1932 Buick Model 97

Sedan

8 - Cyl.

Manual

2266794

Clear

Gasoline

1932 Buick, Series 90, Model 97 May be One-of-a-Kind Prototype A frame-off restoration of this beautiful top of the line Series 90 five passenger Buick was completed in 1990. There is no bondo on this exceptional classic. This1932 Buick piqued the interest of Buick historians prompting a further investigation into its history. A plate riveted to the fire wall stamped Body #28 and a plate on the door sill stamped LX 398 with the #28 stamped beneath it places this 1932 Model 97 as one of the first made. Possibly Buick intended to build a Series 90 LX. · Less than 1000 miles on rebuilt straight 8 engine · Mohair interior – Burgundy · Wilton wool carpeting – just like original 1932 Buick Series 90 · Five new tires · Painted Wire Wheels · Rear Mount Spare · All chrome replaced · New wiring · 134 wheelbase chassis. · Total production – 1485 Side mounts are historically standard on the 90 Series 1932 Buick, however, this particular automobile was built with a rear mounted spare. It was not altered in restoration. The fender is six feet long with no place for side mounts and there are no holes in the crowl. The rear bumper is smaller than the 90 Series to accommodate the rear mounted spare. The restorer provided the following information: · When the interior was removed it was noted that the driver’s side wood was stained black and the passenger side a natural finish. · On the backside of the dash is a very distinct line where one side of the dash was painted and the other side was bare metal finished with what appears to be a clear varnish. o This line continued throughout the body of the car. E.g. driver’s side was painted black, passenger side burgundy. o The same distinct line ran from top to bottom of the seat. o Further the driver’s side door panel had extra padding beneath the mohair outer fabric while the passenger side had no extra padding. This demarcation, discovered when the Buick was stripped to its bare bones, led many members of the Buick Club in Michigan to conclude the car was a prototype. The car was NOT altered but rather restored to its original state. Engine number 1CH 7637 is unusual as they usually start with “275.” This is further evidence that this 1932 Buick was an engineering prototype. The date stamped on the frame and the brake drum is April 1931. The body tag number shows LX. We cannot find a reference to an LX in the Buick Registry. I’ve included photos of the engine, the wheel hub and the frame. To the best of my knowledge the car never left Michigan until we had it shipped to Nevada 12 years ago. The restorer was told the car belonged to the Detroit Chief of Police in the 30’s. Although most Model 97’s were dark blue or black, the light tan color was available in sales literature. I have an advertisement for 1931 Buick with the same light color.