David Dunbar Buick, being a solderer by profession, developed a way to join porcelain to metal. This invention was extremely important for the kitchen and sanitary ware industry, and Buick could probably do a lot with it. more money than the $100,000 he received for the invention. With this money, he created the Buick Auto-Wimand Power Company, from which the Buick Motor Company was formed in 1903.
Cars did not bring success to David Buick, so he happily sold the company in 1904 to James Whiting. The president of the new company was William Crapeau Durand, who succeeded in making Buick profitable and laying the foundation for General Motors.
Buick re-entered the automobile market after World War II, introducing in 1946, like most other manufacturers, the last pre-war model. However, the company was in a better position than many, since it launched the 1942 model of the year, which was very popular. In 1946, Buick sold over 156,000 of these cars. Demand constantly increased, and in 1951 404,675 copies were already sold.
The former eight-cylinder in-line engine was replaced in 1953 by a new V8 engine, which was installed in Buick cars in 1953-1954. Buick was the third automotive market USA in 1955, selling 781,296 copies. The eight millionth car, which rolled off the assembly line on April 5, 1955, simultaneously turned out to be the 3.5 millionth post-war car of this brand! In 1961, Buick introduced compact car. This Buick Special had a 3.5 liter aluminum engine V8, which was also installed in Oldsmobiles and is still used by the Rover company. In 1962, Buick returned to its trusted cast iron V6 engine. Given the growing demand for sports cars, in particular, on the Chevrolet Impala and Ford Thunderbird, Buick developed the Riviera model. It was equipped with a 6.5-liter V8 engine, which in 1966 was replaced by a seven-liter 340 horsepower. With. In 1971, the Riviera updated the bodywork, which gained as many fans as it did detractors. The five-seater, designed by Donald Lasky, was attractive from every point of view. The rear-wheel drive car had a V8 engine with a working volume of 7468 cm3, which developed a power of 269 hp. With. The model was produced only with the Turbo-Hydra-Matic transmission and was the most expensive car in your class. In 1975, Buick customers could choose from nine various models: from a small Skylark model with a 3.8-liter engine to a Riviera model with a 7.5-liter engine. In 1997, the smallest car was the 2392cc Skylark, while the Riviera had a 3791cc V6 engine. How time changes!

Buick GS

YEAR OF MANUFACTURE: 1972 PRODUCTION: 8575 cars

PECULIARITIES. The Buick GS was a sporty version of the Skylark that rivaled the "muscular" cars of Buick's competitors. Cars were produced with coupe and convertible bodies, sold under the designations GS350 and GS455. The numbers indicated the volume of the cylinders in cubic inches.

Buick Riviera

YEARS OF PRODUCTION: 1971-1973 PRODUCTION: 101,618 cars

PECULIARITIES. This coupe car had wheelbase 3100 mm and full length 5520 mm. Despite the weight of more than 2000 kg, the car developed a speed of 210 km / h.
The five-seat Buick Riviera was undoubtedly one of the most attractive coupes produced in Detroit in 1971.

Buick Special

PRODUCTION YEAR: 1962 PRODUCTION: 110,970 vehicles

PECULIARITIES. In 1962, Buick sold 110,970 compact Specials, less than half of which were deluxes. This model had additional accessories such as an ashtray at the back and a carpet on the floor.

Buick Century

PRODUCTION YEAR: 1957 PRODUCTION: 65,964 vehicles

PECULIARITIES. The Buick Century car closely resembled the Buick Special, but was recognizable by the four front fender flares. The working volume of the V8 engine was 5957 cm3, and the developed power was 253 hp. With. at 4400 rpm.

Buick Roadmaster Skylark

YEARS OF MANUFACTURE: 1953-1954 ISSUED: no data

PECULIARITIES. In 1953, the Roadmaster Skylark was the most expensive Buick in its class. The Skylark convertible was adorned with spoked wheels and every conceivable accessory Buick could offer. The car was produced only in 1953 and 1954.

Buick Super (1951)

YEARS OF PRODUCTION: 1951 PRODUCTION: 169,226 cars

PECULIARITIES. Of the nearly 170,000 Buick Supers sold in 1951, 92,886 were sedans and 8,116 were convertibles. The eight-cylinder engine with an in-line arrangement of cylinders with a working volume of 4315 cm3 developed a power of 129 liters. With. at 3600 rpm.

