One of my favorite challenges from the first season of Top Gear USA pitted the hosts against one another in their favorite abandoned GM products. Rutledge Wood took the prize in a Buick Roadmaster Estate (and not just because the other hosts picked cars from abandoned brands). Perhaps as a "Thank You" for that victory, Wood's picked one up for himself.
Not only did Wood buy a Roadmaster Wagon — a car we consider to be one of the finer GM products made in the 90s — he selected the best year. The 1996 Roadmaster is a cushy B-body station wagon outfitted with GM's LT1 V8, which puts out around 260 hp in stock trim. The new engine was added in 1994, but the 1996 final edition brought automatic climate control and a few other tweaks.
The slammed look isn't exactly to Wood's taste and he says via twitter he'll "find some springs to raise it up another inch or so" so that it's "just subtle custom."
His 'Vette-powered family cruiser will replace his modified Datsun Rat Rod, which wasn't exactly appropriate for a growing family, and join his Green 1983 Honda Civic Wagon.