Attention : the photos have been taken some years ago
The Roadmaster name first appeared on Buick automobiles in 1936 as a celebration of their engineering and advancements in design. The Roadmasters were built on Buick's longest wheelbase, and from 1946 to 1957 they were the most elegant and prestigious cars that Buick had to offer to the general public.
From 1936 to 1948 the Roadmaster appeared in coupe, sedan, convertible, and station wagon body styles. A hardtop coupe was added in 1949 and dubbed the Riviera.
There were 46,432 4-door Roadmasters built in 1947. This model cost $2,232 fresh from the showroom floor. Calculated from the official inflation factor tables, that would be $22,271 in today's dollars. One can't buy for that price today a luxury car that is equivalent to the status of the Roadmaster in the forties. The big car weighed in around 4,500 lbs.
In 1947, Buick sold 272,827 cars and was in fourth place after Ford, Chevrolet and Plymouth. Buick's high water mark for sales was 1985, when Buick sold 1,002,906 cars.
The 1947 Roadmaster was based on the pre-War design and powered by the proven 'Fireball Dynaflash' inline eight-cylinder engine, mated to a three-speed manual gearbox. The Roadmaster was available in coupe (the Sedanette), sedan, convertible and station wagon models.
Specifications. Body : length/width/wheelbase (cm) : 489/203/136/296; weight : 1600 kg.
Engine : straight 8 4066 cc, 3-speed, manual, rear-wheel drive; power : 124 bhp@3600 rpm. Top speed : 160 km/h (100 mph)