Buick

David Buick

© photo courtesy of: Buick

Buick was born in 1899 as Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company, a producer of an independent internal combustion engine and automobiles. This company was incorporated in May 1903 as Buick Motor Company, by Scotsman David Dunbar Buick, settling in Detroit, Michigan.

Also in 1903, the struggling company was acquired by James H. Whiting that transferred it to his native town Flint. To manage its new acquisition in 1904 called Whiting William C. Durant. As for David Buick, he sold his share for a very small sum and died in modest circumstances 25 years later.

The first models

In 1904 Buick introduced its first model, Model BBuick Model BUnited States of America, 1904 > 19042 versions
. That same year 37 units of the model were produced, but none manage to survive until our days.

The engine and chassis architecture would be used in the production of the Model FBuick Model FUnited States of America, 1909 > 19112 versions
, released in 1909. Buick owes its initial success to its valve-in-head engine, patented by Eugene Richard. The creation of General MotorsGMUnited States of America, 1998 > present8 models
240 photos
is attributed in part to the success of Buick, so the designs of Marr and Richard led the brand into GM.

Thanks to the natural ability to promote Durant, Buick quickly rose to the position of largest car manufacturer in America. Through profit Durant began a series of corporate acquisitions that led to General Motors. At first the brands that were part of the group competed with each other, but Durant ended that situation. So each brand started to aim at a different type of consumer. In this scheme, the Buick occupied almost the top spot, being exceeded only by CadillacCadillacUnited States of America, 1902 > present79 models
1234 photos
2 videos
. This is the same place that the brand continues to occupy in General Motors' range up to today.

The first closed model from Buick was released four years before FordFordUnited States of America, 1903 > present92 models
2522 photos
11 videos
in 1911. In 1929, Buick launched its own brand, Marquette, in order to create a bridge between the prices of Buick and OldsmobileOldsmobileUnited States of America, 1897 > 200425 models
115 photos
. The new brand was not successful and was scrapped in 1930. In 1939, Buick also become the first car brand to introduce the turn signals.

Buick Wildcat II

© photo courtesy of: GM

Recent years

In the domestic market Buick sales peaked in 1984 with a range of models that went from large to compact and included high-performance versions of these same models. The great hero of the brand in the 80s was the Regal Grand NationalBuick RegalUnited States of America, 1973 > present5 series
22 versions
34 photos
, a midsize sedan with a 3.8-liter V6 turbocharged engine, one of the fastest production cars of that decade.

The number of Buick models has been decreasing over time and the brand has stopped producing compact and high performance models. Still, the brand maintained its traditional line of sedans that includes the models CenturyBuick CenturyUnited States of America, 1936 > 20056 series
21 versions
4 photos
, Regal, LeSabreBuick Le SabreUnited States of America, 1959 > 20058 series
18 versions
2 photos
and Park AvenueBuick Park AvenueUnited States of America, 1991 > present3 series
6 versions
.

In 2005 Buick consolidated its range, which was eventually reduced to only three models with new names: the LaCrosseBuick LaCrosseUnited States of America, 2004 > present3 series
17 versions
36 photos
/Allure, LucerneBuick LucerneUnited States of America, 2005 > present12 versions
30 photos
and the successful EnclaveBuick EnclaveUnited States of America, 2007 > present14 versions
34 photos
. Despite the fall in number of sales, profits of the brand secure that it would stay within General Motors.

The current range includes the Buick Regal sport sedan, the luxury midsize sedan LaCrosse and the luxury crossover Enclave. The end of the production of Lucerne was announced in June 2011, but Buick plans to launch one more model-based on an OpelOpelGermany, 1863 > present85 models
5151 photos
8 videos
car, the compact Buick VeranoBuick Verano Ecotec 2.4L ...United States of America, 2014 > present5 photos
.