1933 Buick 4-door Convertible Sedan - Model 88C 🇺🇸

The model lineup in 1933 was divided into four series, the most luxurious being the Series 80 and the Series 90. Both were powered by a 344 cubic inch straight-eight engine capable of 104 horsepower. The only difference with the top-of -the-line series was wheelbase length, with 130 inches on the 80 and 138 on the 90. Production numbers were very low for both series, and one of the rarest models was the Model 88C Convertible Sedan, with only 124 units produced.

This particular car was purchased in 2003 by the Nicola Bulgari Car Collection after a chance meet at the famous Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The car had been completely restored by the previous owner, and was in magnificent condition.

The exterior has its original combination of colors, Cream and Brown, with spoked wheels in red. Being a luxurious series, the interiors are upholstered in brown leather.

Company
General Motors

Wheelbase
130in

Interior trim
Brown leather

Brakes
front and rear drums

Make
Buick

Length
208in

Engine
inline 8 - 344,8cid

Tires
7.00x17

Model
88C

Width
78in

Carburetor
1 Marvel ED 3

Original Price
$1,845

Body style
4-door Convertible Sedan

Weight
4525lbs

Horsepower
104hp @ 2800rpm

Production
124

Model year
1933

Exterior paint
Cream / Brown

Transmission
Synchro-shift 3-speed manual

David Dunbar Buick was a strange character. He was born in Scotland in 1854, but his family emigrated to the States when he was only two years old. At 15, he left school and went to work for a plumbing company, but pretty soon business went really bad. He left the company, and with a partner he founded a small plumbing and machine shop where he gained a lot of useful experience working with precision parts. He patented several inventions, the most profitable of them a process to bond porcelain to cast iron. With the growing business in plumbing fixtures, he found himself very busy in the manufacturing of bathtubs, toilets, water hoses and gardening supplies. When he was 46, he grew tired of his plumbing business and decided to sell, netting a very nice profit. He was fascinated by automobiles, and started building engines for other car manufacturers. He developed a very good engine that proved itself as durable and powerful for its size, due to the valves being in the head rather than in the block, offering a lot more efficiency. The Buick Motor Company was actually started in 1902, but started building cars only in 1904. David was a good engineer, but a terrible businessman and accountant. He had designed a very good car, but was unable to promote it. When he finally ran out of cash, he sold the Buick Company to William Durant, and this was the first step in creating the automotive giant known as General Motors. Mr. Buick was given a position in the Board of Directors, but in 1908 he left the Company with $ 100,000 given to him by William Durant. In a very short span of time, the money was gone. He went to California to set up an oil company, but went bankrupt. He started a company to manufacture carburetors, but failed. In 1920 he acquired a part of Lorraine Motors, to build motorcars, but the company went under. He moved to Florida, to deal in real estate, but without success. He died in march 1929 in poverty, having made many men millionaires, but not himself. He was an engineer, nothing more. The engine he had developed was used all around the world in several forms, and was the founding block for Buick’s excellence. Sound engineering, good performance, affordable prices were the keys to the success of the Buick Company. During the twenties the company had very good sales, until the great depression put a halt to the market segment specific to Buick. It took several years to recover, and starting in 1934 sales finally improved. Credit for the recovery can be attributed to Harlow Curtice, a young manager taken from AC Spark Plugs who was very determined to save Buick. 1933 was the worst year for the Company, with only 40,000 cars produced. The styling for this year was completely new, with skirted fenders, V-type radiator shell, and a new rear panel that covered the gas tank and blended with the new rear fenders. The running boards were curved to meet the fenders, and the aprons were finally eliminated, giving the overall styling a lower stance. The horsepower rating of all the engines was improved, and new Buffalo Manufacturing chrome wire wheels were introduced for the first time. A new X-member frame was introduced, and this resulted in much improved stiffness and better road grip. Small vent windows were added to the doors, to improve ventilation. The new body, the lower stance, the sportiness of the wire wheels, and the improved engines were good selling points, but the economy was not ready yet. The great depression was in its final year, and things were starting to improve for 1934.