“When better automobiles are built, Buick will build them.” That’s what Buick told us in 1941, and this stunning Roadmaster convertible certainly proves the point. Except for Ford, Buick sold more convertibles than any automaker in 1941. No small wonder, as it offered its widest array of body styles to-date, a total of 26 in five separate series: Special Series 40, Super Series 50, Century Series 60, Roadmaster Series 70, and Limited Series 90. Production increased 34 percent, qualifying Buick for fourth place in industry sales.

Style-wise, the 1941 Buicks were quite different from their predecessors. Exposed running boards and door hinges, as well as fender-mounted spare tires, were a thing of the past for 1941. New fender lines provided a much sleeker look, and headlights were completely enclosed in the fenders for the first time. At a base price of $1,457, just 1,845 Series 70 Roadmaster Convertible Coupes were produced, adding to their rarity today. Riding a 126-inch wheelbase, the luxurious Buick weighed in at 4,258 pounds.

The big news, however, for 1941 was Compound Carburetion, the forerunner to the four-barrel carburetor and also to the multi-carb setups so loved by the manufacturers following World War II. Optional on Specials and standard on all other models, a pair of carburetors extracted more power from Buick’s 320 CID “Fireball” straight eight—good enough for 165 horsepower on Roadmasters. This made Buicks the highest-powered standard production cars in America, with 15 horsepower more than the engine used in that year’s Cadillac!

This stunning Roadmaster Convertible Coupe is painted Sequoia Cream over red leather, the attention-grabbing combination so prominently used in Buick advertising of the era. The black canvas convertible top is accented with red welting and is power-operated. Full rear wheel-skirts accent the sleek lines of the rear fenders. Wide whitewall tires are mounted on red rims, further highlighting the dynamic color scheme. Benefiting from a no-expense-spared, ground-up restoration by one of the nation’s top Buick authorities, Doug Seybold, in 2011, no detail has been overlooked in this virtually flawless Buick. The red leather interior is upholstered in hides purchased from Plumber Leather in Cleveland, Ohio, the company that supplied the original upholstery in 1941. The chassis and under-hood are detailed to perfection. Inside one finds a radio, clock, heater, defroster, and turn signals, as well as the characteristic engine-turned dash used on Buicks of the era. Even the trunk lining has been re-manufactured to duplicate the original.

Attesting to the quality restoration, the car is a multi-award winner, securing its AACA First Junior at Charlotte in 2012, its AACA Senior Award at Hershey in 2012, a Buick Club of America First Place and Gold Award in Charlotte in 2012, and the Most Outstanding Buick Award at the 2012 Glenmoor Gathering of Significant Automobiles in Canton, Ohio, in September. With such an outstanding pedigree, one can understand their slogan: “Wouldn’t you really rather have a Buick?”