The 1950s was an era of unbridled optimism for the American economy, and the buying public was clamoring to park the latest and greatest automotive offerings in their driveways. It was a time when some of the most distinctive and stylish vehicles in the country’s history rolled off the production lines, but with rust-proofing proving to be an issue, many of those cars disappeared almost as quickly as they appeared. This 1954 Buick Century has avoided that fate, and its overall condition is close to showroom fresh. It is a car loaded with positive attributes, but it is also in need of a new home. Located in Loomis, California, you will find the Century listed for sale here on eBay. Solid bidding has pushed the price to $15,000, but this remains short of the reserve. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Larry D for spotting this beauty for us.
There’s an indefinable something about cars from the mid-1950s that I find particularly attractive. I have no issues with vehicles from the end of that decade with their outrageous fins, but vehicles like this appear purer. That isn’t to say that they are bland or boring because wrap-around windshields and lashings of chrome ensured that every car stood out for various reasons. This Century is no exception, and it makes a striking visual statement wearing Marlin Blue and Arctic White paint. While the seller states that this combination is original, he doesn’t indicate whether the owner has treated this Buick to any restoration work in the past. The paint shines beautifully, and the panels are as straight as an arrow. For a car from this period, the gaps are better than we might typically expect. The chrome sparkles magnificently in the sunlight, and the Ventiports leave you with no doubt which company produced this classic. The original owner ordered the Century with E-Z-Eye tinted glass, and its condition is as impressive as the rest of the exterior.
Lifting the hood reveals that this Buick features a 322ci “Nailhead” V8, a 2-speed Dynaflow transmission, and power steering. That V8 would’ve produced 200hp when new, which was enough to send the car through the ¼ mile in 18.2 seconds. Plenty of modern family cars could achieve that ET standing on their head, but rewind the clock 67-years, and that figure is on the right side of respectable. The engine bay presents superbly, and it seems that in this case, appearances aren’t deceptive. The seller says that the V8 starts easily, whether hot or cold, the car drives perfectly, and the Dynaflow shifts smoothly. The wide whitewall tires still have around 90% of their tread, so the buyer shouldn’t need to spend money any time soon. He also indicates that the odometer shows 64,000 miles, and while it appears that he holds no verifying evidence, the car’s overall condition makes this claim seem plausible.
So far, this Buick has dished up plenty of good news. That trend continues when we open the doors and slip behind the wheel because the interior appears close to perfect. There is some wear on the carpet under the driver’s feet, but this isn’t severe. Beyond that, the upholstered surfaces show no evidence of wear or physical damage, the headliner is in as-new condition, there is no wear on the wheel that might suggest high mileage, while the painted surfaces inside the car are as crisp and clean as those outside. There aren’t many luxury appointments, although a pushbutton radio and a clock are nice touches. Anyway, who needs a lot of extras? Buick made occupants feel pretty special with lashings of chrome and other polished metal to contrast the interior trim and paint.
This 1954 Buick Century is a stunning car, and it would suit a buyer searching for a turn-key classic. It has no apparent needs, and there’s no doubt that it would command attention wherever it went. I believe that the bidding may have some way to go before it hits the reserve, and my instinct tells me that it will have to climb past $20,000 before this happens. Provided that reserve is eventually met, it seems that someone is likely to become the proud new owner of a car that oozes charm and that perfectly encapsulates the era of confidence that spawned some of America’s greatest classics.
Gorgeous car, in and out. Apparently a turn-key Buick that seems to need nothing. I’m sure there has been some restoration performed on it, especially under the hood as the presentation there looks just too good for 64,000 miles. And it is being sold from a restoration shop. If you’ve always wanted to get into the classic car hobby, this his stunning Buick will probably sell for a reasonable price, especially when compared to most offerings of the ’60s.
Love the car. We had a ’54 (not a Century) and I like one best of all the Buicks Dad had. Cute kid standing next to it!
I’m upside down for some reason….sorry
… or you are right side up, and the world is upside down. 🤣🤣🤣
Australia?
Very nice article, Adam. This beauty is bumping up against 24,000 with 3 days to go, with the reserve yet to be met. I am thinking that perhaps 25,000 is needed for a new home. I would consider that a fair minimum for this classic. Someone is going to be happy to get it.
If this is a V8, why are there only 3 portholes? I thought all V8 Buicks had 4 portholes per side, or was it only Roadmasters that had 4?
In 54, only the Roadmaster had 4 portholes. Then from 55 to 57, the Roadmaster, Super, and Century had 4..and the Special had 3.
Right on AnthonyD! We owned a 56 Buick Special and it had 3 portholes while the others had 4. Thanks for clearing it up.
The number of ventiports was related to the model’s position in the Buick hierarchy. Top of the line models got four while everything else got three.
A.G….that was true up to and including the 54…when only Roadmaster had 4. But starting in 55 thru 57, Roadmaster, Super, and Century all had 4, while Special had 3. 58’s had none.
The price is over 23K now, reserve still not met…I give the seller high marks by posting clear pictures of the car…and you can tell the photos are recent…the dude mowing the lawn in the background is wearing a mask…very nice find!
One of the GM cars from ’54 that looked so similar to the ’55 models, it was hard to tell the difference between them.
When I was three or four, one of these, in oxidized grey, used the driveway at my house in Garden Grove CA to turn around. I was standing there as it stopped about five feet in front of me, backed away and continued on down West Street. With that angry grimace of a grill, and tear drop shaped head lamp frames . . . it scared the hell out of me.
This 54 Buick is a thing of dreams. Especially that clean Nail head engine. Great find and worth probably every penny to the lucky buyer.
My first car was a 54 Buick Special, inherited from my grandmother. The Dynaflow was a single gear unless manually shifted. I learned to hate stoplights. It took too long and too much gas to get going.
My dad owned a ’55:or ’56 Buick. I don’t know if it was a Century or a Special. Whichever one it was had the fastest passing gear of any other car he had owned.
The two-toning scheme is completely wrong for ’54 and for any Buick. No 1954 Buick ever came from the factory with a different color paint below the sweep spear. In 1955, they did come with two-toning below the sweep spear, but below ALL of it, including on the lower rear quarter panel behind the wheel opening. No Buick ever came from the factory painted like this. It looks so unfinished and ridiculous to me, especially at the price it is getting up to!
It looks like (from the body tag, and this website https://www.hometownbuick.com/1954-buick/1954-buick-colors-exterior-paint/) that the original color was Carlsbad Black.
Any car tends to look best in black. The only downside is 10 minutes after it has been washed it looks like crap due to the dirt that has accumulated. 😉