In the 1950s Buick Roadmaster was the epitome of the boulevard ride, this vehicle was also the choice of Jay Leon’s in 1972.
Jay Leno is known to a lot of people about his late night talk show days but car enthusiasts know that apart from comedy this man is also one of the most famous collectors around—with a garage rivaled by many but matched by few.
If you get lucky enough to get a tour of Leno’s digs, most likely you will be introduced to “Rosebud”—a perfectly restored 1955 Buick Roadmaster and one of Leno’s most cherished treasures.c
Rosebud the Roadmaster
Leno’s Buick Roadmaster has become as beloved as his jokes on the automotive cycle, even though you might be surprised knowing that the comedian didn’t pay out his famous nose for the aforementioned wheels.
The man purchased the Roadmaster when he was still a kid and was trying to make it in comedy circles. The Buick cost him $350 in 1972, though the sentimental value far exceeds the sales price—Leno drove the Roadmaster on his first date with wife Mavis, also provided him a lift to his first Tonight Show appearance in 1977.
The vehicle was restored in 1973, 30+ years of wear and tear inspired Leno to give the car “more than just a restoration,” as he told My Classic Car auto guy Dennis Gage. “It had to be better than new.” The rebuilt Roadmaster today is a tribute to restoration. Rosebud received a brand new DuPont paint job, new chrome, wider wheels and tires, and matching Buick hubcaps.
The interior got also updated and the engine was replaced—with a ridiculously huge, 572ci, 620hp, pump-gas-friendly ZZ572 big-block crate motor, as well as an 4L85E four-speed electronic overdrive trans rated to take the grunt.
The stock frame was stripped of its suspension and retrofitted with cutting-edge C5 Corvette suspension up front and C4 Corvette independent suspension out back, including a custom-made composite mono leaf spring.
