The old girl really looked pretty sharp sitting along the curb outside the Phelps Historical Hotel (click here) in Phelps, NY. I grabbed my camera and took a few quick pictures. No sooner had I snapped some pictures when I heard my wife calling out my name to tell me that she was standing next to the owner of the car. I had already determined that the car was not a Ford from the emblem on the front of the car. I walked up the stairs to the entrance of the Phelps Historical Hotel and started talking to the owner of the car. He beamed from ear to ear telling me that it was a 1918 Buick and that the old girl was 101 years old this year.
I asked him if it had an electrical starter and he said “oh yes he said, but sometimes she can be a bit stubborn to start.” It had four doors and looked like it could carry four or five people comfortably. That evening I did a bit of research on the 1918 Buick. It came with a straight six cylinder normally aspirated engine with a displacement of 4 litres, weighed approximately 3075 pounds, and had a wheel base of 124 inches. The engine had two valves per cylinder and ran on petrol (I assume that this was the gasoline available in that era). The engine was connected to the rear wheels via a 3 speed manual shift transmission. The top was made of canvas and there were no curtains along the side window area. The 1918 Buick looked just perfect for riding around Phelps in the summer of 1918 or for touring on a summer Sunday some 101 years later.
The price of this vehicle in 1918: around 1385 dollars which was of course a princely sum back then.
We left the owner and the car and went into the Phelps Historic Hotel for our Sunday dinner. Our choice for dinner was Cheryl’s thin sliced prime rib beef sandwich surrounded by melted cheese, peppers, and onions. And to really light up your taste buds, the beef was slathered with real horseradish – all on a delicious homemade bun. This sandwich is not your normal fare of Finger Lakes bar and grill sandwiches. It’s delicious, not dry, and the homemade bun doesn’t overpower the sandwich. There’s just enough light tasty bread to hold the sandwich together.
We left the Phelps Historic Hotel with that “just right full feeling.” But alas, the owner of the 1918 Buick had departed, taking the love of his life with him. It’s too bad that all relationships can’t last for 100 years!
Jim, thank you so much for the post. Jack’s car is awesome and I wasn’t aware that is was 101 years old. We are always happy to see you and your wife. We are glad you really like the Hotel Philley – it is a great sandwich. Keep the blogs going – always interesting to read them. See you soon I hope!
Cheryl, it was our pleasure! Having folks stop by with their show cars on Sunday afternoon is a great idea. I have a few other thoughts to share with you when we see you next.