• Slight changes to the grille were one of the few cosmetic changes in the 1947 model year.buick roadster grill and driving light image by Jorge Moro from Fotolia.com
  
  The 1947 Roadmaster Model 70 was part of the pre-war design that had been introduced in 1936. The Roadmaster was the top of the line Buick, and from 1947 through 1957 was the most elegant and powerful car Buick produced. The model stopped in 1958 when there was a major redesign. In 1947 the Estate Wagon was introduced and only 300 were made. The Roadmaster also came in a coupe, sedan and convertible editions.
  
  

Roadmaster Basics

• The Roadmaster came in four flavors, but they were the same in many ways. They were all on the largest Buick frame and had a 129-inch wheel base. They were all powered by the 320-cubic inch in-line eight-cylinder engine that put out 144 horsepower. All had a three-speed manual transmission. The engine, called the "fireball dynaflash," was powerful and reliable even if it did not have a lot of acceleration. All of the Roadmasters were the same overall size with a length of 217 inches, a width of 78 inches and a height of 65 inches. All of the models weighed more than 4,000 pounds. The wagon was the heaviest at 4,400 pounds. Roadmasters had 19-gallon gas tanks, and ran on 16-inch tires.
  
  

Prices

• In some ways the Roadmaster was the same car, but each version had its own personality. Prices varied widely, with the coupe selling for $2,131; the four-door sedan for $2,232; the convertible for $2,651; and the wagon for $3,249.
  
  While there were only 300 Estate wagons, there were a lot more of the other models sold. The Roadmaster sold 12,074 convertibles, 47,152 four-door sedans and 1,927 two-door coupes.
  
  

Mechanical

• The engine was an in-line eight-cylinder. It had a one- or two-barrel carburetor, mechanical valve lifters, overhead valves, single exhaust and a cast iron block.
  
  The transmission was a three-speed manual shifter on the column.
  
  The smooth ride of the Roadmaster was a plus, and its suspension was based on independent coil springs front and back. Brakes were hydraulic drum brakes with 12-inch pads.
  
  

Options

• Since it was a luxury car, there were many options that were considered modern at the time. Turn signals and heaters were standard, but relatively new in 1947.
  
  The Roadmaster had a power-top which was a new innovation. A hard top and a canvas top were available. Power windows, power seat, radio and clock, front and rear lighters and ash trays were optional.
  
  The Roadmaster had a day or night rear view mirror, and outside mirrors on both sides of the car were optional.