1923 Buick 23-Six-54 Sport Roadster

1923 Buick 23-Six-54 Sport Roadster brings a distinct factory sporting body to Buick’s six-cylinder range. This profile explains its history, specification, production scope and collector significance with named sources and credited photographs.

Record: BUI-010 · Buick · 1923 · High.

1923 Buick 23-Six-54 Sport Roadster: history and background

The 23-Six-54 gives Buick’s 1923 catalogue a distinctly sporting open-car form. The factory brochure separates this three-passenger Sport Roadster from the two-passenger Six roadster, four-cylinder roadsters and Sport Touring model. Those catalogue distinctions are essential: a broad label such as “1923 Buick roadster” can conceal several different cars and production totals.

Specifications and production scope

Design and engineering

The long bonnet, open cockpit and rear seating arrangement create the roadster’s period character. The reported reference specifications pair a 124-inch wheelbase with Buick’s 242-cubic-inch six. The six-cylinder valve-in-head layout connects the car to Buick’s established mechanical identity, while the body presents that engineering in a more individual format than a family sedan.

Model identity and rarity

The reported 4,501 total is for the 23-Six-54 Sport Roadster. It should not absorb the 23-Six-44 or any four-cylinder roadster. An individual car needs its model identification and body layout checked against the factory literature. Modern show captions sometimes abbreviate the model to “6-54”; the complete year-and-model designation removes the ambiguity.

Collector significance

The Sport Roadster belongs in a collection interested in the variety of early Buick body styles. Its strongest story is the factory catalogue position and the relationship between a substantial six-cylinder chassis and an intimate open body. Restoration quality and documentation remain more informative than accessories that can be added later. A photograph records appearance, while the brochure establishes the model’s identity.

Compare related verified Buick profiles

Read this 1923 23-Six-54 Sport Roadster beside the 1907 Buick Model D and 1938 Buick Century Convertible Coupe 66-C to place its three-passenger sport roadster in context. The related entries retain their own years, model identities and production scopes, so their figures are not added to this record.

• 1907 Buick Model D
• 1938 Buick Century Convertible Coupe 66-C
• 1941 Buick Roadmaster Convertible Phaeton 71C

Frequently asked questions

What is the full model designation?

The factory literature uses 23-Six-54 for the three-passenger Sport Roadster. “23-54” and “6-54” are commonly shortened descriptions.

Was every 1923 Buick roadster this model?

No. The catalogue also lists other six-cylinder and four-cylinder roadsters with different seating and model numbers.

What production total is reported?

The historical guide reports 4,501 examples of the 1923 23-Six-54 Sport Roadster, not all Buick roadsters that year.

Why is the 23-Six-54 Sport Roadster included as a rare Buick?

4,501 three-passenger 23-Six-54 Sport Roadsters reported for 1923. 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 Buick Six name, and it does not describe how many survive today.

What records help identify an individual 23-Six-54 Sport Roadster?

Begin with the documented year and three-passenger sport roadster. 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.

• Buick 1923 factory catalogue — Buick Heritage Alliance archive description
• Buick — 1923 Six-cylinder Reference Book, digitised original
• Historical model table — 1920–1923 Buick

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