David Dubar Buick was born in Arbroath, Scotland, in 1854, and brought to Detroit, Michigan, at the age of 2. By the 1880s, he was a successful inventor in the plumbing field, inventing among other things, the lawn sprinkler and a new process for coating metal bath fixtures, tubs and sinks with porcelain. Buick sold the plumbing business in 1899 for $100,000 giving him the seed money to start Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company. Buick was fascinated with the idea that he could replace a team of horses with just one engine. From the very beginning, Buick realized how important the combustion engine would be to the world.
In 1902, he organized the Buick Mfg Co. to make his first motorcar. Buick borrowed $5,000 from a friend, Ben Briscoe, who had no doubts about his ability as a craftsman, but was concerned about his business acumen. By September 1903, the company was already in financial trouble. Buick’s advanced designs invariably left the firm over-spent.
Briscoe contacted the Flint Wagon Works, a wagon maker in Flint, MI, which was also interested in producing motor cars. They were impressed with Buick’s design. They in turn borrowed $10,000 from a local bank to settle the Buick debts and the plant was moved from Detroit, to Flint, MI. The deal left Buick with little say in the firm. Basically, he signed away his future.
The first test model was built in June, 1904, with 37 Model B’s being built by the end of 1904, but Buick Motor Co. still ran into financial difficulties. William C. Durant was brought in by bankers to straighten out Buick’s messy management. Durant was the head of Durant-Dort Carriage Co., and a brilliant businessman. He went to the 1905 New York Auto Show, and before the company had even built 40 vehicles, managed to sell over 1,000 at the show alone. Durant became general manager of the Buick Motor Co. on November 1, 1904, with David Buick as President. Durant knew the industry’s future lay in speeding up production and cutting assembly costs, while Buick was a craftsman who regarded each car as a unique invention. One of the two had to go…and it was David Buick.
Buick’s hallmark was its Valve-in-Head engine, invented by David Buick, along with engineers Walter Marr and Eugene Richard. The design placed valves directly above the pistons in what is generally known today as an overhead valve configuration.
By the early 1930s, the Buick Co. shifted to an all-new, straight-eight engine to power its cars. The engineers had felt that the six-cylinder engine had been engineered to its full potential, and its limits were reached. Over the years, its size had increased, performance enhanced, and its efficiency and smoothness expanded to its full potential. This provided better breathing and translated to more power and better performance. In 1931, Buick introduced its first straight-eights, among the most-advanced engines of their day—smooth and reliable five main bearing units designed by division chief engineer F.A. Bower. Straight-eights would go on to be Buick’s mainstay for the next 22 years.
In 1931, the Buick Sport Roadster made its debut. The new 1931 engine proved its mettle that year at the Indianapolis 500 by powering a racer that Phil Shafer qualified at 105.1 mph; for the race he averaged 86.4 mph. Any ’31 Buick was quick in showroom tune—10-60 mph took about 25 seconds, quite speedy for the day, and 90 mph was possible. The basic price of the 1931 Buick Sport Roadster was $1,610 and the price with options was $2,650; they included side mounts with mirrors, chrome spoke wire wheels, whitewalls, dual Pilot Ray driving lights, Mercury hood ornament, trunk and rack, right taillight and wiper, rumble seat foot rest, clock and radio. The upholstery featured tan broadcloth with chrome and wood-graining accents.
Other specifications included:
- Wheelbase: 132”
- Engine: inline 8-cylinder engine
- Displacement: 344.8 cu. in.
- Power: 104 HP @ 2800 rpm
- Transmission: 3-speed synchromesh sliding manual gearbox
- Brakes: 4-wheel mechanical
The Sport Roadmaster cruised at 80 mph. It was one of the most luxurious cars ever produced by Buick. The rumble seat qualified it as a 4-passenger car. The detachable trunk fitted to the rear was designed to carry extra baggage. There were only 824 of these roadsters produced due to their high cost. Beginning in 1931 and continuing through 1942, Buick produced a high-end series of automobiles to compete with the LaSalle and base priced Cadillac models. The roadster was a quality car and carried a lot of prestige. They were the second highest priced car Buick made in 1931. The 4-door Touring model took that honor. Today, there are only 13 of these Roadsters in existence.
Our featured 1931 Buick Sport Roadster (Model 8-94) was purchased in 1984, by Paul Rieker of Yorba Linda, California. Rieker purchased the car from Clare Gore, who was President of the Buick Club of America from 1971 to 1972. Rieker himself served as National President for the Buick Club of America from 1982-1985. He has been restoring cars for himself since the ’50s, as a hobby.
As luck would have it, Gore was not a mechanic, and tried to work on the car himself. It had been running, however the engine spun a rod bearing. When Gore attempted to put it back together he used silicone to seal the engine. This eventually plugged the oil lines and burned up the engine. The car was completely torn apart when Rieker bought it, with the restoration taking 4-5 years.
Rieker kept the car for 20 years and showed it extensively. It won many prestigious awards, including Best of Show at Le Cercie Concours d’Elegance in 1996. He also took home 1stplace in the Palos Verdes Concours in the open classics class. The most prestigious win was the James Melton Memorial Cup award presented at the Antique Automobile Club of America’s Annual Meeting in Hershey, PA, for an outstanding Senior Car entered in the Spring Meet in each division. The award was established in 1963 by Dr. Samuel L. Scher, in memory of James Melton (1903-1961), former Antique Automobile Club of America President and international singer. The cup itself is the racing trophy won by the famous Winton Bullet in 1905, and was once a prized possession of James Melton. The name of each year’s winner and the cars description is engraved on it. Rieker was also presented with a brass grill badge that says National Award Winner 1995, and an engraved silver tray. Rieker also had a 1st place win in the Junior, Senior and Preservation category. The car won all three categories in Calif. Rieker even received an invitation to show the car at the Concours d’Elegance at Pebble Beach, Calif.
When Rieker was through showing the car, he sold it to Craig Ekberg, a well-known car collector who lives in Palos Verdes, Calif. Ekberg loves to compete and is a consummate mechanic. He showed the car and picked up a few more ribbons before he sold the Buick, in 2007, to a South American collector.
A 1931 Buick Sport Roadster, Model 8-94 went through the RM Auction held at Meadow Brook in 2007, where it sold for $148,500. The series 90 models that were produced from 1931 to 1942 are the most luxurious cars ever produced by Buick. They are the only Buicks accepted by the Classic Car Club of America as Full Classics.
