Your wife is the real hero here, for letting you be you, and sharing you with all of us. Seriously. You may be one person, and this may be one "show," but without either, the sheer amount of information that wouldn't exist is quite frankly, staggering. You can not put a price on the passion, and resulting collection of information and people. So, I invite everyone to take a minute out of your life at some point, and give a written thank you somewhere, to Mavis for letting Jay be the person, and worldwide automotive and mechanical treasure he has become. Thank you Mavis.
My dad owned a 1957 Buick Roadmaster two door when I was just 8 years old. The back seat in that car seemed as expansive as a football field. Two things I remember the most of that car was the fluid smoothness and ride. The safety minder buzzing. That was truly a nice car!
I love how Jay can pull off being a purist without coming off as pretentious or snobby. Great series. i can only aspire to build something great enough to be featured on one of his webisodes.
My uncle had a '57 Buick hardtop. My dad felt compelled to go out and buy a '57 Olds. Since my dad had four kids, it was a station wagon, a blue station wagon. It remains not only locked in the "fond memory" section of my brain, but in the same location in the brains of my siblings. We will occasionally mention the vehicle and inevitably it will bring a smile.
+Randall Anderson I was raised in Britain so we did not have as nice a car but I do have fond Memories of the old Rover. My Grandfather collected cars which were British and European but no American cars are they were hard to find. I had an uncle who lived in America and he used to go on about his Buick car and when I seen it as an adult I realized it was nicer than how he described it and felt amazing to drive.
3:58 just shows how much people love old cars. You can never drive a new Honda or ford like you could back then. The styles are all the same now, and seeing an old car in mint condition drive down the street shows how much cars went from good to bad
I love the sound of those old, solid doors shutting. I actually like the boone to safety. If you were first learning to drive it could help you learn to gauge what speed you're going without staring at the speedometer.
Shoveled the snow from long lane way for a Yellow, 56 Buick, Road Master, 300 horses, I was 14 & suitably impressed. It was still going into the nineties.
My grandfather had a '57 Roadmaster Riviera, in pink. He had that car about 10 years before he bought his Imperial. The car went to my uncle, his son, who drove it for a couple more years. Really nice car.
My dad had a 1957 Buick century. There was an old airport run way on the edge of town where we lived. I never ever told my dad how many drag races I won with his car.
When I was a teenager I wanted a sports car too, until I got my '57 Buick Special Riviera. It had bad ball joints and they were always breaking, but I loved that car. Got a lot of 'daddy's car' comments, so I joined a Buick car club. I wrecked it while in the Air Force after a night of drinking too much. Later got a '57 Super, but didn't keep it too long for some reason.. Wish I had either of them today. I never heard "Slush-o-matic, but my "friends" called it "Dyna-slush". Oh, yeah, I had a '52 Special Riviera too...
What I like, is Jay seems like a _real_ guy, someone you might meet and just talk with. I love approachable people in my real life, and would love to chat with Jay one day.
All American cars of that era were of the highest quality. A Ford of that era would have been far nicer than a BMW. A Buick would have been at a Mercedes standard and Lincoln/Cadillac were at Rolls Royce standards.
In Nov 2015, on my holiday/vacation in Cuba (I'm from GB), I had the privilege of a chauffeured tour of Havana in a restored 1955 Buick Roadmaster convertible (yes, it had the original V-8, not one from a Lada or a boat engine). What a finale to my visit to the world's biggest classic car show! I LOVE the American cars of the '50s and '60s- so much style and everything is (....)-a-matic; Wonderful!. Yes modern cars are a technological tour-de-force, but you need a master's degree in computer sciences to change a light bulb on them. Give me the simplicity of those earlier cars any day. Love the videos Jay. I looked in the Buick section of MY garage tonight- it's still empty!
My dad bought a 1937 Buick special in 1962. It had a locking stearing colum & the starter button was at the bottom of the accelerator peddle. When you turned the ignition key, the on switch popped out of the lock mechanism, you would flip the switch up to on & the fuel, & amp gauges would spring to life like twang & viberate for a couple of seconds before settling down.
The safety buzzer was actually very handy. Saved many drivers from getting tickets and the foot operated station changer on the radio was also a good feature.
The guy that lived two doors up from me when I was a kid had a '53 Skylark rag. He bought it new (I was 3) and traded it in in '63 for a new Impala rag. He told my dad a few weeks after he bought it that he wished he'd tuned it up and put a new roof and paint and kept the Buick. He liked it that much!
When I was a kid in 1964 my Mom got rid of a 52 buick and bought a 57 buick for 400.00. Man I thought we were the Rockefellers in that car. Them were the days!
@Obywatel Cane People do not understand the economic wealth that existed in the period. A gold Rolex from that era would cost about $300 which in today's money would be about $1200. A gold Rolex today costs about $30,000. A normal Rolex back then cost $10.