Buick Super (1947)

PRODUCTION YEARS: 1947-1948 PRODUCTION: 277,134 cars

PECULIARITIES. Since Buick has released fundamentally new model in 1942, after the war it was not difficult for her to choose a direction of activity. The engine was an in-line eight-cylinder overhead valve power unit that consumed 30 liters of gasoline per 100 km.

An article about the history of the Buick brand - David Buick's successes and failures, models, interesting facts. At the end of the article - a video about the history of the Buick concern.

The content of the article:

The oldest American automobile company. An automaker that has not experienced a single failure, fall, bankruptcy. Cars that have been cult for Americans for more than a century, both in appearance and in reliability and unpretentiousness. It's all about the legendary Buick brand.

The young Scot David Buick began to earn money while still a teenager: he went to seasonal work to harvest, sell newspapers, shine shoes. At the age of 15, he was lucky to get a job as a mechanic in a plumbing company, where engineering talents began to show up. young man.

Contemporaries, without suspecting it, are now using the "inventions" of the founding father of the eminent car brand: an automatic lawn irrigation system, a flush mechanism in the toilet bowl, enameled bathtubs, with which he replaced the cast-iron ones.

When the firm had problems, Buick took charge of resolving them and soon became the head of the enterprise. Together with his high school friend William Sherwood, he quickly set the plumbing business on its feet, turning it into a thriving company providing the latest, quality products and state-of-the-art technology.

And the obscure Scottish boy could secure a comfortable existence for the rest of his life, but the principle of "woe from wit" also applies in America.

2. Unfortunate entrepreneur

David Buick is not the only talented engineer and automaker who has absolutely no interest in either fame or profit. His inquisitive mind demanded discoveries, and technical progress provided more and more opportunities for all sorts of developments, experiments and tests.

Having sufficiently improved the plumbing industry, Buick got bored and turned his attention to the latest fashion - the study of engines internal combustion. Only a lazy person did not try to develop them, and David did not want to lag behind them. Without hesitation, he went into conflict with a partner and sold his share in the business and the patent for the technology of enameling bathtubs to get into motors.

After creating a prototype, Buick's first thought was its practical application, for example, for machinery in agriculture. But it would be too easy for such an enthusiastic nature and such a brilliant mind, while the first cars that appeared on the roads excited the imagination.

Having created his own company, he first took up the production of internal combustion engines, then, without properly establishing mass production, he switched to car design. According to scattered information, the model as a whole turned out to be quite good, reliable and powerful enough, but in the process of its creation it “ate” the entire capital of the company.

In search of an investor, Buick turned to a businessman from Detroit, whose funds he planned to reach the stage of mass production after all. And again, he was so carried away by the process itself that he quickly spent the money received, without bringing profit to the investor. The Detroit entrepreneur refused further cooperation, and the Buick company again suffered a reorganization, and the search for funds again had to be started.

The next business partner - a manufacturer of railroad cars - also lost patience after a year and only 37 cars produced, and would not have recognized the world of Buick's creation if not for a lucky break.

Before breaking off relations with Buick, his companion showed the cars he was producing to his friend. Ironically, he turned out to be a man whose name has forever entered the annals of automotive history.

William Durant at that time had a very indirect relationship with cars - he traded wagons. But the “self-propelled carriage” he saw influenced him so much that he made him what the whole world knows him to be. Durant became the owner of two auto giants - General Motors and Chevrolet.

He immediately injected "new blood" into the company: financial investments, latest equipment, expanded staff of specialists and workers. Compared with 37 copies of the Buick, under Durant, the company began to produce 750, and then even up to one and a half thousand cars a year.

And what is the ideological inspirer of the company? David Buick, although officially listed as the director of the enterprise, was actually removed from business. He found himself in an unusual environment for himself, when it was necessary not to create, but to work for mass production. Each of his ideas, all attempts to modernize models ran into a misunderstanding of the new owner.

Durant was making excellent profits and growing popularity, and any improvements would entail a waste of time, labor, and questionable bottom line.

We must pay tribute to William Durant - he did not oppress or try to get rid of Buick in any way. He himself realized that he could give nothing more to this enterprise, which began to live its own life.

Talented engineer, enthusiast, entrepreneur David Buick simply had to direct his free time and energy to a new business. But luck turned against him. The case for the production of carburetors lasted only a couple of years. He lost even more money on the stock exchange, where he clumsily tried to play with stocks.

