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Not much is known of the history of this Royal Maroon Buick Sedanette. The car was found in a large collection in the coal region of Pennsylvania. The car was partially disassembled when purchased by the NB Center. The restoration shop at the Center had to reassemble the interior trim work and reapply the exterior trim work. The driver side of the car is missing some of the double stainless steel trim unique to 1948 Specials.
Any leads on finding the missing trim pieces would be greatly appreciated! -
Company
General Motors
Make
Buick
Model
Special, 46S
Body Style
Sedanette, 2-door, 6-pass.
Body Manufacture
Fisher Body
Model year
1948
Wheelbase
121 inches
Length
207.5 inches
Engine
inline-8, OHV, 248 cid
Horsepower
110 hp @ 3600 rpm
Transmission
3-speed manual, column shift
Original Base Price
$1,735
Brand Production
213,599 model year
This Car Production
10,775 -
The big news at Buick in 1948 was not the cars but the management. Harlow Curtis, who led Buick since 1933, became General Motors Executive Vice-President and the job of Buick General Manager passed to Ivan Wiles.
The 1948 model year cars would be the last of the pre-war, 1942 derived designs. Consequently, Buick was not looking to invest much in any model year refreshments. The cars were nearly identical to the 1947 cars with the exception of some additional badging and side mouldings.
Despite the lack of differences from the previous model years, the 1948 cars sold very well. The car buying public was still clamouring for new cars after the war years. Buick was offering them the right balance of value, engineering and good looks. The sales success would continue for Buick in the 1949 model year when the first completely redesigned cars of the post-war era would hit the market.