Category: Buick

1929 Marquette: Buick's Depression-Era Baby

10/5/2017

THE CAR AND ITS OWNER
1929 Marquette owned by Sal Canzoneri

WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING
Taking advantage of a booming auto market during the Roaring ‘20s, manufacturers decided to offer high-quality, less-expensive model lines to slake the public’s thirst for even more new cars. Pontiac fielded the Oakland in 1926 and Cadillac the LaSalle a year later. Buick’s timing could not have been worse with the launch of its 1929 Marquette on the eve of the Great Depression. “The market fell through and the Marquette had only been made for 16 months by Buick,” says Canzoneri. “So they even sold the few that they had left in 1930 and 1931 until they got rid of them.”

HOW LONG HE’S OWNED IT
Since 1982

WHERE HE FOUND IT
“I was looking for an older car, maybe something in the ‘40s,” he says, “but a fellow teacher saw this car sticking out of a garage in Amityville (New York) and I was interested. The owner wanted $1,500. I gave him $1,100 for a pile of junk and took it home with me.”

CONDITION
“To begin with,” says Canzoneri, “the car has a completely wood frame and the wood was almost all rotted. Being a high school wood shop teacher, I was able to tackle this. I was only concerned about parts that were missing. I taught many different subjects, including machine shop, sheet metal, foundry and so on, so that wasn’t really a problem.” Over the next 11 years, he restored the entire car himself, including paint and interior.

TIPS FOR OWNERS
“Never do anything like this unless you have the facilities,” he advises. “Buy a car that’s already restored. You’ll pay extra money, but you’ll have fewer headaches.”

VALUE
Canzoneri estimates his Marquette is worth $35,000 to $45,000. When it was new, he says, the car “was a little pricey” at $960, almost three times the cost of a Model A Ford.

THE BOTTOM LINE
“I feel great in it,” he says. “I love it. I take it out every week if I possibly can, even in the wintertime if the roads are clear. I go to as many shows as I possibly can. I go to the bank and I do some shopping, and Sundays I go to mass with it in Seaford (New York).”

Will vintage Buicks become the new Chinese Collectible?

4/16/2015

Sun Yat-sen (right) in an early 20th century Buick. (Photo: GM)

Almost every day, we read about another example of Chinese prosperity. Another new billionaire minted. Exploding prices for Chinese antiques. And now, the news that China may ease its restrictions on importation of classic cars. According to a story in the UK's ClassicCars publication, the Classic Vehicle Union of China, an enthusiast group, will meet with government officials in September to discuss revocation of laws against importation of older vehicles.

What will this mean for the classic car market in general? There's currently a discussion thread on such prospects at LinkedIn. Some believe it will cause a spike in interest and prices for Ferraris, Maseratis and other older exotic cars. We take a different view. We think it will drive prices higher for good old American Buicks.

Here's why: As General Motors notes in its China Overview, "The Buick brand has a long and distinguished history in China that dates to the early days of General Motors itself. In the first part of the 20th century, Buick was a car of choice for the country's influential citizens." Among Buick aficionados were Dr. Sun Yat-sen, China's first provisional president; Zhou Enlai, China's Communist premier; and Pu Yi, China's last emperor. "According to statistics from the Shanghai government," says GM, "in 1930, one out of every six cars on the city's roads was a Buick."

While Buick has had to resurrect its name here in the U.S., no such reputation-building was necessary in China. When the General began regular production at its Shanghai GM joint venture in 1999, it says, "Buick was the chosen brand -- largely because of its legacy in China as a prestigious automobile." Today, the brand regularly sets sales records in that country.

So mark our words that we will see vintage Buick prices rise and exports to China become commonplace once the ban is lifted. To learn more about Buick in China, visit GM's media site on the brand.

American Classic Cars in Cuba: Less than Meets the Eye?

7/25/2014

Every few years or so, the mainstream media become enamored with the 1950s American cars that still ply the streets and highways of Cuba. They speculate that once the U.S. and Cuba resume diplomatic and trade relations, Havana and environs will represent a bonanza for American classic car collectors who may want to buy one of these time capsules.

Anyone who believes that is going to be sorely disappointed. The hidden benefit for collectors will not be the vehicles themselves, but the craftsmen who keep them running.