Deciding to radically change the field of activity, Buick went into real estate in Florida, but this investment did not pay off either.

Finally, the designer, the founder of a successful automobile plant that has become an American classic, went to work ... as a watchman. When David Buick went to his new job, not having an extra dollar to get on the subway, cars created by him, bearing his name, drove past him.

He died of colon cancer, in poverty and oblivion - the only automaker who did not earn wealth or fame.

Car enthusiasts don't know much about the Buick brand today, even though they were once America's most innovative cars. It was these cars that were the first to be produced with completely closed bodies. It was the Buick team who first developed the ultra-fast body painting technology, reducing it from 4 weeks to just 6 hours.

Then the engine was upgraded - in-line 8-cylinder instead of the outdated 6-cylinder, all wheels received brakes, and the gearbox was equipped with a synchronizer.

After the Great Depression, Buick struck automotive world automatic ignition, and then the first models with turn indicators, which other brands appeared not even years, but decades later.

In the 50s, Buick decides to radically change rear optics by replacing the small light bulbs with full size lights.

It should be noted that for more than 100 years of its existence, Buick, although it kept pace with the times and even often outstripped it, but never "flexed" under fashion trends. Taking into account the wishes of motorists, he, nevertheless, retained his bright personality, maintaining a unique balance of modernity, manufacturability and good old classics.

Separately, it is worth highlighting the GNX model of 1987, which became the fastest American car. With a power of 300 Horse power he covered a hundred kilometers in 4.7 seconds, which even for modern machines is a normal indicator, and for the 80s - just phenomenal.

Immediately after its birth, experts ranked it as a collector's item. One of these copies, released in a limited number of 547 cars, in 2017 in perfect condition with a minimum mileage of 362 miles, it went up for auction for $165,000.

During its long history of existence, the automaker has changed many logos, guided partly by the period of the company's formation, partly by the owner's egocentrism.

So, for the first 2 years, Buick made it clear that his enterprise would be the most advanced in the country and in the world. Therefore, Uncle Sam flaunted on the emblem, who walked around the globe, dragging a cart with an engine behind him.

From 1905 to 1930, the logo went through several variations of the founder's name.: "Buick" stood out in white italics on a black background, then one big "B" contained the rest of the letters, then the background was changed to blue, and the name was made larger and clearer. After the produced models received 8-cylinder power units, the number 8 was added to the word Buick.

Cardinal changes took place in 1937, when the company was already owned by the giant GM. Designer Ralph Pugh respected the merits of Buick and studied its history. It turned out that David Buick belonged to an ancient Scottish family, which has its own coat of arms. It contained all the elements of the traditional knightly era: a scarlet background, a diagonal line, as if a sling on the shoulder, deer antlers in one corner and a golden cross in the other.

There were no illustrations of that coat of arms in the literature studied by the designer, so he reproduced it the way he read and felt.

Subsequently, the coat of arms was modified several times, until by 1959 it was divided into 3 separate shields - red, white and blue. They symbolized the models that the company was producing at that time.

The year 1975 was marked by the development of a new line called Skyhawk - a hawk, which appeared on the updated emblem. He lasted only 5 years, until the usual shields returned to their place.

Although now they are not painted in any color, they got rid of the heroic symbolism and are inscribed in a simple metal circle, they still allow us to remember the story of a simple Scottish youth who dreamed of cars.

A typical American "big" car could not fail to attract the attention of directors and writers. So, a 1949 convertible with an 8- cylinder engine and 2-speed automatic transmission became almost the main characters of the dramatic tape "Rain Man". It was on it that the brothers traveled around America, reflecting on the normality and abnormality of human nature.

No less colorful model Regal Grand National or GNX has gained worldwide fame due to its resemblance to Darth Vader from Star Wars. Thanks to this, the car not only became the unofficial transport of the main antagonist of the heroic epic, but also received the title of "the coolest american car 80s.

Let an episodic, but rather vivid role was remembered by the luxurious Grand National, in which Dominic Toretto steals fuel in the Dominican Republic.

Finally, even if GM management denies any analogies and coincidences, the evil Chico from the Cars cartoon very well resembles the Regal model produced in the early 80s.

The most noticeable trace in literature should be called the book dedicated to the eminent brand by horror master Stephen King. "Almost like a Buick". This is not the first time the writer uses cars for his stories - it is worth remembering Christina or Uncle Otto's Truck. The inspiration for this novel came from the musical realm, from iconic singer-songwriter Bob Dylan and his song "From a Buick 6".