@@bighands69 how can you say such nonsense? they devalued the USD by over 95% in 100 years! c'mon, wake up to their tyranny! they conquered our country by creating the great depression and becoming the creditor when the federal government went bankrupt. then replaced common law with military rule. THAT's why we have no constitutional rights! AND they shifted the government's debt to us, collectible via their collection agency, the IRS, both domiciled in Port of RICO! wakey wakey sleepy sheeple.
One of the biggest regrets in my life involved a 1957 Buick Roadmaster convertible. My grandparents owned one and when I was 15 (1965) my grandfather offered to sell it to me for $250. It was bright red with the red leather interior and the convertible top hardware was chromed. It had all the bells and whistles Jay described, including the speed minder. But since I did not yet have a drivers license I didn't take the offer. BIG MISTAKE.
Sorta reminds me of the 2 year old '56 Buick special 2 dr hardtop my dad bought, when I was six years old. It was coral pink with a gray top and bottom. It had fender skirts, curb feelers, and factory continental kit. By 1961, the quarter panels were falling off, the rust was so bad. An entire section of sheetmetal rusted away, from rocker panel to the corner of the rear window, on both sides of the car. It was an amazing car, though!
Back in the '60's I had a friend with a '56 Hardtop. I used to say it was a tri-color; red, white and chrome. He had a plaque on the dash that read, Made in Las Vegas from old slot machine parts."
My dad had a 57 Buick 2 door hardtop green over green and 7 kids at the time. We all fit pretty comfortably. I think it was the most beautiful car he, or any of his 10 kids ever owned. Between all of us, we owned about 2,000 different cars over the years. My last 2 years of high school, i changed cars six times. That 57 Buick still rocks in my brain - or what there is left of it.
We always had station wagons. One day dad came home with the 57 Roadmaster. I was in the 5th grade. Loved the car except on long trips. My sister and I would always fight. In the station wagon we each had our own area. I also accidentally pinched my younger sister’s fingers in the power windows. After moving we got another station wagon.
wow jaw dropping gorgeous car. So nice to see it is original. I grew up during that era and brings back a lot of good memories. Im sure they used Sunoco gas as they sold several types of gas and 260 was like jet fuel. It was around 20 to 25 cents a gallon then! There is nothing like a big block (cast iron) V8.
American cars of the 50s and 60s have a bad rep? Not from me they don't!!! I think they are the summit of a century of carmaking. Thanks for sharing this great vehicle with us.
Must be the snotty European car lovers. Not that all European car lovers are snotty, just the one's who make snarky remarks about these cars being gaudy and wasting gas. Mid-late 50's was definitely the pinnacle of car styling here in the US. Pretty much every brand on the road had a distinct look and a color combination styling that you could pick out from 40 yards away and say "yeah, that's a Buick"
Surely many of those people were looking at them through their British lens: "I can't fit this in British streets easily, parking's going to be hard and petrol prices are high here in Britain!" Well, we're not in London over here. It makes sense for people _in London_ to have small cars but it's nice to have a gentle ride on long trips.
They were neat for sure but they were junk realistically. Planned obsolescence. Styling was quickly outdated. Redesigned every year meant quality was terrible and parts became hard to find. Awful gas mileage. Rusted out quickly. Engines were worn out at 60k. And a technology never improved even into the 1970s. No wonder even Americans started buying Volkswagens and eventually Japanese cars instead of these outdated land yachts. Those cars lasted and were reliable and for good mileage.
My first car in 1968 was a 1960 LeSabre convertible. I loved the way it started, turn the key to on and step on the gas pedal. Sure wish I had it still
I was born in 1949, so I'm about the same age as you. I LOVE the older cars WAY more than today's cars. My neighbor had a '53 Buick, and later traded it in on a new '57 Roadmaster. Both two-door hardtops. Wow! What style! We moved from Compton (Killen Place) to West Covina in 1954. My mom's parents lived on Rodeo, two blocks south of Wilshire. They didn't offer, and my dad wouldn't have accepted their help, so we grew up kinda poor financially, but rich with the pride of being self-supporting. I've always appreciated your humor, but I've always been awestruck by your automotive collection and garage.
I can't tell you how much I enjoy these videos Thank you so much for putting them out I'm 25 and I'm really into cars And I can't say enough about how cool it is to really see these old cars in detail Thank you thank you thank you!!
Currently helping my father re-restore his 1964 SS 327 Impala. It's a big car, hell it's a tank with fenders. Classic American cars, all the way up through the late 60's had some intangible essence; a mojo if you will. They had class...some ran exceptionally well from the factory, and exuded a "Grace under fire" dragstrip mentality. I'm 26 and I love my imports and JDM whips, but nothing compares to vintage tin for pure class.
