Photographer Dave Gooley and I drove over to Gus’ Barbeque in Paramount, California, – a diner devoted exclusively to meat – for our weekly pastrami and beer “business” luncheon. We pulled into the parking lot in my ’40 LaSalle coupe, and to our surprise, there were several other vintage cars there. One of them stood out above the others as particularly impressive.
It was a 1957 Buick Special, resplendent in its Kearney Green and Dover White paint scheme with subtle red accent speer. I was pleased to see it because in my estimation, it was the most beautiful of the mid-century Buicks, and that is saying something. The overall look is luxurious yet sporty, exciting yet elegant. And the Special was a bargain in its day, at $2,596. That was only $358 dollars more than a Chevy Bel Air. It is no wonder that, in 1957, Buick was fourth in sales after the low-priced three that year.
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