The Y-Job model did not make a splash in any car dealership, did not go into mass production, did not become a rarity. But at the time of its creation in 1938, it became the first concept car in the world. Black body, with soft drop roof, futuristic streamlined shapes, a horizontal radiator grille in its style was 15 years ahead of its time, and therefore were not understood by motorists. Therefore, first the car went to the personal use of GM designer Harley Earl, and then to the museum as an honorary exhibit.

After the success of the Buick cars, William Durant's ambitions soared and he was seized by "gigantomania". He began building his global corporation by purchasing Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Oakland, a company that makes automotive components, then the paint and varnish production and the production plant rims.

He wanted to meet the needs of each client, provide the widest possible choice of brands of any configuration and price category. But amid all these additional divisions, it was Buick that always remained the flagship of General Motors, the best-selling brand for many years, an entire iconic milestone in American history.

Video about the history of Buick:

Buick (Russian "Buick") - automotive division American manufacturer General Motors. In the North American market, the company was known as a manufacturer of premium sector machines. Buick is the oldest active American car brand, and even General Motors itself was founded in 1908 on the cornerstone of the Buick Motor Company. The entire Buick lineup.

Buick history

The company was founded in 1899 as a manufacturer of automobiles and internal combustion engines. In the period 1899-1902, two prototypes were built. In mid-1904, another prototype was built to test reliability. The architecture of this car served as a model for the first car made for sale in 1904, the Model B was produced in an edition of 37 cars. Its logical continuation was the F(1909) model. These cars had a two-cylinder engine and overhead valves.

In 1911, Buick introduced its first closed bodies. In 1930, she released a gearbox, revolutionary for that time, with synchronizers of all modes. Automatic vacuum control of the ignition timing was another novelty. Buick was the first to install turn signals on their cars back in 1939.

In the 1930s, the Buick was popular with the British royal family in particular, Edward VIII. George VI used one of the cars to make a royal tour from coast to coast in Canada in 1939.

Buick sold its cars in many countries. From 1921 to 1962, the company's cars were successfully exported to Mexico, and from the beginning of the 90s, the assembly of the Century car was started in Mexico, at the plant in Ramos Arizpe. After seven years, production was closed. Buick was produced in New Zealand for some time. However, during the Second World War, production was curtailed and no longer resumed. Since the beginning of the 2000s, the sale of brand cars in Israel has been established.

Successes in China

China is Buick's largest market, with more sales there than even in the United States. In 2007, General Motors sold more than 330,000 vehicles in China, more than double sales in the United States.

Since 1999, the Chinese version of the Buick Regal has been manufactured and sold in China, making Buick one of the most popular car brands in China. Besides, Buick China also produces the compact Excelle (based on the Daewoo Lacetti / Nubira), five-door hatchback called HRV and a modified version of the first generation Pontiac Montana, the GL8 minivan.

Many machines designed for local market, are equipped with more economical engines compared to models designed for the American domestic market. Some engines, originally intended for Chinese versions, began to be installed on General Motors products intended for other regions. In June 2005, the company stated that China was its second largest market after the US. In total, over two million cars of the company were sold in the country. It took eight years to sell the first million, the second was sold in three years.

Full title:	Buick Motor Division
Other names:	Buick
Existence:	1902 - present day
Location:	USA: Detroit, Michigan.
Founders:	David Dunbar Buick
Products:	Cars, motorcycles.
The lineup:

Buick is another big company American automotive industry, a division of General Motors, located in the city of Flint (near Detroit).

The company was founded in 1902 by David Buick with investments received from the sale of the former enterprise (about 100 thousand dollars).

The first car, according to its own, original design, was assembled in 1903. Having secured the financial support of J. Whiting and W. Durant, Buick wanted to improve the position of his company in the market, but this did not lead to anything good, since Buick was a skilled designer, but not a manager. Over the course of five years, his influence gradually decreased, and by 1908 he completely let his company out of his hands, taking the place of one of the members of the board of directors.

In 1904, the company released a model "B" with an interesting layout. The engine was located under the front seat, and the hood with a grille performed a purely decorative function.

Buick was one of the first to join the General Motors concern, but at the same time it did not lose its administrative independence.

Successful design solutions by David Buick contributed to sales growth. By 1908, more than 8 thousand cars had been successfully sold. In the same year, the release of a new, tenth model was launched, which also gained popularity among buyers.