My dad has a 1955 Buick Special at home, but its not like any normal Buick. If you are a Buick fan like me, you know that the 55 special had a 322 Nailhead V8. A solid motor but not that powerful, well when my dad bought it in 2007 he got the 1957 Roadmaster drivetrain! The "big" 364 Nailhead with 300 horse and the dynaflow automatic. Exactly the same as Jays! And just around 2008 it was finished! The Power Big Meet in Vasteras, Sweden (my home town) was just around the corner and on the third and last day of the meet me, dad and my uncle went blasting of on the highway at nearly a 160 km/h (100 miles per our) and it was probably the most fun i have had i a car ever and we stil own it today. I have grow to love the car over the years, im 15 now and i see it as a member of the family now. But my dad wants to sell it but im not gonna let him! :)
My dad had MANY Buicks through the years. One was a 1957 Roadmaster 4 door hardtop (no B pillar and the door windows had no frames), fully loaded with A/C. It was totally original too. I did repaint the lower color for him. Such a nice car. You can keep your tri-5 Chevys. Give me the tri-5 Buicks any day. Especially the Roadmasters and the Centurys. I'll take the Dynaflow over the Powerglide too.
Agreed. They just black them out these days and make them all jagged, constipated and angry. Probably a reflection of the roadside manners society has these days.
They aren’t making guys like Jay Leno anymore either. I’m 60, a few years younger than Jay, but all the stories Jay tells about cars and his youth are the same stories I grew up with. Jay is the Classic Guy and the perfect Americana and classic car representative, spokesperson, or whatever title means...da best dere is... 🇺🇸
My uncle's Packard had a radio tuning foot button, too. He used to play the same trick on me! I still remember waving my hand one way and then the other while wondering why the tuner only went to the right.
People say it is for safety today but I suspect that other technologies could be used incase a car was to roll. Porsche in its convertibles uses a pop up bar that comes up when the car rolls.
@@bighands69 Yeah, you can trust that 'pop-up bar' all you want to. I'll still prefer a big A pillar for safety and can still see around it. Complainers...buy yourself a Pruis. Lol
Absolutely beautiful. I know it's only a matter of personal taste, but if someone said to me, if you could have any car from the 1950's, what would it be, the answer would be a 1957 Buick roadmaster, but the coupe model with all the options, maybe even the boon to safety speed minder.
Buick in that era were at the level of Mercedes. Fords were at BMW levels. The key was that American cars were a lot cheaper that the european luxury cars but were of an equal standard.
Now that's a car! Jay keep it up sir. I like how it's a casual "show"; we can feel like you're talking "just to us". My pauper ass doesn't belong near that garage (though I've been a true enthusiast since very young... and had a master mechanic grandfather). You don't talk down to us... very cool.
I can imagine the buzzer having some boon to safety but maybe not a whole lot. I've occasionally not noticed how fast I was going in some cars because they were so cozy and I couldn't feel the road to give me feedback of the speed I was going. At least the beater Caravan gave me that feedback. Yes I realize the speedometer serves that function but I'm not always looking at it while driving and it's nice to have a little reminder/failsafe too. I've heard stories of people doing the same thing in other cars such as 1970s Station Wagons; "How fast are you going?" "Uh.. WHAT? 80?" *slows down*
I like the Roadmaster. Back around 1995 we rented one in San Diego and drove it 355 miles north. Most comfortable drive ever and I've made that drive dozens of times in other cars but never as easy and comfortable.
People that generally modify them are doing it to cars that are about to fall apart and cannot be saved another way. Many people have to change the interior completely because they have rotted out in some barn.
Mid-50s Buicks are probably my favorite vehicles of all time when it comes to styling. I'd love to own a mid-50s Buick wagon someday. Sadly, they seem to be _very_ expensive these days, and I'm sure the price will just keep going up with time...
Small people in large cars. A classic 60's Lincoln ad shows a demur lady, elegantly dressed, with a cup of tea, and sitting in the back seat of the Lincoln. Upon analyzing the ad you can't help but notice that model has really short legs, and long torso, and neck like a giraffe. LOL.
That was back when ads were inspirational. Today it is all nihilism and realism. Today advertising standards and government officials force companies so such an ad would not be allowed as they would state it is not accurate.
In every episode whether its a vintage or new car, Jay talks about when he was a kid, "back in the day", "in the old days", "back when I was 12", etc. EVERY EPISODE. I'm convinced Jay is more interested in reliving his youth than anything else, and having objects which existed in the past is his way of doing so.
I love this. I had a 57 series 75 hardtop 4dr. May not have been this sexy, but it sounded and drove just like this, and the horn was outrageous! I liked to take my Mom for rides around the block. Was easy because it was so big I had to stash it in her garage. The thing was huge. I pulled it out of a field where it sat the sun for 15 years. A cleanup, new rocker arms and tuneup and it sprang back to life. Had the trans rebuilt and it cruised pretty well. Found an original interior and swapped it, painted it myself and it looked ok. It was completely slathered in chrome. A Buck Rogers starship!
I have a 1954 skylark conv to start restoration on. Hope to make it as nice. It's in boxes but all there with V-8. Thanks for sharing this car. We also have a 1946 Lincoln 2-dr 4- pass. sedan and a few others on deck now.
I remember once seeing a Motor Trend magazine from 1954 previewing the 55 Buick. There was supposed to be a 55 Skylark, but instead of the special car that the 53 and 54 were, it was an extra fancy Special 4 door, with wire wheels, and the 55 Super was supposed to have only 3 holes per side, and I have seen 55 Super 3 holers.
