GM patented the humble vent window right here -- 1933's Series 80 cars got the first "No Draft Individually Controlled Ventilation," later renamed Ventiplanes.
Lead trim: Series 80 344.8 cu in OHV I8 (104 hp at 2800 rpm, 1932)
Buick Roadmaster1931–1933
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Buick Roadmaster yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactGM patented the humble vent window right here -- 1933's Series 80 cars got the first "No Draft Individually Controlled Ventilation," later renamed Ventiplanes.
The Buick Roadmaster is an automobile built by Buick in three distinct periods (1936–42, 1946–58 and 1991–96); Roadmasters of 1936–58 were built on Buick's longest non-limousine wheelbase and shared their basic structure with the entry-level Cadillac Series 65, the upscale Buick Limited and, after 1940, the Oldsmobile 98. The Series 80 (1931–1933, designer Harley Earl, GM C platform, related to the Cadillac Series 355 and Buick Series 90) was the forerunner: the 1932 Series 80 was the first Buick with the 344.8 cu in (5,650 cc) OHV straight-eight developing 104 hp at 2,800 rpm (a 320.2 cu in straight-eight is also listed), on 124, 126 and 130 in wheelbases; it was an upper trim package sharing with the Series 90 and a new approach for Buick of marketing a luxury eight-cylinder sedan, comparable to the Oldsmobile L-Series. The 1932 models introduced a new high-performance engine developing 113 hp; in 1933 all Buicks got the corporate "streamlined" appearance and, for the first time on all GM vehicles, optional "Ventiplanes" vent windows. The 80 series was discontinued at the end of 1933 after 24,117 units; in 1936 the model was renamed "Series 80 Roadmaster".
Collectors Spotted in the Buick Roadmaster Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Buick Roadmaster yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series 80 344.8 cu in OHV I8 (104 hp at 2800 rpm, 1932) | 1932–1932 | 5.7 L Inline-8 | 104 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
This land-yacht Roadmaster wagon could out-tow plenty of trucks of its day — with the factory package and the right setup, it was rated for 7,000 pounds.
The exhaust on a 1957 Roadmaster ran out through a filler-like opening centered in the rear bumper, right next to the fuel cap.
The 1955 Roadmaster's Dynaflow transmission changed its own stator blade pitch under hard acceleration, a rare mechanical trick for the era.
Buick's non-functional VentiPorts started here in 1949 as a status code: four holes for a Roadmaster, three for lesser Buicks.
New Roadmaster sales were restricted in early 1942 to buyers in occupations the government deemed essential to the war effort.
Only one 1940 Roadmaster is known to have been built as a custom open-front town car, nicknamed the Townmaster.
For 1938, Buick swapped the Roadmaster's rear leaf springs for coils and fitted shock absorbers four times the size of its rivals', a genuinely progressive ride upgrade for the era.
Buick's brand-new 1936 Roadmaster undercut the cheapest Cadillac sedan by $440 — real luxury-car presence at a price Cadillac couldn't touch.
GM patented the humble vent window right here -- 1933's Series 80 cars got the first "No Draft Individually Controlled Ventilation," later renamed Ventiplanes.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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The Vigor was sold only with a five-cylinder engine, an unusual configuration Honda used to fit a longer engine transversely under a short hood.
The GS/E coupe earned the nickname "German Charger" for its long hood, short deck stance borrowed from Detroit muscle cars.
This DeVille/Fleetwood was the first production car anywhere to mount its V8 sideways, Cadillac's front-drive gamble on the new C-body.