Technological progress does not stand still. In 1914, the first model with a 6-cylinder engine appeared, and by 1931, absolutely all cars of this company were equipped with a V8 engine. Buick models, along with Chevrolet and Pontiac, were style icons of the US automotive industry at the time.

Since 1925, the company has made a smooth transition to six-cylinder engines. The model "25" on the Standard Six chassis enjoyed good popularity.

In 1931-36, the model line of the company's cars was updated. New families are added to it: Special, Limited, Roadmaster and Century.

Buick did well in production sports cars, for example, the 66S (“S” is interpreted as “Sport”), released in 1934, amazed the inexperienced public with a powerful 100-horsepower V8 engine, as well as independent front wheel suspension.

In 1939, the flagship Buick 39-L (Limited series) was released, an eight-seat, luxurious limousine that was the brand's longest and most prestigious car.

In 1940, the range of cars was supplemented by a new family - Super with the prefix 50.

A distinctive feature of the post-war Buicks was the radiator lining and simplified side trim. However, there was also a new emblem - "bomb in the ring".

In 1953, the Skylark model was released. The company "celebrated" its fiftieth anniversary with the release of a completely new V8 engine with a capacity of 164 hp. for the Super series and 188 hp for the Roadmaster series.

From 1954 to 1961, the Buick lineup was updated.

A special place in the company was occupied by Special cars, they were compact and equipped with more weak engines. However, over time, they almost caught up in size with their counterparts.

In 1979, another Skylark family of compact cars appears. A couple of years later, Skyhawk and Century models also appear.

In 1984, the Riviera Coupe was successfully shown on Park Avenue.

Since 1997, a new generation of the Century model has been produced, and in 1998 the presentation of the Signia model took place.

Since 2001, the main products of the company are full-size front wheel drive cars middle class, designed primarily for the American market.

May 19 to the American car brandBuick turned 110 years old. In honor of the anniversary, we decided to remember with a kind word the founder of one of the oldest automobile companies in the world - David Dunbar Buick, a man who influenced the lives of each of us.

big break

Congratulations, Mr Buick! Now you are a very, very rich man, - the representative of the Standard Sanitary company shook hands strongly with his counterpart. - What are you going to do now?

David Dunbar Buick, instead of answering, only slyly smiled into his mustache, they say, everyone has their own secrets. Of course, the Scot had a plan, and of course he did not doubt the success of the new venture. When one of America's best inventors takes over, how could it be otherwise?

David was born in Scotland in the family of a simple carpenter. True, when he was two years old, his parents were in search of better share immigrated to the States, settling in Detroit. There was plenty of carpentry work here, but this did not bring happiness to the settlers. Just three years after the move, David's father, Alexander Buick, dies unexpectedly, and the widow will have to work hard as a baker's assistant to feed her son. It is not surprising that Buick Jr. realized early: life is far from sugar. Immediately after graduating from high school at 15, David will get his first job as an apprentice in a small valve repair company. It was then that the young man first declared himself. An inquisitive mind and rare ingenuity made him an excellent inventor. Among the many devices and rationalizations of Buick's authorship, it is worth noting, first of all, a system for automatic watering of lawns. Further more. After a series of experiments, David made a real revolution in plumbing, coming up with an inexpensive and effective way to enamel iron bathtubs, the principle of which is still used today. So today, climbing into the bath, remember the kind word of the Scottish emigrant.

Enameled bathtubs have become his real success. By that time, Buick, together with a companion - a school friend William Sherwood - was already in charge of the affairs of the pipeline manufactory. And the business of Buick & Sherwood, which had been doing very well so far, flourished. While David was dealing with creative and technical issues, his companion, capable in commercial enterprises, successfully steered the accounting department. But the idyll did not last long.

The problem was that David's inquisitive mind was constantly looking for new uses for himself, demanding new challenges, resting on his laurels - this was certainly not for him. And in the early 90s of the 19th century, Buick succumbed to a new fashionable hobby in engineering and technical circles - internal combustion engines. To begin with, he designed such a motor himself and came to the conclusion that such units can be used quite effectively. So far, however, only for agro-industrial purposes. But when Buick first heard about cars, agricultural machinery immediately faded into the background. Self-propelled carriages - that's a thing worthy of an enthusiastic person! After all, why not enamel bathtubs all your life?! And Mr Buick made a decision. After quarreling with an old friend, he sold his part of the business and the patent for enamelled bathrooms to enterprising businessmen from Standard Sanitary for $100,000 - huge money at that time.