When I was a kid, we could never afford a buick...But, I sure remember riding in a few of them...I remember my parents always looking to see if a particular Buick was a "four holer".... In the mean time, I rode in the "way back" of the 55 chevy wagon, 6 cylinder, "three on the tree"...
My dad had a 57 Roadmaster 4 door Salmon (pink). This was in the days before cruise control. That speed bug was there because if it wasn't, on the open road it was easy to creep up to 90 or more without noticing it.
So that must be why they offered the safety buzzer. Could still be of use today when you don't want to use cruise control because with all the traffic you are always braking and de-setting it.
My dad owned a '55 Roadmaster with a Dynaflow transmission when I was a young teenager. I wanted to know how it felt to drive, so he let me drive it before I got my license. I was so impressed w/ the smoothness of the transmission, I decided to invent a more efficient version. It took a while to get it right using gears instead of hydrodynamics. The result is on my YT channel.
well this piece brings back memories! I had a 1957 Buick Super with many of the same features and wow what a machine. I loved that car. I liked that dynaflo transmission too. Nice smooth ride and so big in the back seat u could have a picnic with a bunch of friends. Thanks Jay for the ride !!
Very nice car! I do agree with J...it looks pretty good already, so there isn't much of a point of restoring it. If it still works, then there's no point on fixing it.
Your wife is the real hero here, for letting you be you, and sharing you with all of us. Seriously. You may be one person, and this may be one "show," but without either, the sheer amount of information that wouldn't exist is quite frankly, staggering. You can not put a price on the passion, and resulting collection of information and people.
So, I invite everyone to take a minute out of your life at some point, and give a written thank you somewhere, to Mavis for letting Jay be the person, and worldwide automotive and mechanical treasure he has become. Thank you Mavis.
Anyone can restore a classic. Not everyone can have a unrestored beauty from the factory. Jay is an ambassador for us car guys.
My dad owned a 1957 Buick Roadmaster two door when I was just 8 years old. The back seat in that car seemed as expansive as a football field. Two things I remember the most of that car was the fluid smoothness and ride. The safety minder buzzing. That was truly a nice car!
You were an important man to own a Buick in 1957.
I love how Jay can pull off being a purist without coming off as pretentious or snobby. Great series. i can only aspire to build something great enough to be featured on one of his webisodes.
My uncle had a '57 Buick hardtop. My dad felt compelled to go out and buy a '57 Olds. Since my dad had four kids, it was a station wagon, a blue station wagon. It remains not only locked in the "fond memory" section of my brain, but in the same location in the brains of my siblings. We will occasionally mention the vehicle and inevitably it will bring a smile.
+Randall Anderson
I was raised in Britain so we did not have as nice a car but I do have fond Memories of the old Rover. My Grandfather collected cars which were British and European but no American cars are they were hard to find.
I had an uncle who lived in America and he used to go on about his Buick car and when I seen it as an adult I realized it was nicer than how he described it and felt amazing to drive.
3:58 just shows how much people love old cars. You can never drive a new Honda or ford like you could back then. The styles are all the same now, and seeing an old car in mint condition drive down the street shows how much cars went from good to bad
And today's cars are so damn uncomfortable - no room inside, buckboard ride.
One of my uncles had a 1957 Buick Roadmaster. It was a two door hardtop. I thought it was the most handsome vehicle I’d ever seen! I still do!
I love the sound of those old, solid doors shutting. I actually like the boone to safety. If you were first learning to drive it could help you learn to gauge what speed you're going without staring at the speedometer.
Buick Roadmaster. Nuthin’ like it.
Shoveled the snow from long lane way for a Yellow, 56 Buick, Road Master, 300 horses, I was 14 & suitably impressed. It was still going into the nineties.
What I like about when Jay does his own cars, you feel like you're riding with him and he's talking to you.
Love the look of old classic American autos. They sure have character!
I think a Yugo would fit in the trunk of that gorgeous old Buick.
God I love that car. Glad Jay has it for safe keeping.
A '57 Buick Roadmaster is on my list of dream garage cars.
My grandfather had a '57 Roadmaster Riviera, in pink. He had that car about 10 years before he bought his Imperial. The car went to my uncle, his son, who drove it for a couple more years. Really nice car.
That car fits Jay.
I love it when that happens.
I used to hear stories of guys going out shopping for a car that fits and looks right with the owner.
My dad had a 1957 Buick century. There was an old airport run way on the edge of town where we lived. I never ever told my dad how many drag races I won with his car.
Bobby Green dang
Had a buddy Englewood nj same story 0-60. 7sec lots of trophies . engine blew after 5yrs.😁
Bobby telling your dad, bad teen back then
One of the sharpest designs of the 50's, both of my grandfathers had a 57 Buick.
They had a 57 wurlitzer juke box? :)
Gorgeous car.
Like the FUEL sign fill it with jet fuel.
Dinosaur car running on Dinosaur fuel.
The dash is buzzing , son slow down.
