Buick History

Buick is an American car brand that is a division of General Motors Company. Founded by David Buick in 1903, the Buick automobile is one of the oldest automobile brands in existence. Buick produces luxury automobiles that are distinctive and popular. David Buick was born in Scotland in 1854 and immigrated to America with his parents when he was just 2 years old. In the 1890s, he began experimenting with internal combustion engines. He eventually dissolved the plumbing business he owned and invested his profit into his new venture, Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company in 1899.

This original car company of Buick's ended in 1902. They had only manufactured one car and the remaining money had been spent on research. Buick started a new company, the Buick Manufacturing Company in 1902 with the idea of selling its own line of cars as well as selling its engines to other car companies. He again ran out of money after producing only one car. The upside to this company was that Buick developed the valve-in-head overhead valve engine. The side valve engine design that was being used by auto manufacturers at the time was not as powerful as Buick's design. Virtually all engines now use a variation of the overhead valve engine - the overhead cam engine.

The Buick Manufacturing Company was sold to William C. Durant in 1904. The Buick Manufacturing Company soon became a very successful automobile manufacturer and Durant used his profits to acquire several car companies, merging them to create General Motors. The Buick line has remained popular due to its reputation as a luxury car second only to Cadillac.

There are several distinctive features of a Buick automobile. The Buick trishield is based upon the ancestral coat of arms of David Buck's family. This shield was incorporated into the radiator grille in 1937. Another style feature of the Buick is the series of three or four vents on the front fender. V6 models have three per side and V8s have four. Wide tail lamps and a horizontal oval chrome grill are two more Buick characteristics that have stood the test of time.

By the mid 1980s, sales of the Buick were slipping to the sportier and smaller car models, but have always remained stiff competition for Cadillac with the older buyer. In 2001, Buick produced its first SUV, the 2002 Buick Rendezvous, which significantly changed Buick's image as younger and wealthier consumers began to show interest in the Buick. In 2003, the Rainier SUV became the first V8 engine in eight years. The 2008 models show a flair for the 60s originals, and the new Buicks are being designed with the future in mind. Fuel-efficient gasoline engines, bio fuels and hybrids are the newest innovative vehicles in design.

In recent history there was discussion of Buick being eliminated from the General Motors line-up in order to save money. Instead, Pontiac was the brand to be sacrificed and the Buick brand continues. In 2009, Buick and Jaguar were the most dependable automobile brands in the United States according to J.D. Power and Associates. Buick sales are continuing to grow and they are the fastest growing automotive make by quite a large margin. Check out TheOnceProject.net for more information on the history of Buick.