Buick Roadmaster in Context
A Buick Roadmaster overview begins with that 1936 reshuffle. Buick dropped its old numerical series in favour of Special, Century, Roadmaster and Limited, and the Roadmaster was built on the longer chassis with Buick's larger straight-eight engine. It was intended as a prestige car for owner-drivers who wanted more room and presence than a Century offered without stepping up to the chauffeur-oriented Limited. Later Buick Roadmaster generations would grow in size and flamboyance, but this first one established the formula of big engine, long wheelbase and upscale finish.
Understanding 1 generation
The first generation spans just the 1936 and 1937 model years, and Buick Roadmaster body styles in this period were the four-door sedan, the open four-door phaeton and the formal limousine with a division. The all-steel turret-top construction, introduced across General Motors at the time, gave the closed cars a stronger and quieter body than the earlier fabric-insert roofs. Modifications within this generation are therefore largely a matter of body type, since the mechanical package was shared, and the 1938 successor brought a revised chassis and coil-spring rear suspension.