Who would have guessed that at that moment Buick traded wealth and a prosperous future for himself and his family just for world fame ...

Went from hand to hand

Unfortunately, David, like many talented people, was slightly distracted, and most importantly, absolutely helpless as a businessman. Completely absent commercial vein has become a real Achilles' heel of the inventor. However, this will turn into a global problem later, for the time being, in 1899, Buick organizes Buick Auto-Vim and Power, a company specializing in the production of stationary internal combustion engines. But, having not really set up production, David turns all his attention to cars - it's more difficult and interesting! In 1902, together with a very capable engineer, William Murr, and former designer of the Olds Motor Works, Eugene Richard, he created his first car.

Little is known about that early prototype. Photos, alas, have not been preserved, as well as reliable information. They say that the self-running stroller was structurally similar to the Oldsmobile Curved Dash, especially open body and steering handle. The low-valve engine of the first Buick was said to be surprisingly good: reliable and powerful enough to drive up steep enough hills - a quality that was especially appreciated at the dawn of the automobile age. The car, in other words, turned out to be quite good, only the long and painstaking development process burned the entire authorized capital of the young company.

Looking for funds to continue automotive business David came across a Detroit businessman, Ben Briscoe, who was selling rolled sheet. But his money was well spent, and the company was hardly any closer to mass production - the only way to recoup the investments already made.

In May 1903, after another reorganization, David's company received a new name - Buick Motor Company, under which, by the way, it is known to this day, and soon again passed into other hands. Ben Briscoe, tired of waiting for a profit, deftly handed the troubled automobile business to the successful van manufacturer James Whiting. The owner of Flint Wagon Works first decided to move production from Detroit to the regional town of Flint. But the troublesome move only delayed the long-awaited start. serial production. Only a year later, Buick Motor Company finally offered the market the first car - Model B.

Until the end of the year, only 37 cars were assembled - modest financial capabilities did not allow speeding up production. Worse, the van manufacturer began to lose patience - initially, the automobile enterprise seemed to him to be a simpler and more profitable business.

Don’t go to your grandmother, everything would have ended banally and sadly, but quite by accident, Mr. Whiting suggested Buick B to his businessman friend William Durant. At that time, the future founder of General Motors was not yet interested in cars and the automotive industry, but a good-quality machine changed absolutely everything. Completely fascinated by the quality and capabilities of the Buick B, Durant, one of the most cunning, far-sighted and courageous businessmen of the early 20th century, realized that cars were exactly what he needed. Understood and immediately set to work.

Already on November 1, 1904, William became Buick owner Motor Company, having brewed a vigorous activity. He increased the authorized capital of the company from 75 thousand to one and a half million dollars, ordered new machines and equipment, expanded the staff, and most importantly, began to actively increase production. Already in 1905, production increased to 750 cars, following the results of the next year, 1,400 cars were sold. Then everything went only on the rise. Buick would soon become the second largest automobile company in the United States after Ford, and then become the foundation stone for the founding of General Motors, of which it is to this day.

That's just all the success of Buick to Buick himself had a very indirect relationship.

First of all, an engineer and inventor, he was the odd one out on a team that wanted to make more, more, and a little more. Let's not forget that by that time David held a rather formal position of director in the company - the real management was quite logically carried out by the owner and main investor Durant. To William's credit, he didn't even think of getting the Buick out of the company that carried it. given name, but he himself felt out of place. All his proposals for the modernization of cars ran into a decisive no - how is it possible if this leads to a complication and an increase in the cost of production ?! Not surprisingly, in 1908, David Dunbar Buick left the Buick Motor Company on his own initiative, receiving $100,000 personally from William Durant as a severance pay.

Immortality

With his name, talent, experience and means, Buick seemed to have no difficulty finding a challenge worthy of his own ambitions. But fortune somehow confidently turned its back on him. David organized a carburetor company, but failed. Then he decided to play on the stock exchange with shares of oil companies. Just at that time, many made fortunes on this, but Buick, on the contrary, only lost money. His investments in real estate in Florida also turned out to be unsuccessful ... It ended up that the founder of a super-successful car brand had to work ... as a watchman. Thousands of cars named after him drove through the streets, but Buick himself could not afford a taxi ride!