When I was a teenager I wanted a sports car too, until I got my '57 Buick Special Riviera. It had bad ball joints and they were always breaking, but I loved that car. Got a lot of 'daddy's car' comments, so I joined a Buick car club. I wrecked it while in the Air Force after a night of drinking too much. Later got a '57 Super, but didn't keep it too long for some reason.. Wish I had either of them today. I never heard "Slush-o-matic, but my "friends" called it "Dyna-slush". Oh, yeah, I had a '52 Special Riviera too...
You drive it from New York to California...you're not wore out...awesome automobile..I still love big cars...especially this one
I'd love to meet Jay not because he is famous but because Jay loves car and really enjoys the work design that goes into the cars now and the past....
My bucket list will not likely be filled because shooting the s**t with Jay in his garage is on it. Lol
rebel oneal Well I know for a fact Jay goes to car shows in CA. He goes to the Concourse De Elegance at Pebble Beach in August
What I like, is Jay seems like a _real_ guy, someone you might meet and just talk with. I love approachable people in my real life, and would love to chat with Jay one day.
@Ferris Wheeler Then don't watch, you dumb ditz.
Why dont all yall blow him already for crying out loud.
I think this is my favorite of Jay's cars my Dad had a Buick from the 1950's it was black and white Buick special. That was the first I remember.
Oh yes this is an American car, pure beauty! America, never lose that automotive passion, you are our last hope!
Wow watching how nice Buicks once were it's so nice Jay thanks .
All American cars of that era were of the highest quality. A Ford of that era would have been far nicer than a BMW. A Buick would have been at a Mercedes standard and Lincoln/Cadillac were at Rolls Royce standards.
In Nov 2015, on my holiday/vacation in Cuba (I'm from GB), I had the privilege of a chauffeured tour of Havana in a restored 1955 Buick Roadmaster convertible (yes, it had the original V-8, not one from a Lada or a boat engine). What a finale to my visit to the world's biggest classic car show! I LOVE the American cars of the '50s and '60s- so much style and everything is (....)-a-matic; Wonderful!. Yes modern cars are a technological tour-de-force, but you need a master's degree in computer sciences to change a light bulb on them. Give me the simplicity of those earlier cars any day. Love the videos Jay. I looked in the Buick section of MY garage tonight- it's still empty!
That is one place I wish I could go to, but I don't think there are any ships going there, and with this virus, I ain't going in no damn airplane.
My dad bought a 1937 Buick special in 1962. It had a locking stearing colum & the starter button was at the bottom of the accelerator peddle. When you turned the ignition key, the on switch popped out of the lock mechanism, you would flip the switch up to on & the fuel, & amp gauges would spring to life like twang & viberate for a couple of seconds before settling down.
57 Buick was a gorgeous car!
Dad had a 1957 Buick Special Riviera 2 door hardtop. It was done in a two tone blue. One of his sweetest rides.
Buicks of that era were as nice as Mercedes cars.
Total RESPECT for leaving that beautiful beast as she is and was. Thanks for your trips down memory lane
The safety buzzer was actually very handy. Saved many drivers from getting tickets and the foot operated station changer on the radio was also a good feature.
Yep....keep your hands on the wheel at all times!
Yeah, right. Whatever you say.
my 62 lesabre has one of those buzzers very helpful
Had a buzzer on on a '67 Alfa as a kid. Lost my license twice with that car. Where there's a will, there's a way.
It was called Speed minder. Only cost about 10 dollars extra but mostly exclusive to upper medium and luxury cars in their day.
The guy that lived two doors up from me when I was a kid had a '53 Skylark rag. He bought it new (I was 3) and traded it in in '63 for a new Impala rag. He told my dad a few weeks after he bought it that he wished he'd tuned it up and put a new roof and paint and kept the Buick. He liked it that much!
You put your wife and yourself in that Buick ad. That's very sweet.
"The man who carries success with ease" LOL I guess that's Jay.
When I was a kid in 1964 my Mom got rid of a 52 buick and bought a 57 buick for 400.00. Man I thought we were the Rockefellers in that car. Them were the days!
@Obywatel Cane
People do not understand the economic wealth that existed in the period.
A gold Rolex from that era would cost about $300 which in today's money would be about $1200. A gold Rolex today costs about $30,000.
A normal Rolex back then cost $10.
@Obywatel Cane thank the federal reserve banksters for deflating the dollar
@@bighands69 and how it should be more today if the FRB had not ruined the economy over 100 years
@@nairbyad7188
FRB has played a part in poor monitory policy but it was not the reason for the out of control inflation.
@@bighands69 how can you say such nonsense? they devalued the USD by over 95% in 100 years! c'mon, wake up to their tyranny! they conquered our country by creating the great depression and becoming the creditor when the federal government went bankrupt. then replaced common law with military rule. THAT's why we have no constitutional rights! AND they shifted the government's debt to us, collectible via their collection agency, the IRS, both domiciled in Port of RICO! wakey wakey sleepy sheeple.
