1949 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon

The View
Through The Windshield
About Cars ... and Everything Else I See
by Joe Sherlock

Greatest Hits: 1949 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon - A Great Big Luxo-Woodie
(posted 7/1/2008)

This behemoth weighed 4500 pounds; Buick ads hyped "honest heft that levels the miles with majestic smoothness." You could tell that it was a Roadmaster by the four portholes (officially name: VentiPorts) along the side. Lesser Buick models only got 3 holes. The '49s were the first all-new postwar design from Buick and were the first models to feature VentiPorts. 1949 Buick styling was very attractive compared with its contemporaries and still looks good today. Buicks had a valve-in-head straight eight engine of 320 cubic inches. Horsepower was rated at 150. Not much power got to the rear wheels; the engine was coupled to the notorious Dynaflow automatic transmission.

The wood bodies were built for Buick by the Ionia Company who built bodies for many manufacturers. This wagon was huge with an overall length identical to that of the 1990s Lincoln Town Car. Wheelbase was 126 inches - an inch longer than the Continental Mark II. You'd need a huge wallet to buy one - at $3,734 it was the priciest model in the Buick line. Maybe that's why only 653 were produced.

Remember When: In 1949, foolish fads and inventions include canasta (a card game), shingle haircuts and Silly Putty. Hopalong Cassidy, the Lone Ranger and Roller Derby debut on TV. New words include afterburner, bikini, simulcast and community college. New products include Sara Lee cheesecake, Oreo cookies and the infamous Denver Boot.

The GM Motorama appears for the first time. The first two Volkswagen Beetles are sold in the U.S. The minimum wage is raised from 40¢ to 75¢ per hour. George Orwell writes the novel 1984. New recording artists include Burl Ives, B. B. King, Dean Martin and Fats Domino. Key ignition replaces starter buttons on some Chrysler products. The N.Y. Yankees win the World Series.

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The facts presented in this blog are based on my best guesses and my substantially faulty geezer memory. The opinions expressed herein are strictly those of the author and are protected by the U.S. Constitution. Probably.

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If I have slandered any brands of automobiles, either expressly or inadvertently, they're most likely crap cars and deserve it. Automobile manufacturers should be aware that they always have the option of giving me free cars to try and change my mind.

If I have slandered any people or corporations in this blog, either expressly or inadvertently, they should buy me strong drinks (and an expensive meal) and try to prove to me that they're not the jerks I've portrayed them to be. If you're buying, I'm willing to listen.

Don't be shy - try a bribe. It might help.

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