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Buick: Stylish and Efficient Luxury Cars, Crossovers, SUVs and Sedans
Explore the current lineup of luxury vehicles available from Buick
The Oldest Automobile Brand Still in Production
The history of Buick dates back to 1899, as the Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company, a firm producing motor-car bodies and internal combustion engines. It was renamed the Buick Motor Company in 1903 by Scottish entrepreneur David Dunbar Buick, and later in the year, it was taken over by James H. Whiting. He moved the plant to his hometown of Flint, Michigan and brought in William C. Durant, who was a natural promoter, creating the Model B in 1904.
Calling the new mega-corporation General Motors, it was not long before Buick became the largest car maker in America, and in 1911, Buick introduced its first closed-body car. Using the profits, Durant embarked on a series of corporate acquisitions, including a fifteen-year contract with RS McLaughlin in Canada; McLaughlin-Buick became Canada’s Standard Car.
On departing from the company, D.D. Buick sold his stock in the firm for a minimal amount, dying in modest circumstances 25 years later.
Buick Models
Success of the Model F
Through the years Buick has brought out models that would become top sellers. Among these was the ongoing popular and successful Model F car. The Model F would utilize the same type of engine design and level of quality that would give rise to the Buick name being synonymous with affordable American luxury. With the Buick name gaining popularity it soon became the best-selling Auto manufacturer in America. In the 1930s, Buicks were popular with the British royal family; particularly Edward VIII who imported and used a Canadian built McLaughlin-Buick, which was General Motors top brand in Canada. George VI used one for a coast to coast royal tour of Canada in 1939.
During the Second World War, Buick retooled their factories in order to build nearly 2,600 M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyers.
The years would see the rise of popular names such as the LeSabre, Skylark, and Rivera. These vehicles would become well known and continue on with future generations. In 1953, Buick introduced a high-compression V8 engine that would utilize the 12-volt electrical system devised by the Delco Corporation. These feats of engineering would become commonplace for many different General Motors vehicles.
The 60’s and 70’s
Throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s Buick would develop vehicles that used designs with a more contemporary effect. These vehicles would soon lose the more bulbous shape and show off a sleeker and jet-age look to them. The 70’s saw a number of Buick models that went on to become legendary and remain so even today as classics, such as the Riviera S-Type, the Century, the Skyhawk, Apollo and Centurion.
Buick Today
After a rocky start of the new century, many of the company’s compact and performance vehicle segments were shut down. Being the confident carmaker it is, Buick persevered and introduced its first SUV in 2001, the planetary success of which gave way to a number of equally successful four-wheelers, such as the Enclave, LaCrosse, Encore, Regal GS, Park Avenue and so on. Today standing as the oldest continuously running car manufacturer in the world at 112 years old, there is no telling what other successes Buick will accomplish in the future. One thing is certain – with a history like that, Buick is here to stay for good.