick
Convertible has it all. This is a rare opportunity to own a great
daily driving example of a superbly restored and very striking 1957
Buick Super V8 Convertible in turn-key ready condition for any
classic American car enthusiast to enjoy or collect today!