1954 Buick Roadmaster Convertible (model
76C)
A 10-year, body off the frame, restoration back to original, performed
by Dr. and Mrs. K.L. Laytin
Winner of a Gold Senior Award and selected as the
Best Post World War II Buick
at the 2005 Buick National Meet in Batavia, NY, scoring 399 out of a
possible 400 points.
Award History
2003 - 2022
-
Best of Show
- Yankee Chapter of The Buick Club of America (BCA) Buicks At The
Beach – New London, Conn. June 7, 2003
-
Best in Class - Tulley
Buick Pontiac Show – Merrimack, NH June 8,
2003
-
Dealer's Choice Award
- Tulley Buick Pontiac Show – Merrimack, NH June 8, 2003
-
Best in Class - Wachusett
Old Car Club, Wachusett Mountain, MA August 3, 2003
-
Best of Show - Wachusett
Old Car Club, Wachusett Mountain, MA August 3, 2003
-
People's Choice Award 1st
Place - RI Radio Station B101's Cruise Night at the Plainridge
Race Track in Plainville, MA August
30, 2003
-
Best of Show 1st Place
- RI Radio Station B101's Cruise Night at the Plainridge Race Track
in Plainville, MA August
30, 2003
-
Best in Class - Attleboro
Lion's Club Car Show, Attleboro, MA September 7, 2003
-
Best in Show - Attleboro
Lion's Club Car Show, Attleboro, MA One of five cars selected Best
In Show. September 7, 2003
-
Cover of BUICK BUGLE Magazine,
February 2004, including article about the car.
-
People’s Choice 1st Place
in Show - Rock and Roll Ramble Heritage Museum and Gardens, Sandwich,
MA June 6, 2004
-
2nd Place in Class -
Hildene Antique Car Show, Manchester, Vermont June 14,
2004
-
President’s Award -
Bay State Antique Auto Club, And selection as one of the top 100 cars
in New England Endicott Estate, Dedham, MA. August
11, 2004
-
Class Winner (1st Place
- 1950’s Convertibles) - All Wheels Nationals. Cruisin’ New England
Magazine Show Barnstable Co. Fairgrounds, Falmouth, MA. August
28, 2004
-
Invited Participant
- Cruisin’ New England Magazine’s SuperWheels Showdown for the Top
100 cars in New England in 2004 City Hall Plaza, Boston, MA October
2, 2004
-
People’s Choice 1st Place
- Rock and Roll Ramble Heritage Museum and Gardens, Sandwich, MA June
4, 2005
-
Cover of Hemmings Classic
Car Magazine July 2005, Volume 10, including an article on the
restoration of this car, with photos taken during the restoration.
-
Gold Senior Award (for
scoring above 390 points in 400 point judging) Buick Club of American
National Meet, Batavia, NY July 9, 2005
-
Best Post-War Buick
1948-1960 - Jeff Brashares Award for the highest scoring post-war
Buick 399 out of 400 points. Buick Club of America National Meet,
Batavia, NY July 9, 2005
-
First Place - Cruise
Night Marksie’s Mighty Dogs and Ice Cream, Kingston, MA July
22, 2005
-
Gold Award (BCA judging)
- Northeast Regional Meet Jersey Shore Chapter, Buick Club of America,
Brick, NJ July 30, 2005
-
Top Dog - Best of Cruise
Season - 2005 Marksie’s Mighty Dogs and Ice Cream And selection
as one of the top 100 cars in New England Kingston, MA
August 27, 2005
-
First In Class - Yankee
Chapter, Buick Club of America Vernon, Connecticut. August
28, 2005
-
Third Place - Grand
Invitational Concours D’Elegance Heritage Museums and Gardens Sandwich,
MA September 18, 2005
-
Invited Participant
- Cruisin’ New England Magazine’s SuperWheels Showdown For the Top
100 cars in New England in 2005 City Hall Plaza, Boston, MA October
1, 2005
-
Cover of Hemmings Motor
News Magazine March, 2006
-
Winner, Post-War Open
Class - Newport Concours D’Elegance, Astor-Beechwood Mansion,
Newport Rhode Island. May 27, 2006
-
People’s Choice 2nd Place
- Rock and Roll Ramble, Heritage Museum and Gardens, Sandwich,
MA July 29, 2006
-
Best of Show - Bristol
County Street Rod Association Auto Show. UMass Campus,
Dartmouth, MA August 13, 2006
-
First in Class - Yankee
Chapter, Buick Club of America, Vernon, Connecticut. Regional Meet.
August 18-20, 2006
-
First in Class -
Newport Car Show at Portsmouth Abbey, Portsmouth, RI. June 12, 2007
-
First in Class -
Bristol County Street Rod Association Auto Show. UMass
Campus, Dartmouth, MA August 12,
2007
-
First in Class - Fall River
Antique Auto Club, Somerset, MA August 19,
2007.
