1948 Buick Super 8 Convertible (LHD)

Description

Buick's early post-war offerings, particularly the convertibles of 1946-1948, have become sought after collector's cars in recent years, thanks largely to their curvaceous, art-deco inspired styling. Although Buick, like all the major auto manufacturers, essentially rehashed their 1942 models when production resumed in 1946, a car-hungry public couldn't get enough and took the company to fifth place in the sales race. Few changes were made in 1947, with Buick's stylists limiting themselves to a new grille design and stainless lower body moldings on the Super and it was the same story in 1948, with new badges and 7.50 x 15 tyres helping give the cars a lower, sleeker appearance. Three model lines were offered, starting with the Special Series 40, followed by the mid-range Super Series 50 and topped by the upmarket Roadmaster Series 70. For 1948 the Series 50 was distinguished by new Super script on the front wings, new cloth interiors and a revised instrument panel, finished in two-tone grey with silver gauges. Four body styles were catalogued, including the basic four-door sedan, a sleek two-door sedanette with fastback styling, a station wagon and finally the car offered here, the Model 56C convertible, which boasted combined cloth and leather trim, a power seat, windows and hood all as standard equipment. Built on a 124-inch wheelbase platform, the Series 50 Supers were powered by Buick's smooth 248-cid straight-eight, developing 110 horsepower at 3600 rpm and a column-shift three-speed manual transmission as standard, although Dynaflow automatic transmission was an option. Just 18,311 Super 50 convertibles were made in 1948 (plus a further 906 earmarked for export), with surviving examples keenly sought after by collectors and succeeding generations of Buick convertibles considered less desirable by the market today. Indeed, Buick was widely regarded as the market leader for convertibles in the early post-war period, combining flashy good looks with excellent engineering, smooth ride and fine build quality.