The name Roadmaster appeared in the Buick range in 1936 and was maintained until 1958. It was used again between 1991 and 1996. Here we have a 1957 model year. That year, the range was divided into two series, the 70 and the 75. The latter was the upscale Buick, and was available in a Hardtop Coupe variant called Riviera, reproduced here. Only 2,404 units were manufactured.

The Roadmaster was Buick’s top-of-the-range model. In 1957, its long career was close to an end. It survived one more year, during which its design changed and was recognizable by its four headlights. Then it disappeared… until 1990. The convertible variant reproduced here by NEO is a 1957 model year. That year, 4,363 units of them were produced, out of a total of 47,582 Roadmasters.

In 1938, Buick was a pioneer with the Y-Job, the first concept car. But history almost forgot this Landau, based on the 1953 Roadmaster. Paying tribute to the landaulets of the 1930s, with the rear seats covered by a convertible top, the car was not completed in time for the GM New York Motorama Show and toured the US in 1954. A Buick executive manager later saved it from destruction.

This interesting concept car was shown to the public at the 1956 Motorama Show. The body of this two-door four-seater was constructed from fiberglass. Among other features, the roof was fully translucent and a TV camera placed at the rear replaced the rear mirror. The name was used again from 1971 to 1973 by an ephemeral Buick model, whose design was much more conventional.

In English, “hearse” comes from the French word “herse”, meaning “harrow”. In ancient times, especially designed harrows were placed over dead people. Later, the word referred to the carriage used to transfer coffins. The coachbuilder Miller manufactured this impressive 1934 Buick, as well as the Cadillac hearse carrying Kennedy’s body in 1963.

The whole range of the 1958 Special model year changed. Unlike its 1957 predecessor, it had four headlights (instead of two) and an impressive chrome piece on the rear fender. However, the Special disappeared from the Buick catalogue in 1959. The name was used once again in 1961, but the car looked completely different.

This big sedan was renewed in 2010. Its appealing silhouette helped Buick find a certain vitality in the U.S.… Although the main market for this brand is now by far, China. There, the LaCrosse found more than 100,000 customers in 2011, and only 58,000 in North America. Luxury-Collectibles reproduces this interesting model in resin, which explains its rather expensive price.