-
First in Class -
Newport Car Show at Portsmouth Abbey, Portsmouth, RI. June 21, 2010
-
Favorite Buick-
Hemmings Motor News' Cruise-In Spectacular at Stratton Mountain,
VT. July 17, 2010
-
Best Buick Roadmaster-
Hemmings New England Concours D'Elegance, Stratton Mountain, VT.
July 18, 2010
-
Best In Show-
Hemmings New England Concours D'Elegance, Stratton Mountain, VT. July
18, 2010
-
Best Classic Car (post
1950) -Motor Head's Cruise In, Plymouth, MA. August 28, 2010
-
Spectators' Choice Award
- Heritage Museums and Gardens Auto Show, Sandwich, MA. July
9, 2011
-
Spectators' Choice Award
2nd Place - Marion Classic Car Show, Marion, MA. July
16, 2011
-
Best of the Best - Autos
Of The World Show,
Goddard State Park, East Greenwich, RI July 31,
2011
-
Best 50's Car - South
Shore Car Show,
Plymouth South H.S., Plymouth, MA Sept. 10,
2011
-
Senior Preservation Award-
Buick Club Of America, Concord, North Carolina, June
30, 2012
-
Best of Show -
Motor Head's Cruise In, Plymouth, MA. August 25,
2012
-
Auto Committee's Choice
Award - Heritage Museums and Gardens Annual Auto
Show, Sandwich, MA July 6, 2013
-
Featured in the Buick
Bugle Magazine, June, 2014
-
Best of Show
- Motor Head's Cruise In, Waterfront Festival, Plymouth, MA August
23, 2014
-
Best of Show
- Motor Head's Cruise In, Waterfront Festival, Plymouth, MA August
29, 2015
-
Participant's Choice Award
- Heritage Museums and Gardens Annual Auto Show, Sandwich,
MA June 11, 2016
-
Best of Show
- Motor Head's Cruise In, Waterfront Festival, Plymouth, MA August
27, 2016
-
Best Classic Car post
1951 - Motor Head's Cruise In, Waterfront Festival, Plymouth,
MA August 25, 2018
-
Best of Show
- Motor Head's Cruise In, Waterfront Festival, Plymouth, MA August
24, 2019
-
Misselwood Award
-Misselwood Concours D'Elegance, Invitation only event
Endicott College, Beverly, MA July 17, 2022
- Third in Class
- Audrain Motor Week - Newport Concours d'Elegance. Invitation only
event
The Breakers Mansion, Newport, RI October 2, 2022
updated October, 2022
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It has a 200 horsepower 322 cubic inch V-8 engine with a 4-barrel carburetor,
a Dynaflow automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, a power
antenna, a 4-way power seat, a power top, power windows and a Selectronic
("Wonder Bar") radio. It weighs 4,355 pounds.
Before, During and After Restoration Photos
- click to enlarge then hit your back button

This Buick was built at the Atlanta, Georgia factory during the 4th
week of January, 1954. The body was built in Flint, Michigan and shipped
to Atlanta for installation on a Chassis. It was one of 3,305 Roadmaster
Convertibles built that year. Buick referred to it as Model 76C. As
best as can be determined from the options on the car, its advertised
delivered price was $3,520.56. Not a lot is known about this specific
car’s history other than that it lived much of its first life
in Arkansas. When it was located in mid 1988, it was in Oklahoma. the
car was last owned by a adjuster for Farmer’s Insurance. Not running
and in rough shape, it was placed for sale in the July, 1988 edition
of Hemmings Motor News – where I found it.
Beginning in 1993 it underwent a 10-year complete restoration. The
body was removed from the frame. The body and frame were blasted down
to bare metal. Virtually every nut and bolt was replaced as was every
wire. All mechanicals were rebuilt. Many parts were replaced with NOS
(new old stock) parts, that is original factory parts still in their
boxes. Another 1954 Buick we own and many Buicks in junkyards from Texas
to Oklahoma to Idaho gave their lives so that this Buick might live
again. Most of the chrome is NOS that has been replated. The leather
interior is new, matched in color and stitching pattern exactly to the
original. The exterior color, Cavalier Blue, though done with a modern
paint, is a virtually identical match to the original metallic paint.
Details down to the original dealer option Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels,
the 8.00-15 bias ply wide white wall tires with tubes, the original
headlamps found in a junkyard in Idaho, to the color of every wire to
the brackets that hang the exhaust pipes are correct. At the Buick National
Meet in Batavia, NY in July 2005, this car was judged for authenticity
and workmanship. It was awarded 399 of a possible 400 points, given
a Gold Senior Award and chosen as the Best Post World War II Buick at
that year’s national show. And it was driven 456 miles each way
to that show. These Buicks were meant to be driven.
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