The 1950 Buick has always been a “take-it-or-leave-it” kind of car, but Buick fans, especially fans of postwar models of the late 1940s and early 1950s, clearly love it. This Super Riviera (more on that in a minute) belonged to the seller’s grandmother, and it’s for sale on Facebook Marketplace in Heber, Arizona, with an asking price of $22,500.
The 125.5-inch wheelbase Super Riviera Sedan was a tremendously popular car: 114,745 were built with a base price of $2,212, making it the second most popular Buick in 1950 (behind the Model 41D Special Sedan). You may be wondering why the name “Riviera” is applied to this Super Sedan, and you have every right to be; Buick muddied the waters by calling their hardtops AND their extended-wheelbase sedans Rivieras. The Model 51 Super Sedan used the smaller B-Body with a 121.5-inch wheelbase (five inches shorter than the Riviera’s C-Body) and a different roofline.
Here’s how the trim tag of this Super breaks down:
- Mod. No. 50-52: Super Riviera (called the Super 126 in the sales brochure)
- Style No. 50-4519: 1950 is the model year, “4” stands for Buick, “5” stands for Super, and “19” is the Fisher Body code for a long-wheelbase sedan
- Body No.: This is the Fisher sequence number, and “G” stands for Flint, Michigan, assembly
- Trim No. 50: Gray Herringbone Cloth
- Paint No. 25: Kashmir Green upper and lower
There are no pictures of the engine in the Marketplace ad, but there is a video of the engine running, and I captured this image from the video. Notice the “grand piano” hood, a feature Buick used until the 1953 models arrived.
In 1950, the Super had Buick’s new 263-cubic-inch straight-eight, while the Special carried over the old 248 for the last time. The 263 had quite a few detail improvements over the 248 (the head bolts were not open to water, for one), and it produced 128 horsepower with Dynaflow (124 with Synchromesh). Buick used a thinner steel shim head gasket for a higher compression ratio to gain the extra four horsepower. Also, Dynaflow cars such as this one had hydraulic lifters; in this system, oil was fed into the rocker shaft, through the rocker arms, down the pushrods, and into the lifters under low pressure (there is a metered fitting where the oil enters the head). Since Buick’s eight was not originally designed for hydraulics, there was no oil gallery to feed the lifters in the block.
The interior of most early 1950s cars was a bit drab, but there’s no getting over a Buick dashboard, and Supers had the huge centrally positioned speedometer in plain view of the driver. The seller says that the interior has been professionally restored, and the car has a new wiring harness. It does have the original version of the Dynaflow, which was used from 1948 (in Roadmasters only) to 1952. The Dynaflow was upgraded throughout the 1950s until its final year of 1963.
Here’s where the Model 52 was really worth the extra money ($73 extra) over the Model 51: the generous rear seat. It’s no wonder that the Riviera outsold the standard sedan by more than two-to-one.
The seller of this Super says that it’s been repainted in its original Kashmir Green and has had some of its brightwork rechromed (a huge expense). It’s not a concours restoration, and it certainly needs a set of wide-whites (or blackwalls if you prefer), but it looks like a nice example of one of Buick’s most audacious cars ever, the controversial “Bucktooth” Buick. As the owner of a ’53 Buick myself, I know that values of mainstream early ’50s Buicks (non-Skylarks) are not terribly strong, so the $22,500 price tag might be ambitious (and it has been posted for four weeks) but not obnoxiously so. What is your opinion on the value of this refurbished Super?
Related Reading
Curbside Classic: 1950 Buick Super 126 Model 52 – More Buick For The Buck (by Aaron Severson)
The History Of General Motors’ 1950 Body Interchange Program (by Vince C)
Automotive History: General Motors 1949-50 – The Mystery Of The Missing B Body (Part 1) (by JP Cavanaugh)
Automotive History: General Motors 1949-50 – The Mystery Of The Missing B Body (Part 2) (by JP Cavanaugh)
A lot to love, but oy, that face. I’m not sure of the premium for buck teeth, but maybe somebody would pay for the (now) novelty of them. Throw in the wide whitewalls and maybe it would be a better deal.
This is a beautiful car, but at $22,500, it’s going to be a tough sell. There just isn’t much of a market for four door cars of the era.
Guys tend to buy classic cars that were around when they were in their youth. That means 60 year old gearheads are buying cars from the 80s. I see it all the time at car shows, too.
That makes a 1950 Buick a hard sell.
Times are changing, as they always do. Last year, I took my ’53 Buick to a local car cruise for charity, and it was one of the oldest cars there. I bought it when I was 28 back in 2005, and I couldn’t go anywhere without people going nuts about it, but these days, only people in their 70s and 80s really notice it for the most part.
Don’t get me wrong, it still draws a ton of attention, but I rarely get the idea that someone would want to buy it from me.
I agree. About the only people who would be wistful when seeing this car would be over 92 years old if they were 16 in 1950. Being 16 in 1968 would make you 74 today so almost no market for this car. There could always be one nut case who would buy it like Aaron65 or me but otherwise it will be around a very long time at that price.
I’m 61, and about 40 years ago I almost got a ’50 Super Sedan. Today, if I had what it takes to transform it into an almost daily driver (improved brakes and steering mostly), I wouldn’t pay 22.500, but I’d like the car. Nonetheless, a late 60s is more my cup of tea.
