The Aviator, Howard Hughes's 1953 Buick Roadmaster to Be Sold at No Reserve at Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach

PALM BEACH, Fla.--March 14, 2005--Aviation genius Howard Hughes's 1953 Buick Roadmaster will be sold at no reserve at the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Collector Car Auction on Saturday, April 2, 2005. The 3rd Annual Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction will run from March 31 - April 3, 2005, at the South Florida Expo Center.

"The 1953 Roadmaster was purchased off the blocks at 7000 Romain, in Hollywood, Calif., where it had been sitting since Hughes last drove the car," said Craig Jackson, president of the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company. "It's a situation of 'if these walls could talk' because the legendary history and stories attached to the car."

Hughes drove the Roadmaster while he stayed at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where he suffered his second nervous breakdown that amplified his strange behavior. It was his mobile office, where he would routinely conduct important business meetings from undisclosed locations. With the Roadmaster being so important to him, it would stay with his most prized possessions to keep it safe from tampering until decades after his death when it was re-discovered. The Roadmaster, lot #378, has only 5,339 miles and is pastel blue with a seafoam green top.

Much of the Roadmaster has been converted with aircraft electrical systems, including air conditioning that runs completely on electricity and is fully operable when the engine is not running. Hughes, obsessed with germs, redesigned the system for air to flow through a dust trap and bacterial filter mounted in the trunk of the Roadmaster.

In addition to the car's typical 12-volt system, Hughes had a full 24-volt aircraft electrical system installed with a plug-in attachment under the trunk. The attachment gave him the ability to drive onto the tarmac and personally jumpstart his plane, thereby outsmarting his enemies and traveling undetected.

The Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Collector Car Auction is scheduled for March 31st - April 3rd, 2005 at the South Florida Expo Center. The SPEED channel will provide coverage during the event.

About Barrett-Jackson

Established in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Barrett-Jackson specializes in providing products and services to classic and collector car owners, astute collectors and automotive enthusiasts around the world. For more information about Barrett-Jackson, visit www.barrett-jackson.com or call 480-421-6694.