'Stay with me in Belgium!' That’s what this young lady seems
to call out. Her pictures were found by Josef Kubišta from the
Czech Republic. According to notes on the back they were shot
during a Belgium trip in the summer of '32. Josef wonders if
this Buick with registration number 191683 still exists
somewhere. It could be a Standard Six 28-265 (four-passenger
Country Club Coupe) as it looks a bit small to be Master Six
28-54C. Nevertheless the nickel plated headlight shells
suggest it to be a Master Six model. We are sure it fits in
somewhere in the 1924-1928 era... But please do correct us if
we're wrong. No matter what the car is the, the young lady is
sending you a a cheerful wave from a distant summer memory.
Update II comes from John MacKiernan: “It's a 1928 Coupe.
Standard Six and Master Six both had nickel plated headlights.
This looks like a Standard Six. Where are the factory
installed bumpers? Standard Six had two bars; Master, three
bars, which makes it easy to know which is which. As well as
the absence of bumpers, the solid disc wheels are unusual. The
several 1928 Buicks that I drove all had wood-spoked,
artillery type wheels. Nice old picture!”
Update I by Hugh Nutting: “it is a 1928 Standard 2 pass.
coupe. This type headlamp was only used in 1928.”
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After four years of begging (UPDATE III: 1935 not 1937!)
Hampton Wayt, who is a
fanatic collector of early streamline automobiles, finds
himself with a new project, the 1935 Tatra T77a you see here.
It’s a two-headlight car that someone later converted to three
headlights. Hampton plans to convert it back when he will
restore the car. It took him four years of begging to buy the
car, but then the problems started. When he imported the Tatra,
the US government confiscated it because the shipper had used
untreated wood as bracing around the wheels. Customs wanted to
ship the car back to Europe, but due to international laws
that wasn’t possible even though the wood originally came from
Europe. In the end the problem was resolved although at
enormous cost. The Tatra now sits quietly in his garage, so
Hampton is a happy man. Do visit his website Tatrapedia
with wonderful photos and information.
Update III: We asked Hampton Wayt for his comments and here’s
what he wrote: “Please thank Mr. Bowers for his concern, but
Mr. Kubista is correct. There are two round welded areas on
the hood and front panel where the original chrome lights
protruded. Inside the compartment, the original wood and metal
bracing to support the two chrome lights still exists. In
person it is quite obvious that the presently featured three
headlights are not a factory job. The left one even aims at
the ground! It is not known when the conversion took place,
but the obvious intention was to "update" the car to look more
like the later style T77s or a T87. Such modifications are
quite common to cars found behind the "Iron Curtain" because
new cars were not available for purchase and existing cars had
to be driven for decades. Many modifications were due to a
lack of availability of original equipment. Others were done
by the owners to suite their personal taste. Also, please tell
Mr. Kubista not to worry - the car came from Austria and not
the Czech Republic.”
Update II by Josef Kubista from the Czech Republic: "Two
comments on the US T77a. I'm not an expert in Tatra's but with
just careful study of pictures in Tatrapedia I agree that the
depicted car could originally be a two-headlight car as there
seem to be round, possibly welded areas in the front
protruding into luggage space cover. That can be confirmed by
owner only. Furthermore the three-headlight shells look very
very deep/long than those shown on T77 in Tatrapedia, looks
more like those used on T87. Also, pity to see such nice car
leaving the Czech Republic :-) "
Update by Roger Bowers: “I think Hampton Wayt is incorrect in
identifying his "new" Tatra. The 1935 Tatra T77 is, indeed, a
two-headlight car, but I do not believe that is what he has.
It is probably a 1937 model, which came equipped with three
headlights. If Mr. Hampton removes the centre light, he would
not be restoring a modified car, but destroying a proper
one.”
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