You nailed my age: 16 in 1968. While it’s true that the classic cars that I favor the most are from the mid 60s, when curves and hips began to replace the more rectilinear shapes from earlier in that decade, this Buick still appeals to me. Even though cars of the early 50s had mostly disappeared from the streets of Pittsburgh by 1968, they were still around in considerable numbers in the late 50s and early 60s, and I clearly remember them.
I think the asking price is too much; on the other hand the car does appear to be in great condition. The toothy grille is a bit much though as is the rather unattractive color that I’d call Kelly Green.
I disagree about age of buyers. There are extremely valuable cars from the 1950s going back to the turn of the century and slightly before. Age of current owners is irrelevant when it comes to cars that can be 120 years or older.
You mentioned that chrome was expensive, but back in the 60s after one of my wrecks it was 100 dollars to straighten and rechrome the bumper.
Unfortunately, that same $100 wouldn’t even ship a bumper to the nearest chrome shop today.
Well, “THAT Same 60’s $100” is about $1000 today.. so I think one could easily ship the Bumper. (Maybe even start the stripping process before chroming as well. Obviously depends on where the shipper/ shippee are in relation to each other).
“$100 in 1965 is worth about $1,060.17”
Just sayin. 😉
Rechroming the front bumper for my 65 F100 cost a total of $800 by Tri-City and it had no dents to fix in 2023. Contrary to what Aaron65 says it weighed 35 lbs. when I shipped it UPS and it was definitely under $100 back then. Don’t know about today and can’t check as my UPS account is on my office computer.
People today are much more into perceived utility-gray scale colors,19″ wheels and an appearance that appears purposeful, if not outlandish. They do not appreciate the unique and artistic. The same decline in interest in old cars is carried into antique stores where prices have also significantly declined.
Today, if something does not have a screen, people do not want it.
Because of hyper-inflation, it seems that classic car prices for cars like this have doubled from pre-2020 pandemic levels. So what was $6,000 is now $12,000; and what was $8,000 is now $16,000. Based on that, I would say this Buick should be based in the mid- ‘teens (as a starting point, and then subject to negotiation).
But even so, the hard part will be finding a person who really loves this car and wants to pay that kind of money to own and drive it. There are fewer people like that. I’m a rare exception–someone who likes regular cars from the ’50s. (And I was born well after the ’50s). So I’m not surprised it hasn’t sold–could be a long wait. And this one looks particularly appealing condition-wise. Craigslist/Facebook/eBay are filled with old cars that are either highly-desirable, over-restored models (and priced accordingly), or rusty, abused, clapped-out junk (also overpriced). Hard to find something “in the middle”–original and in decent condition. Sellers have to be realistic and should lower their prices.
Here’s another big green Buick: It was parked just around the corner from me. (No longer there).
I browse everyday and see just what you mentioned. Either junk that can be overpriced and then really nice cars that are really over priced. So while a car nut, as I mentioned above and you are in that mix, I am not dumb enough to pay that at all. One day my time will come and then what will my younger wife be doing with that car that could be 95 years old? Crush it, after she crushes me, as she is no car fan?
The spam filter on here really hates my writing style.😖
I’m not quite 70, but if it was black, this car would have a strong sentimental pull for me. Though not $22500 worth of pull. When I was about 4 or 5, a friend of my Mom’s got divorced and got the family car as part of the settlement. Except she didn’t know how to drive so my Mom taught her, and the two pre-school-age kids came along, me and the woman’s younger son. And I remember it was a Buick, black, with a big bucktooth grill and a robe belt in the back that we hung on to as the Buick swayed and rolled through the canyons on the east side of the Berkeley Hills. The Buick is the first car other than our own that I remember riding in. Was it a ‘53? I dunno, but close enough. I also remember the Buick didn’t last long; she bought a new 1963 Ford wagon, brown with wood grain sides.
As a kid, 3 things fascinated me about early 50’s Buicks —
1. Antenna, mounted at top-middle of the windshield
2. Hood, opening on the side (I like your comparison to a grand piano)
3. Ventiports, that I’d stick my fingers into……until the owner would come over with a “Get off my lawn!” old-guy type exclamation.
Nice car ;
I hope some Buick Nutter buys it and drive the snot out of it .
These were never really my style but no one could ever ignore them .
-Nate
This looks like one of those sorry cases where a guy poured lots of money into a car with sentimental value, and is now stuck. If grandma had bought a maroon hardtop, he might be in better shape. But she bought a green sedan instead. It is a really nice car, but not $22k nice.
Looking at ads for classics for sale is a fascinating pasttime. You can tell the people who are serious about needing to move the car to a new home from those who have a lot of money in their cars and are testing the waters to see what kind of interest it might bring. That said, if the car presents as nicely in person as in the photos, all you need is that one guy who appreciates a quality car who might at least get into the ballpark of that price (which I will say starts at $16k).
In 1951, my Uncle Berge bought a new Buick Super of the extended length. We loved riding in it. It was a tank that my maternal Aunt Mary managed to drive despite no power steering. She was about 5′ 1″ tall, a whiz in the kitchen, but not a weightlifter. Som for her and other ladies of her era, this vehicle took her to task.
These Buicks are easy to drive except at very low speeds; then your Aunt Mary was getting a workout! There’s a reason it has such a great big steering wheel.
Very interesting how Buick fed oil to the hydraulic lifters ‘backwards’ from the rocker shaft down the pushrod, I didn’t know that. That’s how Chrysler did it on the newer Slant Six’s, which were also originally solid lifter engines.
Too much $$.
Not a Horrible car. I love green, Not this shade of green though.
Also, For that kinda money, a couple too many doors. (IMO)
I’d still drive it, not for that money though.