1937 Buick Series 80 Roadmaster Limousine

In the early decades of the 20th century, Brewster of New York earned great acclaim for its finely crafted automotive coachwork, in particular its bodies on Rolls-Royce chassis. By the mid-1930s, however, changing tastes—and the lingering effects of the Great Depression—led then-proprietor J.S. Inskip to pursue a different strategy: Placing elegant Brewster bodywork on more affordable Ford underpinnings, and completely restyling the front with a distinctive, heart-shaped grille that looked nothing like anything else on the road.

Though unique and exclusive, these Brewster cars were not to everyone’s taste. One such unsatisfied customer was Esther Maria Chapin, a New York socialite and direct descendant of George Washington’s sister, Betty Washington Lewis. Upon being presented with the car by her husband, Charles Merrill Chapin (founder of investment bank Merrill Lynch), Mrs. Chapin was less than pleased with the car’s unconventional looks and relatively pedestrian Ford underpinnings. The solution was to re-fit the Brewster limousine bodywork to a 1937 Buick Series 80 Roadmaster chassis, creating the car offered here.

Mrs. Chapin was much more content with this creation, reportedly using her Brewster for decades to attend social events in the Manhattan area. It was sold by her family in the early 1970s to prominent collector James Tushinsky, who later passed it to Barrett-Jackson founder Russ Jackson, where it remained part of Mr. Jackson’s collection until his passing in 1993. During his ownership, the car was given Classic Car Club of America Full Classic status, by virtue of its custom bodywork, and was pictured in Beverly Rae Kimes’s The Classic Car in 1990.

The car was sold by the Jackson Estate to Rich Ritchie, of Ritchie Buick in California, and it was displayed in the Preservation class at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2008. It joined the prestigious Roadmaster Collection of Buicks in 2016, and was acquired by the consignor in 2020. Today, it remains in patinaed but well-maintained condition, having been sympathetically restored over the years; this included being repainted its original burgundy color years ago. The Buick rides on wide whitewall tires mounted on painted steel wheels with factory wheel covers. The exterior features Guide Super Ray driving lights, dual sideview mirrors, dual side-mounted covered spares, and luggage trunk. The interior features a glovebox clock, sliding divider window, rear jump seats, and the car is still fitted with its original intercom.

One of very few custom-bodied Buicks, and one of even fewer to wear Brewster coachwork, this Full Classic Roadmaster enjoys an illustrious past and would make for a wonderful CCCA tourer.