Introduced in 1908, the Model 10 was Buick’s most popular model for the next three years, outselling both Cadillac and Ford. That success was achieved upon the merits of a brilliant 22.5-horsepower four-cylinder engine, designed by the famous engineer Walter Marr. It was cast in cylinder pairs, which could be removed separately for repairs, rather than replacing the entire engine, as well as valves located in separate “cages,” so that they could be adjusted without giving the engine a complete overhaul.

The Model 10 offered here was likely originally sold in Chicago, as it bears a 1910 Windy City tax license and period Illinois registration tag on the dashboard. It was acquired in 1950 by George Kreissle Sr., and later passed in 1968 to his son, George Jr., both prominent ironworkers in Sarasota, Florida. The Kreissle family regularly exhibited the Buick at various museums in the Sarasota area, including at Walter Bellm’s Cars of Yesteryear, the famous old roadside museum on Tamiami Trail. Eventually, it became part of the Bellm’s Collection, and remained on display in the museum, through the collection’s succeeding owners, until it was acquired by Clive and Janet Cussler in 2018.

Preserved in the Cussler Collection as it left Sarasota, it is believed that the car was partially repainted many decades ago—so long ago, that the finishes appear “unrestored”—but it remains otherwise untouched, including an original Illinois motor vehicle registration tag on the dashboard; accessories including a Stewart “Speedometer Mileage Recorder;” and its Corcoran brass lamps and charmingly weathered factory leather upholstery. Only the fabric top appears to have been fully restored in more recent years.

Boasting terrific character and fabulous history, this is among the most interesting, honest examples of the Brass Buick to have emerged in recent years, and it deserves a new caretaker who will continue to appreciate the past that it so handsomely wears.