The loser is not the one who falls all the time, but the one who, having fallen, remains lying, not trying to jump again above his height, - David philosophically assessed his misadventures in one of his later interviews. Alas, he will never be able to jump above his head. In 1928, David Dunbar Buick died of colon cancer, leaving history as perhaps the only founder of a large automobile company to whom cars did not bring either wealth or fame.

On the other hand, it was cars that immortalized the name of this wonderful Scot. Few can boast that their name flaunts on the radiators of 45 million cars - about as many cars brand Buick issued for 110 years.

Danila Mikhailov

Top 10 Buicks according to [email protected]

1. 10 (1907-1910)

"Ten" is not the first car in the history of the brand, but the first truly successful. The secret of the Model 10's success is simple, like everything ingenious - design, reliability, affordable price. For starters, Buick looked pretty good: a brass-decorated radiator, an elegant light gray, almost white body, because of which all “tens” got the nickname “white lightning”. The 4-cylinder 22-horsepower engine, developed by William Marr, was distinguished by unpretentiousness and reliability, rare for those times, paired with a 2-speed planetary transmission, confidently accelerating the car to 60 km / h. Finally, the base 3-seat model cost less than $1,000. Not surprisingly, the "ten" immediately became a hit. According to the results of 1908, about 8100 cars were sold, and Buick was fixed on the second line in the list. major automakers USA.

2 Roadmaster (1936-1937)

By far the most famous of the pre-war Buicks, it was a big boon for the entire company. Brand new design, all-metal body, upgraded motor, hydraulic brakes and, finally, a proper name in the title instead of boring digital indexes. Roadmaster 1936 model year was not the most expensive Buick, being located one step below the top Century, however, in terms of size, equipment level and power, the "Master of the Road" was compared even with the base Cadillac 60 series! With a length of almost five and a half meters, the Roadmaster was a rather big car, but the 120-horsepower in-line “eight” coped well with serious dimensions and a curb weight of under two tons. In the first year, more than 16,000 roadmasters were sold, and in the next, despite a very impressive and infrequent price increase for the American market (the Roadmaster price list increased by more than 20 percent at once), this pace was maintained.

3. Y-job (1938)

Today, when dozens of concept cars surprise the public at any more or less decent car show, it seems as if they have always existed. However, it is not. Until the second half of the 30s of the last century, all experimental cars remained an internal affair of automobile companies - the public did not know anything about the most daring ideas and projects. But in 1938, General Motors made the secret clear by introducing the first ever concept car. Promising Buick Y-job was not intended for sale, but many character traits subsequently appear on production models. These are hidden headlights with a servo drive, recessed door handles, power windows, bumpers that go into the sidewalls of the body. Curiously, the first concept car was a fully functional car - its creator, the famous GM designer Harley Earl, used the Y-job as a personal car for several years.

4M18 Hellcat (1943)

It's no secret that during World War II, everyone without exception automotive companies USA switched to issuing military equipment. In the workshops of Ford, for example, strategic bombers were assembled, Chrysler shipped anti-aircraft guns to the front, and Buick was remembered for the release of anti-tank self-propelled guns. Moreover, the M18 Hellcat ("Witch") was not a simple self-propelled gun, but the fastest tank destroyer of World War II! Thanks to the Continental 9-cylinder radial engine with 340 hp. and low curb weight, the Hellcat accelerated to a top speed of nearly 100 km/h, a unique feature for a tracked tank. The payment for the super dynamics was truly cardboard armor - in some places the thickness of the armor plate did not exceed 4 mm, as well as an open turret cabin. However, American tankers who successfully fought on the M18 in Western Europe, used the strongest sides of the machine: speed and maneuverability. Thanks to excellent dynamics, the crews quickly changed position after firing and often went into the flank of more armored, but not so agile and fast German tanks.

5 Roadmaster Skylark (1953-1954)

The golden 50s were the true heyday of the American automobile. Here, wherever you poke - in any case, you will end up in a masterpiece! So in the Buick model range at that time there were many interesting designs. Well, we chose the Roadmaster Skylark solely for anniversary reasons - after all, this two-door convertible was built exactly for the 50th anniversary of the brand. In fact, the model was a slightly redesigned version of the Roadmaster Convertible with an original stylistic decision. hind wings. Please note that the rear wheel arches made completely open - a rarity for that time. Skylark Anniversary Convertible was painted only in two colors - white or red. And it was originally equipped with a full set of additional equipment. Even so, the price of the anniversary car seemed too high - about $ 5,000, more than one and a half times more expensive than the packaged Roadmaster Convertible. However, all 1,690 copies of the model were sold and are now considered truly collectible.

