1934 Buick 56C

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 his 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 56S Sport Coupé 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.

This car, in common with others in his collection, has been the recipient of many awards over the years at various shows, rallies and events.

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

We have driven it and, yet again, we’ve been amazed at just how advanced 1930s American cars were compared to most of their comparable 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.

“There seems to be the vigour and exuberance of youth in all that Buick does; and it is not difficult to imagine that, were it human, it would always greet you with a smile.”

So said a Buick advertisement of 1934, back in the days when the firm’s motto was “When better cars are built, Buick will build them.”

Well, we don’t think we’re being controversial or speaking out of turn when we say that this car is simply stunning.

Just looking at it is enough to cheer anyone up, either now or when it was built – in the Great Depression era.

The elegant, perfectly proportioned 1930s bodywork is devoid of any dinks, dents or deviations of significance that we can see anywhere.

The shut-lines and panel gaps are also good.

The car’s maroon paintwork (‘Garnet Maroon’ was an original Buick paint option) is full of lustre and shine.

It is also largely untroubled by anything more than a paltry offering of tiny stone chips and the odd light swirly scratch here and there.

The brightwork is shiny throughout and looks to have been spared any tarnishing, foxing or pitting.

The charming beige fabric hood goes up and down with a minimum of fuss and bother. It fits snugly and has no rips, holes, tears or other aberrations that we can see.

All 6 wire wheels are in good order, and their attendant white-walled tyres appear to be in equally decent fettle.

Exceptions to all this good news? Well, no, not really, but it’s our job to find things to complain about, so here goes.

There are small paint chips be found on the front edge of the driver’s door, at the back of the o/s/r wing, and on a bracket behind the nearside spare wheel.

That’s it.

Everything else is an unadulterated treat for the senses.

From what we can see, the badging, lights, lenses and other exterior fixtures and fittings are all in very good condition.

That includes the charming treadplates fitted to the n/s/r wing and bumper to afford easier ingress and egress to anyone brave enough to clamber aboard the ‘dickie’ seat.

The interior of this car is every bit as sumptuous as its exterior counterpart.

The buttery-soft quilted maroon leather upholstery is warmly inviting, and is as comfortable as it looks.

Aside from the odd scuff or two caused by feet meeting their bases, the seats have barely earned more than a light crease, let alone any ingrained patina.

The passenger seat has a scuff at the base of the backrest that’s just starting to open up. No doubt a skilled leather whisperer could easily sort it out.

The overall condition and preservation of the interior is entirely commensurate with the car’s careful curation over the years.

The door cards are fine, as are the carpets, mats and the hood lining.

As far as we’re aware, all dials, knobs, switches, levers and instruments are fully functional and do what they’re supposed to do without hesitation, deviation or repetition.

We particularly like the octane selector switch on the dashboard.

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

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.

Everything we’ve seen looks to be possessed of plenty of structural integrity and nothing has given us any cause to tut or raise an eyebrow.

We know from an auction listing in 1993 that the car had been in storage since 1980 and was (in 1993) mid-way through a ‘labour of love’ restoration by its then owner, the proprietor of a garage.

We also know from that listing that the car was first registered to an Ethel Wells-Thorpe of London in May 1934, and the car appears to have remained in her ownership until 1966, when it passed to its third owner, the man who would embark upon the unfinished restoration.

The car comes with very little by way of recent 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 and the operation of the hood, a V5C, a recent, clear HPI report, and a copy of the 1993 auction catalogue in which it appeared.

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 vanishingly rare car and an exceptionally good example of the model and marque.

Add to that its general provenance and the fact that it was part of a cherished collection belonging to a former WWII Royal Marines Commando, and we think that what you’re looking at is pretty much unique in every meaningful respect.

We’re firmly of the opinion that this achingly desirable car deserves to go to 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’.