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The 11 Top Buicks in Its 110 Year History

It has been building cars near Detroit since the very beginning

BuickBuickUnited States of America, 1903 > present68 models
483 photos
1 video
began has a company in 1899 by building small internal combustion engines, but it did not complete its first car, the Model B, until 1903. It is hard to imagine that when the company was founded by Scottish immigrant David Dunbar Buick that he would believe his company would still be building cars 110 years later.

The brand's first cars were made by hand in Flint, Michigan, near Detroit, but today Buick has built over 43 million cars.

Buick has had great highs and deep lows in its history. It grew through the 30s to become one of the premiere US automakers. It won both on the track and in sales thanks to its powerful straight-eight engines, and when Harley Earl designed the Y-JobBuick Y-JobUnited States of America, 1938 > 19385 photos
in 1938, he gave Buick the distinction of being the first brand ever to create a concept car.

In the 60s, the brand pushed the simpler "extruded look" that replaced 50s excess with a more minimalist appearance. But in the 70s Buick fell into the malaise that struck most of the American car industry. The cars were too big, too slow and too ugly and gradually gave way to foreign competitors.

In the 80s, Buick embraced turbo power, most famously in the Regal Turbo, Grand NationalBuick Regal Grand NationalUnited States of America, 1983 > present and GNXBuick Regal GNXUnited States of America, 1987 > present. The three tunes of the 3.8-liter engine made the Regal one of the fastest models in the General Motors lineup.

The 90s were another low point for the brand. Buick followed sales and the growing age of its buyers. The cars became softer and plusher to appeal to its senior buyers. Finally, in the last decade, the brand has begun to find its edge again. The trio of the VeranoBuick Verano Ecotec 2.4L ...United States of America, 2014 > present5 photos
, RegalBuick Regal Gen.5United States of America, 2011 > present9 versions
32 photos
and LacrosseBuick LaCrosse Gen.2United States of America, 2009 > present12 versions
26 photos
have been praised for their driving. The Regal got a new 270hp GSBuick Regal GSUnited States of America, 2014 > present6 photos
model in 2011 that has the highest top speed of any production Buick ever, but next year power for the GS will be dialed back to 255hp.

Buick has also shown its ability to spot rising trends. The new Encore was one of the first modern compact crossovers on the market in the US.

Buick Model B

Buick's first model was the Model B in 1904. It is still the smallest model that the brand has ever made.

Buick Model F

Louis Chevrolet was a racer before he founded the auto company that bares his name. He was a member of the Buick factory racing team, and Buick eventually became part of General Motors along with Chevrolet.

One Million Cars in 1923

It took Buick two decades to build its millionth car. In 1923, it introduced the 22-35 and finally hit the milestone. Today, it has sold 43 million cars.

Buick 60 Century

Buick introduced its first model able to hit 100mph in 1936. The aptly-named Century had the benefit of a new straight-eight engine to hit the high speed.

Buick Y-Job

The 1938 Buick Y-Job is generally considered as the world's first concept car. Designer Harley Earl went on to define the look of American cars in the post-war period.

Buick 80 Roadmaster

Buicks became known as great stock cars in the late 30s. The Roadmaster was especially prized. The model was also the 1939 Indianapolis 500 pace car.

Buick Riviera

The 1962 Buick Riviera brought a whole new look to American cars. It removed the fins and jet-inspiration from 50s cars in favor of a more minimalist appearance. The cars were meant to look like they were extruded out of a machine as a complete unit.

Buick Electra 225

By the 70s, the extruded look had become a farce. The minimalist look went from the height of style to incredibly boring. The 1975 Electra was the brand's longest car ever at 233.7in (5.936m).

Buick Regal GNX

The Buick Regal Grand National and later GNX proved that performance Buick's were not dead. They used a 4.1-liter V6 with various levels of boost. The GNX was the ultimate version with 276hp and 360lb-ft of torque that could get to 60mph in 4.7 seconds, which was a rocket at the time.

Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon

Buick got boring again in the 90s, but the Roadmaster Estate Wagon might be the high point. It might look boring, but it sat eight people. And power came from a 5.7-liter V8, the same engine from the Corvette at the time, albeit detuned for more usable power. It was the American answer to a big Mercedes wagon.

Buick Regal GS

Buick has been on a recent revival. The Regal and Lacrosse have been praised for their dynamics and style. The GS name even made a return on the Regal. Its 270hp made it the fastest Regal ever produced with a top speed of 162mph.