1934 Buick 56S

This vehicle comes to us from the collection of the late Ronald Rostron, who sounds to us like a quite extraordinary man and one with whom we would have very much liked to share a cup of tea or a glass of fine champagne.

Ronald Rostron was a Royal Marines Commando during WWII.

Stationed in the ruins of Berlin at the end of the war, Ronald found himself surrounded by all sorts of abandoned and surplus-to-requirements American equipment and vehicles.

One of the more unlikely examples was a 1930s Cadillac V-12, which he commandeered (perhaps that should be Commando-ered) for his personal use, later stating that it was such a revelation to drive that it ignited a life-long passion for American cars.

Ronald and his wife had 10 children, and a wider and ever-growing family circle of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

One of his daughters tells us that he always sported a fine handlebar moustache.

He was, by all accounts we’ve heard, a remarkable man and quite a character.

He was also an accomplished engineer, and he set about buying the best examples available of the primarily American cars that took his fancy.

So, the cars in his collection were bought precisely because they didn’t need extensive restoration, but could be improved, maintained and properly curated to retain as much originality and authenticity as possible while also serving as eminently usable, mechanically-sorted drivers’ cars.

This car, along with the 1934 Buick 56C that sits alongside it in our Oxfordshire HQ, came into Ronald’s ownership from Paul Raven in 2016, who had restored both cars under the guidance and supervision of Steve Passmore, who was a leading light in the Pre-1950 American Auto Club.

Needless to say, then, the car is in truly exceptional condition, aesthetically, dynamically and mechanically.

We have driven it and, not for the first time, we’ve marvelled at how advanced 1930s American cars were compared to most of their British contemporaries.

The car starts enthusiastically, presses on eagerly, handles commendably and comes to a stop gracefully.

The decals on the doors depict the insignia of the Royal Marines Commandos.

Viewed from any angle you choose, this is a very good-looking car.

The two-door configuration and relatively petite proportions give it a well-balanced aesthetic, and the full running boards, big V-shaped grille and ‘dickie’ seat tail are pure 1930s Americana.

You can almost picture some cigar-chewing, Homburg-wearing Chicago mobster leaping out of it holding a Tommy gun.

Stirring stuff.

The shut-lines and panel gaps are crisp, clean and even.

The maroon paintwork is possessed of real depth of lustre and plenty of shine. It is in excellent condition, and even routine aberrations such as stone chips, scuffs and scratches are far more notable for their absence than their presence.

All 6 wire wheels, with their white-wall tyres, are in very good order, as is the ‘Flying Goddess’ bonnet mascot (hood ornament to our American cousins).

The rest of the car’s brightwork is largely untroubled by any tarnishing, foxing or pitting that we can see.

The running boards are sturdy and solid, which is always reassuring, and the car’s badging, lights, lenses and other exterior fixtures and fittings are all beyond reproach.

We particularly like the two tread plates affixed to the rear wheel arch and bumper mountings on the nearside. They’re there to assist the plucky occupant of the ‘dickie’ seat in his or her ingress and egress.

Faults of any kind are very few and far between on this car and we’re really just nit-picking when we say that there’s a little cracked paint around a hinge on the driver’s door, a chipped edge on the offside bonnet panel where it’s been catching the adjacent side panel, and a few chips to the rear edge of the passenger door.

That’s it.

Everything else is above criticism and simply fabulous.

The interior is every bit a match for its exterior counterpart in terms of quality, condition and preservation.

The grey velour upholstery is untroubled by time or use and we’ve seen nothing by way of tears, holes, rips or other aberrations.

The door cards are equally good, save for a hint of raggedness at the base of the lower, carpeted sections.

The carpets themselves are in fine order throughout, as is the car’s headlining.

All wood on and around the dashboard, window surrounds and door cappings is in very good condition.

So, too, are the steering wheel, gear lever, handbrake and other controls.

As far as we and the vendor are aware, all dials, knobs, switches, gauges, buttons and levers do what they’re told to do in a timely and obedient fashion.

Mercifully (for any future would-be occupants), the interior of the ‘dickie’ seat compartment has been sensibly repurposed as a conventional boot space.

In short, the interior of this car is a delight to behold and is utterly charming in every way.

The clean, dry, shiny engine you’re looking at is Buick’s reliable 235 cu-in inline-eight unit featuring overhead valves, five main bearings, mechanical valve lifters, and Marvel updraft carburettors.

Everything appears to us to be in its right and proper place.

It was capable in its day of delivering 88 hp through a sliding gear, three-speed synchromesh transmission with a floor-mounted shifter.

The undersides of the car look like those you would expect to find on a car that’s never been driven in the rain, or even on damp roads, since being restored, and has led a pampered life inside a capacious, carpeted, heated, air-conditioned garage.

Nothing we’ve seen has given us any cause to raise an eyebrow or emit an involuntary tut.

The car comes with very little by way of history, but that’s primarily because it was (expertly) maintained and serviced by the last owner and his family and, prior to that, was restored by Messrs Raven and Passmore.

It comes with a typed sheet of instructions to aid the starting procedure, a V5C and a recent, clear HPI report.

The vendor tells us that he’s more than willing to share his knowledge of the car with the successful bidder, as he spent many years working on it under his father’s watchful eye.

This is a rare car by any measure, being just one of 41 RHD Buick 56S Sport Coupés ever built.

It is also in absolutely first-class condition, inside, outside and underneath.

Of all the cars in the former WWII Royal Marines Commando Ronald Rostron’s collection, this was his favourite.

We can quite understand why.

It’s provenance, condition and sheer, unrivalled charm make it deserving of a very good home indeed.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £50,000 - £70,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.