1941 Buick Buyer's Guide Part 4

"How much is it worth?" is one question I get all the time. A lot of folks ask me what my car will be worth when it is done. A Century sedanette is a pretty rare car, fairly desirable, but not like a convertible would be. Others want me to speculate on how much a car they are thinking of buying might be worth, or for how much could they sell their own car?

This guide is just based on my experience of watching the Buick marketplace for several years, talking to guys who buy and sell these cars and general market knowledge. It is not official, and you shouldn't use it as anything but a guide. There are published market value guides that are based on auction results, and I highly recommend you purchase one of those to fully familiarize yourself with the market. I'm just one guy making some guesses based on what I've seen and experienced.

My thoughts on value aren't uncommon. 2-doors are worth more than 4-doors, convertibles are worth more than closed cars. Big engines are worth more than small engines and perfect cars are worth more than basket cases. For the purposes of this guide, I'm just going to use 3 grades: restorable, driver and perfect. The shades of gray between those three grades are for you to decide, and if it is beyond restoration, well, I'm guessing you won't want to buy it anyway, right?

I'm also going to be fairly broad in the number of models I cover. There's no reason to discuss all three versions of a Special sedanette (46-46S-46SSE) when they're probably all worth about the same amount, right? This is just to help you get your bearings and determine whether a car you're looking at is realistically priced.

Model	Restorable	Driver	Perfect	Notes
Special 4-door sedan	$1000-2000	$6500-8500	$13,000-15,000	Most common of all 1941 Buicks, but still featuring stunning torpedo styling. Deduct for A-series "trunkback" body.
Special sedanette	$1500-2500	$7000-10,000	$13,000-18,000	Most desirable is SSE model with dual carburetors
Special 2-door coupe	$750-1500	$3000-5500	$6000-8000	Chevy body + 118" chassis = not very valuable
Special Convertible	$6000-10,000	$21,000-35,000	$35,000+	Uncommon convertible, but still a Chevy body on the small 118" chassis.
Special Station Wagon	$8000-10,000	$25,000-40,000	$50,000-100,000	Very rare and very desirable. Most survivors have already been located and restored.

Super 2-door coupe	$2000-3000	$5500-15,000	$15,000-17,000	Nice car. 6-passenger 56S is most desirable. Dual carbs standard.
Super 4-door sedan	$1000-2000	$6500-9000	$12,000-13,000	Garden-variety sedans that make nice starter collectibles.
Super 2-door convertible	$10,000-13,000	$25,000-45,000	$50,000-80,000	Beautiful cars that make nice drivers. Convertibles always bring a premium
Super 4-door convertible	$15,000-17,000	$25,000-60,000	$65,000-100,000	Most desirable of all Super series cars. Relatively rare.

Century 2-door sedanette	$2500-6000	$12,000-15,000	$20,000-35,000	Most desirable of all Century series cars. Relatively rare.
Century 4-door sedan	$1500-3000	$6000-10,000	$12,000-18,000	Big motor makes it more valuable than visually similar Special 4-door.

Roadmaster 2-door coupe	$4500-6500	$14,000-20,000	$25,000-35,000	When was the last time you saw one?
Roadmaster 4-door sedan	$2500-4000	$8000-13,000	$15,000-18,000	Relatively common, unremarkable styling, but it's still a Roadmaster.
Roadmaster 2-door convertible	$12,000-18,000	$30,000-60,000	$75,000-100,000+	Rare, desirable, powerful, beautiful.
Roadmaster 4-door convertible	$20,000-30,000	$40,000-$75,000	$100,000+	Most desirable of all 1941 Buicks, rare, beautiful, powerful. Most have already been discovered & restored.

Limited 4-door sedan (all models)	$3500-5000	$7500-15,000	$18,000-27,000	Limiteds have limited appeal. Lots of car for your money. The only 1941 Buicks recognized as full classics by the CCCA.