1941 Buick Roadmaster Convertible Phaeton 71C

1941 Buick Roadmaster Convertible Phaeton 71C brings a scarce, body-specific open-car story to Buick’s catalogue. This profile explains its history, specification, production scope and collector significance with named sources and credited photographs.

Record: BUI-024 · Buick · 1941 · High.

1941 Buick Roadmaster Convertible Phaeton 71C: history and background

The 1941 Roadmaster Convertible Phaeton belongs to the final prewar phase of Buick’s large four-door open cars. The body offered more social, full-size touring accommodation than a two-door convertible. RM Sotheby’s describes the model as a low-production Roadmaster and reports 312 examples, providing a body-specific basis for the profile rather than the whole Roadmaster range.

Specifications and production scope

Design and engineering

Buick’s straight-eight and Compound Carburetion are central to the year’s mechanical story. The paired carburettor arrangement should be explained as a period Buick system, not casually equated with a later muscle-car dual-quad option. The substantial body, long hood and enclosed passenger space with the top raised make this a luxury touring form rather than a sports roadster.

Model identity and rarity

The 312 figure is retained with the scope of its cited account. Some later discussions add exported cars, but this article does not convert an unreconciled export claim into a certified worldwide total. Model 71C must also be distinguished from Super convertible sedans, other Roadmaster body styles and cars assembled with market-specific bodies.

Collector significance

The Phaeton’s collector interest lies in the survival of a body form that became unusual after the war. It combines open motoring with four-door practicality and Buick’s upper-range equipment. For an individual example, the body plate and restoration file should support the advertised identity. Museum display and handsome paint are useful illustrations, while documents settle what the car actually was when built.

Compare related verified Buick profiles

Read this 1941 Roadmaster Convertible Phaeton 71C beside the 1939 Buick Roadmaster Series 80 Sport Phaeton and 1949 Buick Super Estate Wagon to place its four-door convertible phaeton, model 71c in context. The related entries retain their own years, model identities and production scopes, so their figures are not added to this record.

• 1939 Buick Roadmaster Series 80 Sport Phaeton
• 1949 Buick Super Estate Wagon
• 1953 Buick Roadmaster Skylark Convertible 76X

Frequently asked questions

How many 1941 Roadmaster phaetons are reported?

The cited RM Sotheby’s account reports 312 model 71C cars. Export-inclusive totals are not treated as a settled worldwide count here.

Was this a two-door convertible?

No. The 71C is a four-door convertible phaeton, separate from the two-door convertible coupe.

What was Compound Carburetion?

It was Buick’s period paired-carburettor arrangement for the straight-eight, separate from the later Super Wildcat dual-four-barrel V8 option.

Why is the Roadmaster Convertible Phaeton 71C included as a rare Buick?

312 model 71C cars reported in the cited auction account; export-inclusive figures require separate reconciliation. The scope is tied to this specific year, body or original project. It does not confer the same rarity on every car carrying the broader Roadmaster name, and it does not describe how many survive today.

What records help identify an individual Roadmaster Convertible Phaeton 71C?

Begin with the documented year and four-door convertible phaeton, model 71c. Read the original model/body identification and surviving factory or collection records together. Record replacement components and restoration work separately. For a concept or racing car, its physical-car provenance is especially important; for an optioned production model, retain the equipment paperwork.

What photographs and credits accompany this profile?

The bundled photograph is retrieved from named Wikimedia Commons file records. Each image has a visible photographer or archive credit, its own licence link and an accurate subject caption. The pictures illustrate the documented model; they do not establish ownership, present condition or every component’s originality.

Sources and photo credits

Production figures retain the scope and qualifications of the named references. Manufacturer and museum records establish project identity; auction and historical model references supply additional body-specific context.

• RM Sotheby’s — 1941 Roadmaster Convertible Phaeton, Hershey 2019
• Vault Classic Cars — 1941 Roadmaster phaeton identification and export discussion

Photo: emperornie / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0. No local cropping, retouching or content removal. A source-supplied size variant is used where available.