6. Electra 225 (1959)

If you don't like the heyday of the Detroit Baroque, which came in the second half of the 50s, then this car may leave you indifferent. To sophisticated European tastes, the 1959 Electra may seem like a vulgar collection of stylistic excesses, from excessive chrome to misplaced fins. It seems to us that there are few cars that so unambiguously express the tastes and stylistic preferences of buyers of their era. In this sense, the luxurious five-meter Electra, built on the so-called C-body platform, is an absolute masterpiece. Well, isn't it a beauty?

7 Riviera (1963)

We have already covered this model in detail, perhaps the most famous of all Buicks in history. The first-generation Riviera was General Motors' answer to the "Ford" Thunderbird, and first a very impressive concept car appeared, and only then this car was literally played by the heads of the "Jiem" branches. Chevrolet and Cadillac ditched the Riviera out of the blue, while Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick were the most persistent of the trio of Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick. It is unlikely that anyone later regretted this decision. According to many experts, the design of the first generation Riviera is considered exemplary for the first half of the 60s. Large and charismatic hardtop, in the features of which you can detect the influence of models such as LaSalle, Rolls-Royce and even Ferrari, has earned flattering epithets on both sides of the ocean. And even the base 6.7-liter V8 with 325 hp, as they say, outperformed the Ford Thunderbird in terms of dynamics. True, the hardtop from Buick failed to become the same commercial success as the Thunderbird, but it more than deservedly got into the hall of fame of the American auto industry.

8 GSX Gran Sport 455 (1970)

Despite numerous race victories at the dawn of its history, Buick has never been distinguished by a special bias in sports models. Moreover, the premium brand managed to almost sleep through the golden age of "muscle cars", which fell on the glorious decade from 1963 to 1973. After all, Buick presented its answer to the Pontiac GTO and Oldsmobile 4-4-2 only two years after its competitors - the mid-size Skylark model had a version Gran Sport, implying a V-shaped "eight" with a volume of 6.5 liters and a power of 325 hp. Later, the name Skylark Gran Sport was shortened to Gran Sport, and then simply to GS. Well, the most charged of the most charged Buicks should be considered the 1970 GSX Stage 1 version, under the hood of which all 360 “horses” roared. On the road, that meant less than 6 seconds to 60 mph and a quarter mile from standstill in less than 15 seconds. Serious figures that absolutely all competitors had to reckon with.

9. Riviera (1971-1973)

After the success of the first generation model http://site/article.html?id=38733 Riviera entered the Buick portfolio for a long time. But only once did the model make all of America breathlessly talk about itself - the third generation Riviera, which debuted as a 1971 model year car, became a sensation. By that time, the most prestigious Buick was produced on the front-wheel drive "Jiem" A-platform, and to freshen up the look of the car and give it individuality, designer Jerry Hirshberg awarded it with a pointed V-shaped keel, reminiscent of the stern of a ship. The new Riviera was immediately dubbed boat-tail, that is, “ship stern”, and the States were divided into two camps: those who were delighted with the bold stylistic decision, and those who could not stand it. Then there were more "haters" - the commercial results of Riviera cannot be called triumphant. In the first year, a little less than 34 thousand cars were sold - the worst result at that time among all the "Rivieras". Recognition for the car, as usual, came in hindsight - today the boat-tail is deservedly considered one of the best, if not the best American of the 70s.

10Buick GNX (1986)

It's no secret that the 80s were, to put it mildly, not the most glorious time for the US auto industry. Just more or less successful models at that time, few appeared, and the most significant ones can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Perhaps the only Buick from that infamous era worthy of special mention is the Regal Gran National, named after the racing stock car that won the 1981-1982 NASCAR series. Turned out to be the most latest version of this family is the GNX model, which debuted in 1987. Created with the help of specialists from the engineering company McLaren Performance Technologies, the GNX, which, by the way, had nothing to do with the English McLaren, was equipped with a 3.8-liter V8 with a Garrett-T3 turbocharger that produced 276 hp. power and, more importantly, almost 500 Nm of torque. With a curb weight of 1535 kg, up to a hundred GNX, even with an antediluvian 4-speed “automatic” at the present time, flew in 5 seconds. This is still the fastest Buick ever.