Big, Blonde, and Beautiful!
I grew up living across the street from Buick convertibles. Doris Phillips’ faded yellow 1952 Super with a black top had power windows that rarely worked, and an intimidating massive grill and little chrome tail fins that said, “Don’t mess with me!” Although a tank of a car, with a straight 8 engine and sluggish Dynaflow transmission, Doris loved to brag about the time she shifted into low gear to beat a sports car off the line when the traffic light turned green.
After the toothy ’52 was towed away, a two-tone red and white 1956 Buick with a powerful V-8 graced our street. O my what a beauty. Steve took me joyriding in his mother’s car, while experimenting how to peel rubber. Putting the car in drive, he revved-up the engine with one foot on the brake and slammed into low while flooring it. What a sound! What a thrill! Later that day when fiddling with the white canvas top latches while driving down 15th Ave NE at 40 mph, the top flew off with a giant whoosh and sickening thud in the back of the car. Had we ripped it apart? Realizing the top could still be raised by hand, we believed no one could blame us the next time Doris had difficulty putting the top down. Buick = Indestructible!
When I was collecting classics in the late 70s, I found the rarest of Buicks. A 1954 Buick Skylark convertible, one of 854 produced. Painted screaming yellow and white with black and white roll and tuck interior, factory wire wheels set in dramatically large wheel well and gorgeous chrome tail lights. She was a crowd pleaser that looked great from a distance, but a closer look revealed how much work yet needed to be done. I sold her for $5,000 when I realized how much it would take to restore this classic.
Last year I visited a restoration shop, where a 1953 Skylark was being restored. Although a flawless cars sell for $150K, restoration that beauty will run somewhere over $200K. Did I sell her too soon? Maybe, but when I held that rainbow in both hands when steering her down the road, warts and all, I grinned like a Cheshire Cat.