A Super Super: ’51 Buick Estate Super
Ypsilanti Reed Furniture Co. became the Ionia Mfg. Co., in 1942. During the war the Ionia Mfg. employed as many as 11,000 workers in the Ionia, Owosso and Lyons plants and was one of the 4,000 US businesses that gained the coveted Army – Navy “E” pennant for their wartime production excellence. One of Ionia’s wartime contacts at General Motors was “Boss” Kettering, who helped land Ionia a contract to produce 1946 station wagons bodies for Chevrolet and Pontiac. From 1946 through 1948, Ionia built all 18,791 of Pontiac’s station wagon bodies. Although Pontiac and Chevrolet turned to all-metal wagon bodies starting in 1949, Buick did not and Ionia got the contract to produce all 12,791 of their wagons from 1949-1953. Today’s ’51 is one of those and in rare condition. It has been refurbished in some areas and other parts, like the roof paint and wood appear to be original. It was mechanically sorted 5,000 miles ago and the brakes done in 2006. This is a desirable woodie but it isn’t the top of the heap. In ’51 The Roadmaster model had a larger engine and is more rare. But even a lowly Super is worth somewhere over $50,000 and as much as $105,000 for a trailer queen. Click here for the listing.