About Buick

David Buick, a Scottish inventor who resided in Detroit, Michigan, established the Buick Motor Corporation in the early 1900s, making it one of the country’s oldest automakers. He is most known for creating the overhead valve engine, intended to provide greater power than the time’s flathead engines.

When William Durant took over Buick in 1904, he introduced the Model B, the company’s first mass-produced automobile. Durant would later form General Motors, the overhead valve engine of the touring car that produced between 15 and 21 horsepower. Buick immediately came to be associated with strength, and the Model B’s sales success solidified its position as the market leader before Ford and Cadillac. In the 1930s, Buick introduced the 8-cylinder Century sedan and unveiled the Y-Job two-passenger convertible, the first concept automobile ever seen.

Buick continued innovating during the 1950s after World War II, adding iconic design elements like portholes, the sweepsear beltline, and the waterfall grille, as shown on the 1953 Super Riviera Coupe. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the business also catered to public demand for more compact cars and convertibles, garnering popularity for models like the Electra, Skylark, and Wildcat. But in the 1980s and 1990s, Buick veered off course due to an excessive focus on performance over elegance.