The McLaughlin Automobile Company, which began life as a carriage maker in the late 1800s, became the first motor car manufacturing company in Canada in 1907 -- and was a key player in the early history of General Motors. Sam McLaughlin formed one of the first alliances with William Durant of Buick, who went on to form GM as a holding company for Buick and later founded Chevrolet. Indeed, such alliances, acquisitions and mergers with other marques paved the way to GM becoming the behemoth it is today. Sam McLaughlin sold his company to GM in 1918 and became president of GM Canada; he remained Chairman of its board until his death in 1972 at age 100.
Every pre-war Buick sold in Canada was marketed as a McLaughlin-Buick to capitalize on the history and Canadian public's goodwill surrounding the "home grown" McLaughlin brand. This practice continued until 1942, when production stopped due to World War II.
This 1930 Buick Series 40 Business Coupe is one of those rare McLaughlin-Buicks, originally sold by Beny and Son in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. The Business Coupe is fitted with a trunk instead of a rumble seat out back to accommodate the needs of a traveling businessman.
The car is a true survivor, with original -- yes, original -- upholstery, door panels, dash, headliner and roof. It even still has its original self-retracting pull-down shades for the side and rear windows. Some of the paint is even original and has a great patina, although some has been re-sprayed years ago (any new paint is very well matched). There is no rust and no major bodywork -- remarkable for an 80-year-old car. The gauges are beautiful and working, with the exception of the gas gauge. The odometer reads 7,103 miles.
These Buicks were considerably better appointed than, say, a Model A from the same era. Interior finishes were top-notch, and the car's designers paid attention to small details -- such as the ability to raise the windscreen by a few inches to let in more fresh air. All of the exterior trim is in tract and in presentable condition including the beautiful hood ornament and grill badge - surely these pieces would be hard to come by today. Under the hood is an overhead valve straight-6, a rarity in the day of flathead engines. This engine makes an impressive 80.5 hp and 185 lb ft of torque.
This example runs and drives great, and is riding on its original painted wood wheels -- also in great condition. Give us a call at 404-692-5250 if you're interested in learning more about this piece of automotive history.
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