One of the biggest regrets in my life involved a 1957 Buick Roadmaster convertible. My grandparents owned one and when I was 15 (1965) my grandfather offered to sell it to me for $250. It was bright red with the red leather interior and the convertible top hardware was chromed. It had all the bells and whistles Jay described, including the speed minder. But since I did not yet have a drivers license I didn't take the offer. BIG MISTAKE.
Sorta reminds me of the 2 year old '56 Buick special 2 dr hardtop my dad bought, when I was six years old. It was coral pink with a gray top and bottom. It had fender skirts, curb feelers, and factory continental kit. By 1961, the quarter panels were falling off, the rust was so bad. An entire section of sheetmetal rusted away, from rocker panel to the corner of the rear window, on both sides of the car. It was an amazing car, though!
The floor button for the radio is awesome.
I remember when cars like this were not "vintage". I am so old.....
Back in the '60's I had a friend with a '56 Hardtop. I used to say it was a tri-color; red, white and chrome. He had a plaque on the dash that read, Made in Las Vegas from old slot machine parts."
Another one, that back in the 70's, nobody wanted. Beautiful car.
I like and love the way in which describe the feature of each car Jay.
You are lucky to born in America when it flourished most.
guys the videos that are 480p are OLD VIDEOS that they are just now uploading to the youtube channel, so relax, all the new videos are in HD
My dad had a 57 Buick 2 door hardtop green over green and 7 kids at the time. We all fit pretty comfortably. I think it was the most beautiful car he, or any of his 10 kids ever owned. Between all of us, we owned about 2,000 different cars over the years. My last 2 years of high school, i changed cars six times. That 57 Buick still rocks in my brain - or what there is left of it.
We always had station wagons. One day dad came home with the 57 Roadmaster. I was in the 5th grade. Loved the car except on long trips. My sister and I would always fight. In the station wagon we each had our own area. I also accidentally pinched my younger sister’s fingers in the power windows. After moving we got another station wagon.
There is no such thing as a 57 Roadmaster station wagon. In 1957, Buick station wagons were only available in the special and super lines.
@@danielulz1640 : I wasn’t clear. The car wasn’t a wagon.
wow jaw dropping gorgeous car. So nice to see it is original. I grew up during that era and brings back a lot of good memories. Im sure they used Sunoco gas as they sold several types of gas and 260 was like jet fuel. It was around 20 to 25 cents a gallon then! There is nothing like a big block (cast iron) V8.
American cars of the 50s and 60s have a bad rep? Not from me they don't!!! I think they are the summit of a century of carmaking. Thanks for sharing this great vehicle with us.
Must be the snotty European car lovers. Not that all European car lovers are snotty, just the one's who make snarky remarks about these cars being gaudy and wasting gas. Mid-late 50's was definitely the pinnacle of car styling here in the US. Pretty much every brand on the road had a distinct look and a color combination styling that you could pick out from 40 yards away and say "yeah, that's a Buick"
guardian08527 the Europeans only wish they could have made cars like that!
Surely many of those people were looking at them through their British lens: "I can't fit this in British streets easily, parking's going to be hard and petrol prices are high here in Britain!" Well, we're not in London over here. It makes sense for people _in London_ to have small cars but it's nice to have a gentle ride on long trips.
They were pretty but they weren't particularly well made, America didn't really hit it's stride in quality until the 60's.
They were neat for sure but they were junk realistically. Planned obsolescence. Styling was quickly outdated. Redesigned every year meant quality was terrible and parts became hard to find. Awful gas mileage. Rusted out quickly. Engines were worn out at 60k. And a technology never improved even into the 1970s. No wonder even Americans started buying Volkswagens and eventually Japanese cars instead of these outdated land yachts. Those cars lasted and were reliable and for good mileage.
Those late 50's Buicks are something else.
Something about this car just says class.. elegant ride
My Uncle let me drive his 57 Buick Super. When Jay talks about how it feels, bring back memories. Thanks! Jay for sharing with us.
What a beautiful classic. Nothing like originality!
I've seen this one before, but it is worth watching again and again and again.
The 1957 Roadmaster drop-top is one of my most favorite American cars of the 1950's.
My first car in 1968 was a 1960 LeSabre convertible. I loved the way it started, turn the key to on and step on the gas pedal. Sure wish I had it still
I was born in 1949, so I'm about the same age as you. I LOVE the older cars WAY more than today's cars. My neighbor had a '53 Buick, and later traded it in on a new '57 Roadmaster. Both two-door hardtops. Wow! What style! We moved from Compton (Killen Place) to West Covina in 1954. My mom's parents lived on Rodeo, two blocks south of Wilshire. They didn't offer, and my dad wouldn't have accepted their help, so we grew up kinda poor financially, but rich with the pride of being self-supporting. I've always appreciated your humor, but I've always been awestruck by your automotive collection and garage.
Your uncle Frank is awesome! What a good way to get you to remember a memory!
Incredible ride. Hard to believe the interior. And the color.
I can't tell you how much I enjoy these videos Thank you so much for putting them out I'm 25 and I'm really into cars And I can't say enough about how cool it is to really see these old cars in detail Thank you thank you thank you!!
