This may sound cheesy, but you can find your dream car on ClassicCars.com. I frequently see some of my dream cars there, such as this 28K-mile 1988 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, this handsome 1996 Ford Bronco Eddie Bauer, and this graceful 1972 Ferrari 365 GTC4. After a long search, I finally came across another one of my “grail” vehicles, so I had to make it the latest Pick of the Day. You can find this 45K-mile 1996 Buick Roadmaster Limited Estate Wagon Collector’s Edition listed on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in St. Louis.
Back when I was a kid in the ’90s, I had no appreciation for cars like the Roadmaster Estate Wagon—European exotics turned my head in those days. As I’ve gotten older and discovered cars from different eras, I’ve grown to love the 1991-1996 Roadmaster Estate Wagon’s sheer Americana. Every time I see one of those big-bodied family haulers with the faux woodgrain panels, it makes me think of a 1990s family sitcom in which everyone piles into the car on a Friday night for pizza and a trip to Blockbuster. Now that I’m a husband and father, I can easily picture myself being the lighthearted dad wheeling a Roadmaster around town for errands and being the captain of the 18-foot land-yacht for out-of-state road trips. The one you see here is the Roadmaster Estate Wagon I always envision during my daydreams: a ’96 Collector’s Edition in Bright White with the Light Colonial Oak “wood” (aka vinyl) appliques and a Light Beige leather interior.
This final-year Roadmaster also appeals to the car nerd in me. There’s really nothing quite like it anymore. Factory woodies (even those with fake wood) are long gone. No American manufacturer currently offers a station wagon—and even if one of them did, it wouldn’t be a full-size model with body-on-frame construction, V8 under the hood, and rear-facing third row. And if you spot one of these Buick longroofs on the street, there’s a very good chance it has close to or over 100,000 miles because these are big, roomy cruisers, many of which have been absolute road warriors. Not only is this particular wagon attractive, but it’s also an anomaly.
Given its model year, this final-generation Roadmaster benefits from the updates incorporated over its production run, such as the 260-horsepower LT1 5.7-liter V8, dual front airbags, and OBD-II diagnostics. Then there are all the comfort and convenience features, which include keyless entry, cruise control, tilt steering column, power everything, air conditioning, the Vista roof over the second row, and the load-leveling heavy-duty suspension. And I can’t leave out the cool two-way tailgate, which can be lowered or opened from the side like a door.
Low mileage is great, but it’s even better when coupled with refreshed hardware because let’s face it: parts wear out over time, regardless of how much a vehicle has been driven. Fortunately, this Roadmaster has received a lot of replacement components over the years. According to the selling dealer/museum, since the spring of 2024, the following new parts have been installed:
- Battery
- Whitewalls tires
- Belt tensioner
- Idler pulley
- Drive belts
- Water pump and gasket
- Thermostat
- Optispark distributor kit
- Fuel pressure regulator
- Spark plugs and wires
- Fuel filter
- Rear drum brakes
- Rear ride-leveling shocks
Sadly, I can’t make this dream car of mine a reality right now, but if you can swing the $28,900 asking price for this nicely configured, low-mileage 1996 Buick Roadmaster Limited Estate Wagon, I congratulate you—and urge you to buy it ASAP.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com