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Buick Roadmaster Is Becoming Something Of An Oddball Collector Car

The third and final generation of the Buick Roadmaster is something of a cult classic these days, and there’s data to show more enthusiasts are all about the portly station wagons.

Produced between 1991-1996, the Roadmaster was the final era of GM’s station wagon family. Unless you consider the Buick Regal TourX a reboot. The Regal TourX, however, has global ties. The Roadmaster was a big, American hunk of family hauling capacity. And in 1994, buyers could select a V8 shared with the Chevrolet Corvette at the time.

Today, collectors are taking notice. Bloomberg reported Tuesday on interest in the Roadmaster, which has jumped in recent years. Notably, Hagerty included the station wagon in its 2019 investment guide and called it the AMC Pacer of the 1990s. Unloved in its prime, but full of fanfare decades later. The insurance company noted a 50 percent rise in insurance quotes for the Buick Roadmaster from 2017 to 2018. That’s a lofty rise for a vehicle most would not consider a “collector car.” In fact, the Roadmaster clocked more quotes than any classic Mercedes-Benz.

1994 Buick Roadmaster

Enthusiast groups have a way of making seemingly obscure cars into oddball gems. This is especially true as younger collectors enter the market and prize different vehicles than older age groups. Those born in the 1980s and 1990s may have fond memories of family vacations in the back of a Roadmaster, and sentimental value often does good things for vehicle values.

That’s not to say anyone still holding onto their Roadmaster is in for a payday. The average list price for a Roadmaster is just under $3,000. Even the cleanest low-mileage examples have sold for under $10,000. Perhaps one day, they’ll be one of the hotter collector items, especially as clean examples become harder to find with the 260-horsepower V8 engine.

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Source: Bloomberg

Former GM Authority staff writer.

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Comments

  1. Reply
  2. We had a ’91 and ’95 Caprice wagon. Tried for a ’96 in Sept on ’95 but they were all spoken for. The ’95 had bigger engine but they both ride great and were so quiet. I can see a loyal following for these cars. Last of a great line.

    Reply
  3. Ah, I recall selling those brand new. I had one client who ordered hers (special options) and it took almost 6 months to get it. She already has an Estate wagon at the time and drove a crazy amount of miles. She loved them and never let her down. And talk about comfy! Unlike most of today’s cars with larger rims, lower profile tires and hard seats, these things road like on a cloud and were very quiet. I can totally see them becoming collectors.

    Reply
  4. Sentimentality definitely has to do with it. Just look at pickups. I’d wager that most old truck’s owners have memories of riding in a similar truck with their dad or someone as a kid. My dad probably wouldn’t call a ’95 Chevy 3500 a classic, but to me, that’s what I have memories of riding in the middle seat of when I was 5, and I love GMT400s for it.

    Reply
  5. I had a ’96 sedan. Nicest riding car I ever had. The LT1 in these had the Vortec heads from the trucks and the Vette/Camaro intake manifold. It was very stout with that and a 3.73 axle! I think it was underrated at 260 ponies.

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  6. They could tow, seat 8, and hold 4×8 plywood to boot. Our ’95 handled well too for a big car. Believe they shared some truck chassis parts? They had the truck bolt pattern. Different from sedan. The old body on frame was great.

    Reply
  7. After they stopped this version, Impala/Caprice went down hill. Now it’s cancelled. Maybe it was a bad decision?

    Reply
  8. Ah , the last American sedan / station wagon that didn’t try to be an import.

    Imports are great but GM ain’t so good at being one. Impala , Caprice, Roadmaster never tried . Something good about that . Their heft wasn’t whale like. It was authoritative , unapologetic.

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  9. The best of the big GMs. The last GM car with a full frame a stout v8 ,and seated six (in the sedan). I never liked GM cars after that!

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  10. Great road car. 25mpg and a sleeper. We made many trips to Hershey in my 1995 estate wagon. Solid black woodgrain delete.

    Reply
  11. Damn shame the 2020 Buick website is all crossovers and SUVs. The Roadmaster was truly a great vehicle. I have a black ’96 Limited with the Grand Touring package and just picked up an uber low mileage ’95 base sedan. I’ve owned 5 sedans and they’ve all been great reliable cars. Dad was a Buick man having a ’55 Roadmaster and ’62, ’68 and ’72 Electra’s. I also caught the Buick bug and have driven them since the 70’s.
    The article states that low mileage examples can be bought for under $10,000. Good luck with that. Wagons are approaching $20,000 in mint condition and mint condition sedans are already $10,000 and up.

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