This 1956 Buick Super is a sad and sorry sight. It was driven into this barn more than 40-years-ago, and it hasn’t moved since. It has accumulated a significant layer of dust, and it is crying out for a new owner to rescue it. I hate seeing classics in this state, so we can only hope that someone sees this article and decides that this is a classic that is worth reviving. Located in Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, you will find the Buick listed for sale here on eBay. The auction has been set to open at $1,000, but there has been no action. Thirty-six people are watching the listing, so I hope that one of those chooses to liberate this classic. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Larry D for spotting the Super for us.

Back in 1956, this would have been quite a car. Its Cadet Blue paint would have complemented the lashings of chrome that included a Sweepspear and four Ventiports. The tinted glass would have added a touch of class, making it a car that would have turned heads wherever it went. Sadly, those days are a long way behind it, and returning it to that state won’t be for the faint-hearted. Once the Buick has been extracted from its current location, job one will be to assess the mountain that the buyer is about to face. There is rust present, but how extensive it is has been hard to determine in the supplied photos. The bottoms of the rear quarter panels will need attention, but from there, this car sends mixed signals. The engine bay photos show no appreciable surface corrosion, suggesting that the vehicle’s storage environment has been pretty kind. However, some of the aluminum trim pieces show significant oxidization, which is usually a sign of a damp environment. In reality, potential buyers will have to climb all over this one to determine whether it is a viable project car. On the positive side of the ledger, the panels look straight, all of the external trim is present, and there are no apparent issues with the tinted glass.

For more than a century, vehicle manufacturers have been attaching badges to their creations. When you consider all of the different shapes and sizes of these badges that each manufacturer has used, the grand total of variants would have to number in the hundreds of thousands. And yet, this one rates as my all-time favorite. It is simple and elegant, but it is also one of the most brilliant pieces of marketing ever conceived by a manufacturer. The American economy was going gang-busters in the mid-1950s. Consumer confidence was high, and new car supply couldn’t keep up with demand. A significant part of this was because owners were encouraged to trade their existing car on the company’s latest-and-greatest offering as soon as it was practical. That’s where this badge fits into the equation. When the vehicle was new, that was a badge of honor. Once the car had a couple of years under its belt, it was a constant visual reminder to the owner that their car was getting old. In that era, who wanted to be seen in an outdated vehicle? Therefore, it provided just the right piece of motivation for owners to trade their ’56 on something newer. Who would have guessed that manufacturers were sticking use-by dates on cars before they found their way onto a gallon of milk!

The Buick’s interior is complete, and it looks surprisingly good. It desperately needs a deep clean, and I think that doing this might provide a surprise or two. The front seat has a seam separation, but the cover on the back seat is intact. I don’t think that the front has gone beyond the point of no return, so a competent upholsterer might be able to save it. A couple of the door trims are damaged around the bottom, but this could potentially be addressed without resorting to replacement. Most of the plated pieces and brightwork are in good condition, and the original pushbutton AM radio is still in place. As I said, a deep clean might reveal that most of this interior has not deteriorated to the point where it requires replacement.

If you walked into your Buick dealer in 1956 to buy your Super, you received a car with a single drivetrain combination. What you got for your cash were a 322ci Nailhead V8 and a Dynaflow 2-speed automatic transmission. This car also scores power steering to make the driving experience effortless. The Dynaflow wasn’t the most efficient transmission on the block, and at 4,390lbs, the Super was a touch on the “tubby” side. However, with 255hp on tap, the Buick could romp through the ¼ mile in 18.5 seconds. The owner says that the Buick ran when it was parked (didn’t they all?), but it’s worth remembering that four decades have passed since then. It isn’t clear whether the motor even turns freely, so this is another aspect of the car that will require investigation. If it does turn, it might be possible to coax it back to life.

During the 1956 model year, Buick produced 80,998 examples of the Super across all of its body variants. Of these, 14,940 were the 4-door Sedan, which would have cost their original owners $3,250. Today, good examples will sell for more than that figure, but they aren’t a “big-dollar” classic. If everything is running in their favor, then a spotless example will top the $20,000 mark. However, prices in the region of $15,000 are more common. That is why this car will require a careful inspection. If it requires major restoration work that would need to be performed by a specialist, then it probably isn’t financially viable. However, if a DIY enthusiast can return it to its former glory themselves, it stands a chance. Would you be willing to head to Pennsylvania to give this one a closer look?