Currently helping my father re-restore his 1964 SS 327 Impala.
It's a big car, hell it's a tank with fenders.
Classic American cars, all the way up through the late 60's had some intangible essence; a mojo if you will. They had class...some ran exceptionally well from the factory, and exuded a "Grace under fire" dragstrip mentality.
I'm 26 and I love my imports and JDM whips, but nothing compares to vintage tin for pure class.
My dad has a 1955 Buick Special at home, but its not like any normal Buick. If you are a Buick fan like me, you know that the 55 special had a 322 Nailhead V8. A solid motor but not that powerful, well when my dad bought it in 2007 he got the 1957 Roadmaster drivetrain! The "big" 364 Nailhead with 300 horse and the dynaflow automatic. Exactly the same as Jays! And just around 2008 it was finished! The Power Big Meet in Vasteras, Sweden (my home town) was just around the corner and on the third and last day of the meet me, dad and my uncle went blasting of on the highway at nearly a 160 km/h (100 miles per our) and it was probably the most fun i have had i a car ever and we stil own it today. I have grow to love the car over the years, im 15 now and i see it as a member of the family now. But my dad wants to sell it but im not gonna let him! :)
Doing 160 km/h in anything from the 1950 is like:
What do you expect me to do, goldfinger, to talk?
No, mister Bond, i expect you to die!!
My dad had MANY Buicks through the years. One was a 1957 Roadmaster 4 door hardtop (no B pillar and the door windows had no frames), fully loaded with A/C. It was totally original too. I did repaint the lower color for him. Such a nice car. You can keep your tri-5 Chevys. Give me the tri-5 Buicks any day. Especially the Roadmasters and the Centurys. I'll take the Dynaflow over the Powerglide too.
My uncle was a big Buick man he had the 50-60 new every year till he got on the Chrysler New Yorker band wagon until his death in the 80’s.
What a beautiful car. They don't make them like this anymore.
Agreed. They just black them out these days and make them all jagged, constipated and angry. Probably a reflection of the roadside manners society has these days.
They aren’t making guys like Jay Leno anymore either. I’m 60, a few years younger than Jay, but all the stories Jay tells about cars and his youth are the same stories I grew up with. Jay is the Classic Guy and the perfect Americana and classic car representative, spokesperson, or whatever title means...da best dere is... 🇺🇸
The car culture is no more. Today's cars are just instrumental like everything else. No fun at all😕
my grandparents had a blue 58 Buick roadmaster. my grandpa paved a special place in the barn so it would always be in covered parking!!
My uncle's Packard had a radio tuning foot button, too. He used to play the same trick on me!
I still remember waving my hand one way and then the other while wondering why the tuner only went to the right.
It's a work of art. Love them Buicks! I've owned 2 Park Ave's and I drive one right now. Pure comfort.
It reminds me of a time when America was great. Thanks Jay. Take it slow and stay safe.
i hate those big pillars new cars have
the thing i hate is the blind spot they create when you're turining
I know right? Whenever I turn I have to move my head to see out the window it’s ridiculous
People say it is for safety today but I suspect that other technologies could be used incase a car was to roll.
Porsche in its convertibles uses a pop up bar that comes up when the car rolls.
@@bighands69
Yeah, you can trust that 'pop-up bar' all you want to. I'll still prefer a big A pillar for safety and can still see around it. Complainers...buy yourself a Pruis. Lol
It is almost like trying to see out of an Armored Perosonel Carrier.
Now that I'm older I can appreciate these older cars. Had my fill of sports cars, now it's all about comfort in style.
Absolutely beautiful. I know it's only a matter of personal taste, but if someone said to me, if you could have any car from the 1950's, what would it be, the answer would be a 1957 Buick roadmaster, but the coupe model with all the options, maybe even the boon to safety speed minder.
Buick in that era were at the level of Mercedes. Fords were at BMW levels. The key was that American cars were a lot cheaper that the european luxury cars but were of an equal standard.
I like Jay's Uncle Frank already, fooling little kids with that hand-wave over the radio.
Now that's a car! Jay keep it up sir. I like how it's a casual "show"; we can feel like you're talking "just to us". My pauper ass doesn't belong near that garage (though I've been a true enthusiast since very young... and had a master mechanic grandfather). You don't talk down to us... very cool.
From a kid who grew up in the fifty’s this sure does warm up an old heart ! We can not THANK YOU enough !
I can imagine the buzzer having some boon to safety but maybe not a whole lot. I've occasionally not noticed how fast I was going in some cars because they were so cozy and I couldn't feel the road to give me feedback of the speed I was going. At least the beater Caravan gave me that feedback. Yes I realize the speedometer serves that function but I'm not always looking at it while driving and it's nice to have a little reminder/failsafe too. I've heard stories of people doing the same thing in other cars such as 1970s Station Wagons; "How fast are you going?" "Uh.. WHAT? 80?" *slows down*
I like the Roadmaster. Back around 1995 we rented one in San Diego and drove it 355 miles north. Most comfortable drive ever and I've made that drive dozens of times in other cars but never as easy and comfortable.
