1948 Buick Roadmaster
Personal story and photograph submitted by owner Jason Hout
for participation in the the 2008 GM Century Cruise
....This car which we call 'Big Red' spans 3 generations, and has been in my family for 44 years. It was my Dad's first car, and he bought it when both he and the car were 16 years old. He was so crazy for cars, and this one in particular, that he first spotted it for sale while he was riding in an ambulance after breaking his leg in a motorcycle accident. After he got out of the hospital, he and my grandfather went back and bought the car for $50. Two young guys limped the car back from California where it was originally registered, and it needed some engine work. My grandfather rebuilt the engine, and changed the color of the interior and exterior from maroon to red. When my Dad was ready to move on to his next car after several years, my grandfather reclaimed the Buick and maintained it for many years to come. It seems like my Dad had every car under the sun from Corvettes to an Isetta, but the Buick always stayed and was his back up car.
I have great memories of riding around in the back of the Buick with my sister when we were kids. It was this car more than any other that sparked my love of cars, GM cars in particular, and made me want a career at GM. In recent years it had become difficult for my Grandfather to maintain the Buick due to his age, and the car was rarely driven. I assumed my Dad would soon sell it. The car is quite valuable now, and I had considered buying from my Dad but that is a lot of money for me. I owned several classic cars when I was younger, and in 2005 after going several years without one I made an offer to buy a 1971 Cadillac DeVille. When my Dad heard about that, he offered to give me the Buick! I was shocked and very grateful, and needless to say I never bought that Cadillac. I have been driving the Buick more than it had been driven in a long time, and I took it to the Dream Cruise for the first time last year. I have been amazed at how reliable the car has been, especially considering the minimal amount of work that has been done to it over the years. It's always a pleasure to drive, and it's amazing how so many people smile and wave when they see it....
GM’s Century Cruise pays tribute to GM’s past and the passion owners have for their vehicles. On Saturday, August 16, 2008 this vehicle and more than 100 other classic GM vehicles will cruise from the GM Global Headquarters at the Renaissance Center up Woodward Avenue to the heart of the Woodward Dream Cruise in Royal Oak and the surrounding suburbs. One of these vehicles will be crowned “top cruiser” based on a text voting campaign.
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