1933 Buick 2-Door Victoria Coupe - Model 96 🇺🇸

The elegance of this car is emblematic of the year 1933; it was a turning point for style in the automobile industry that year. This style, including the inclined grille, was used magnificently by Buick for its cars.

At the upper end of the market, at the top of the Buick range, we find the Series 90 with 5 body styles built on a long wheelbase. The classic example of this series is the five-passenger Victoria 2-door Coupe in the Nicola Bulgari Collection. This car was once owned and restored by the famous Harrah’s Collection. It was located in Texas and purchased in January 2004.

The original Sealing Red Wax color of the bodywork and the interior in soft Light Green mohair further enhanced the beauty of this luxury model. In the world of collectors, numbers are also important, in fact only 556 units of this model were built, and the exact number in existence is still unknown today.

Company
General Motors

Wheelbase
138in

Interior trim
Light Green mohair

Brakes
front and rear drums

Make
Buick

Length
211in

Engine
inline 8 - 344.8cid

Tires
7.50x16

Model
Victoria Coupe - Model 96

Width
78.5in

Carburetor
1 carb. 2-barrel Marvel

Original Price
$1,785

Body style
2-door Coupe

Weight
4520lbs

Horsepower
104hp @ 2800rpm

Production
556

Model year
1933

Exterior paint
Sealing Wax Red

Transmission
3-speed manual

Buick was in big trouble as the Depression strangled the market for cars. The hardest hit products were at the top of the market. For Buick, that meant the 90 Series cars suffered the most. Consequently, the list of available body styles for 1933 was cut from 9 to 5. The cars produced, however, retained their luxurious appointments and mechanical refinement. In fact, 1933 was a year of major styling changes for Buick. New front and rear fenders with deeper valances and more sweeping curves, plus a 2-1/4” height reduction, gave all models a fresh appearance. Adding to this sense of newness was the Buick's new V-shaped grille and the discontinuation of wooden spoke wheels throughout all series. Customers could now select either wire or steel spoke artillery wheels.
Technical improvements were headlined by a new x-cross member frame, as well as the Fisher No-Draft ventilation. In addition, the free-wheeling unit now allowed the driver to switch back and forth from direct drive to free-wheeling as desired. The adjustable shock absorber system wasn't offered in 1933. A new type of headlight whose passing beam brightly illuminated the pavement edge while shedding a far dimmer light on the traffic side was common to all Buicks.

1933 was the poorest sales year for Buick since 1915, but in terms of prestige the Series 90 models with an ultra-long 138” wheelbase took Buick to a new status level. Only 5 body styles were offered, however, as Buick eliminated the Sport Phaeton, Country Club Coupe, 5-passenger Sedan, Convertible Coupe Roadster and Convertible Phaeton from the Series 90 line. Closed car interiors were available in mohair plush, whipcord or cloth.

The engine was the same 344.8 cubic inch straight eight used in the 80-Series cars putting out a respectable 104 horsepower at 2800 rpm.

At the end of 1933 the production of the model year was 45,150 units (1774 stripped chassis and cars for export were also produced). Harlow Herbert Curtice became Buick President on Oct. 23, 1933.