During my time there in several cities and on the highways in between, I saw no cars that were rarities and many vehicles that were simply not worth restoring. The American cars that still operate in Cuba are largely boring four-door sedans or average convertibles. Those rides are not worth a whole lot here in the U.S., even in excellent condition. There were no rare Olds Fiestas or Buick Skylarks to be seen.

Many of the Cuban cars are American in body and interior only. That '53 DeSoto sedan might easily have a chassis and drivetrain that came out of a Russian truck. That chrome trim you see from 50 feet away might turn out to be hand-beaten tin. I cruised in a '52 Buick Roadmaster that sounded like the trunk was filled with loose metal bolts when it hit a bump.

Finally, when the time comes for restored Cuban-American relations, I believe a lot of old car owners in Cuba will ditch their vehicles in favor of new ones. Yes, the taxi drivers may want to keep their original rides to charm the tourists, but I think they will find it more beneficial just to import a restored 1950s sedan from the U.S. In short, you may see more average American classics headed toward Cuba than the other way around.

The real benefit to American collectors will be the access to Cuban automotive craftsmen. I saw examples of high-quality, resourceful metal- and paintwork on some of these old cars. I would not be surprised to see the creation of a classic car restoration industry in Havana (similar to the one that has risen in Vietnam) that could easily satisfy collectors in the southern U.S. at bargain prices.

In the meantime, please enjoy our Gallery of Cuban cars. In the near future, we'll feature a virtual tour of Havana's auto museum, including vehicles that played a significant role in the Cuban revolution.

1930 Graham-Paige: Replicating Grandpa's Ride

7/10/2014

Click to enlarge

THE CAR AND ITS OWNERS                                               1930 Graham-Paige owned by Ray and Linda Lignowski

WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING                                               The Graham brothers were involved in vehicle manufacturing through the early 20th century, yet the Graham-Paige branded cars were produced only from 1928 to 1931 after the purchase of another auto maker, the Paige-Detroit Motor Car Company. "In magazine ads of the day, the Graham-Paige was often compared to the Auburn, Buick, Marmon, Chrysler and Reo, to name a few," Ray Lignowski says. "The base six-cylinder coupe started at $845 (double the price of a nicely optioned Ford) and could run as high as $4,500 for a long-wheelbase, seven-passenger, eight-cylinder model." Innovative standard features, he says, included laminated safety glass, Lockheed hydraulic brakes (most cars were still using cable brakes), height-adjustable foot pedals, externally adjustable oil pressure, oil level gauge and an externally adjustable timing chain.

HOW LONG THEY'VE OWNED IT                                                                                                        Since the summer of 1998

WHERE THEY FOUND IT                                                                                                                              The Lignowskis found their car in South Dakota as "nothing more than a rusty shell and chassis," he says. "But it was the same year, make and model of the car that my grandparents had when they met and were married. I even had some pictures of them in the car in Brooklyn in 1933." They drove to South Dakota and brought the sedan home by trailer.

CONDITION                                                                                                                                                   "I began that October of '98 what is still a continuing restoration," Lignowski says. "I had to get two dead motors to combine the good parts of both to make one running one." He found a lot of the car's missing trim online or through the Graham-Paige Club. The wood body frame was rebuilt, the car was painted and period-correct accessories were added. "The next project," he says," is to learn how to sew and complete the interior with the correct Belgian mohair fabric."

TIPS FOR OWNERS                                                                                                                                      "If you own one," Lignowski advises, "most likely you are the only one on the block and, possibly, your town. Tune-up parts can still be had from a good old auto parts store as the Graham-Paige motor was used for commercial applications in things like forklifts right up until the 1960s."

VALUE                                                                                                                                                           "You can buy a nice 'driver' for $5,000 to $7,000, or go as high as you want to go," he says. "The cars are rare, but the demand just isn't what it used to be."

THE BOTTOM LINE
"Nothing can beat the feeling of knowing when I'm behind the wheel, it is exactly the view and feeling my grandfather had 79 years ago, motoring around Brooklyn in his Graham," Lignowski says. The couple can often be seen driving around Long Island, New York on a Sunday with their twins, Samantha and Tyler. "It's as close as we can get now to the good ol' days."

1929 Marquette: Buick's Depression-Era Baby

Will vintage Buicks become the new Chinese Collectible?

American Classic Cars in Cuba: Less than Meets the Eye?

1930 Graham-Paige: Replicating Grandpa's Ride

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