pour se rincer l'oeil (2)

Styling changes were minimal over the next couple of years, but power steering, priced at $199, was a welcome addition to the 1952 options list. By that time the engine was rated at 170 horsepower, thanks primarily to a new four-barrel carburetor.

But the straight eight, now 16 years old, had become seriously dated -- the new short-stroke V-8 engines had demonstrated their superiority in the new Oldsmobiles and Cadillacs, among others. Besides, styling considerations required that engines must have a lower profile. It was clearly time for Buick to develop a V-8of its own.

The new engine was ready in time for the 1953 season -- Buick's Golden Anniversary year. Nearly identical in displacement to the old straight eight (321.7 versus 320.2 cubic inches), it was 13-1/2 inches shorter, four inches lower, and 180 pounds lighter. At 188 horsepower, it cranked out 10.6 percent more power.

Mechanix Illustrated's "Uncle" Tom McCahill road tested a 1952 Roadmaster, pronouncing it "as quiet as Saturday night in church," adding that "you get the same stable feeling as sitting in a parked Greyhound bus." Acceleration, however, left something to be desired. "With Dynaflow there's no fast breaking from the light," McCahill observed.

Zero-30 mph took 5.8 seconds, hardly anything to get excited about, while the 0-60 run could be covered in 14.6 seconds -- but only if the car was started off with the transmission in Low, then manually up-shifted. Taking off directly in Drive -- the way these cars were supposed to be handled -- McCahill's time was increased to 18.5 seconds. Top speed was fairly commendable at 96.97 miles per hour.

Nine months later, McCahill took a 1953 Roadmaster V-8 out for a similar romp. This car, which he characterized as "smooth as a bucket of warm vaseline," proved to be good for 103.4 mph at the top end, the first 100-plus mile-an-hour Buick since prewar times.

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