1949 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon
Wood-bodied station wagons represented the height of family luxury in the late 1940s. Buick’s Roadmaster Estate rode on a 126-inch wheelbase and stretched 214 inches overall. At 4,488 pounds, it was the heaviest model in Buick’s 1949 lineup, yet also among the most graceful.
Bodies were built and finished by Ionia Manufacturing Company of Ionia, Michigan, using ash framing with mahogany veneer panels. The 1949 redesign integrated the wood more subtly into the steel structure than previous years, maintaining elegance while reducing cost and maintenance.
Exterior updates for 1949 included four new VentiPorts per fender (distinguishing Roadmasters from lesser models), the debut of the bold sweepspear chrome molding, and a larger curved two-piece windshield dramatically improving visibility.
Power came from Buick’s 320 cubic inch (5.2-liter) Fireball Dynaflash inline-eight (an overhead-valve unit producing 150 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. The 6.9:1 compression engine was paired exclusively with Buick’s smooth new Dynaflow two-speed automatic transmission, standard on all Roadmasters for 1949.
Suspension consisted of independent coil-spring front and live rear axle setups, with four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. This combination delivered effortless torque and relaxed cruising at up to 90 mph.
Production totaled 653 units, including 21 exported overseas, from a total Roadmaster run of over 86,000 cars that year. Priced at $3,732 (more than $500 above the glamorous Riviera hardtop coupe), the Estate Wagon was a rare indulgence for America’s elite.
The model marked the final series of genuine wood-bodied Buicks, replaced by all-steel wagons a year later, and is today one of the most collectible postwar “woodys” ever built.
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