His new videos are in 1080p. These are new postings of his old videos from his website.
I love and miss the old land yachts! they were real works of art and comfort. The ride was incredible, and the power was amazing.
A real beauty.
The Glory Days for Flint, Michigan • Buick Town USA.
• Cheers from Michigan
***** I own a 65 Skylark made at Buick city! Got a thing for those 64 to 67 A- bodies for sure.
+trainroomgary Yep, that's what you call real steal.
Remember the days when Buicks were made in Flint and you couldn't drink the water in Mexico?
Flint lives matter.
I so agree with Jay.. LEAVE cars original.. All of the mods especially on these 50s cars are not needed.. LEAVE em alone !
People that generally modify them are doing it to cars that are about to fall apart and cannot be saved another way.
Many people have to change the interior completely because they have rotted out in some barn.
The definition of style and quality - the 1957 Buick Roadmaster.
I love the quick little trip around the neighborhood at twilight! I like the older episodes like this.
Mid-50s Buicks are probably my favorite vehicles of all time when it comes to styling. I'd love to own a mid-50s Buick wagon someday. Sadly, they seem to be _very_ expensive these days, and I'm sure the price will just keep going up with time...
Awesome ride
Jay Leno epitomizes the phrase "He who dies with the most toys...WINS!" Hopefully he'll be around for a long time to show us all of them.
Such a kool car. And yes, these cars are very dependable. 3rd and 4th owners generally drive their cars into the ground.
Small people in large cars. A classic 60's Lincoln ad shows a demur lady, elegantly dressed, with a cup of tea, and sitting in the back seat of the Lincoln. Upon analyzing the ad you can't help but notice that model has really short legs, and long torso, and neck like a giraffe. LOL.
That was back when ads were inspirational. Today it is all nihilism and realism. Today advertising standards and government officials force companies so such an ad would not be allowed as they would state it is not accurate.
Hey Mr. Leno, thanks for posting!
this video is probably 4 or 5 years old. they're just uploading from their archive so some of these are only 360p
In every episode whether its a vintage or new car, Jay talks about when he was a kid, "back in the day", "in the old days", "back when I was 12", etc. EVERY EPISODE. I'm convinced Jay is more interested in reliving his youth than anything else, and having objects which existed in the past is his way of doing so.
I"ve seen many of your cars after all these years, and this still is the car I want the most. I keep searching and these cars are few and far between.
I love this. I had a 57 series 75 hardtop 4dr. May not have been this sexy, but it sounded and drove just like this, and the horn was outrageous! I liked to take my Mom for rides around the block. Was easy because it was so big I had to stash it in her garage. The thing was huge. I pulled it out of a field where it sat the sun for 15 years. A cleanup, new rocker arms and tuneup and it sprang back to life. Had the trans rebuilt and it cruised pretty well. Found an original interior and swapped it, painted it myself and it looked ok. It was completely slathered in chrome. A Buck Rogers starship!
I have a 1954 skylark conv to start restoration on. Hope to make it as nice. It's in boxes but all there with V-8. Thanks for sharing this car. We also have a 1946 Lincoln 2-dr 4- pass. sedan and a few others on deck now.
I remember once seeing a Motor Trend magazine from 1954 previewing the 55 Buick. There was supposed to be a 55 Skylark, but instead of the special car that the 53 and 54 were, it was an extra fancy Special 4 door, with wire wheels, and the 55 Super was supposed to have only 3 holes per side, and I have seen 55 Super 3 holers.
When I was a kid, we could never afford a buick...But, I sure remember riding in a few of them...I remember my parents always looking to see if a particular Buick was a "four holer"....
In the mean time, I rode in the "way back" of the 55 chevy wagon, 6 cylinder, "three on the tree"...
My dad had a 57 Roadmaster 4 door Salmon (pink). This was in the days before cruise control. That speed bug was there because if it wasn't, on the open road it was easy to creep up to 90 or more without noticing it.
No kidding, it's easy to do that if you can't "feel the road" much (that is, if the car absorbs the feel of the road well enough.)
So that must be why they offered the safety buzzer. Could still be of use today when you don't want to use cruise control because with all the traffic you are always braking and de-setting it.
My dad owned a '55 Roadmaster with a Dynaflow transmission when I was a young teenager. I wanted to know how it felt to drive, so he let me drive it before I got my license. I was so impressed w/ the smoothness of the transmission, I decided to invent a more efficient version. It took a while to get it right using gears instead of hydrodynamics. The result is on my YT channel.
An absolute stunning classic!
She's a beauty.
well this piece brings back memories! I had a 1957 Buick Super with many of the same features and wow what a machine. I loved that car. I liked that dynaflo transmission too. Nice smooth ride and so big in the back seat u could have a picnic with a bunch of friends. Thanks Jay for the ride !!
Very nice car! I do agree with J...it looks pretty good already, so there isn't much of a point of restoring it. If it still works, then there's no point on fixing it.
Yes they are only original once Jay U the man This car is way more Kool then a restored car