Early years Buick is one of the oldest automobile brands in the world and is currently the oldest in the United States still active today.
Autocar, founded in 1897, is the oldest motor vehicle manufacturer in the
Western Hemisphere; while originally an automobile maker, Autocar now builds heavy trucks.
Oldsmobile, also an early automaker founded in 1897, is now defunct;
Studebaker was founded in 1852, but did not begin producing automobiles until 1902;
Henry Ford produced his first car in 1896 but did not start the
Ford Motor Company until 1903, and during the period in between was involved with other automobile manufacturers such as
Cadillac, founded in 1902. The first two Buick automobiles were made in 1899 and 1900 at the "Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company" by chief engineer
Walter Marr, David Buick incorporated his company as the Buick Motor Company on May 19, 1903, in
Detroit, Michigan. Buick had been financed by a friend and fellow automobile enthusiast,
Benjamin Briscoe, who in September 1903 sold control of the business to
James H. Whiting, of
Flint Wagon Works, in
Flint, Michigan. Whiting moved Buick to Flint, to a location across the street from his factory, with the idea of adding Buick's engines to his wagons. David Buick sold his stock upon departure in 1906, making him a wealthy man, but he died in modest circumstances 25 years later. In 1907, Durant agreed to supply motors to
R. S. McLaughlin in Canada, an automaker, and in 1908 he founded
General Motors. Between 1899 and 1902, two prototype vehicles were built in Detroit, Michigan by
Walter Lorenzo Marr. Some documentation exists of the 1901 or 1902 prototype with
tiller steering similar to the
Oldsmobile Curved Dash. In mid-1904, another prototype was constructed for an endurance run, which convinced Whiting to authorize the production of the first models offered to the public. The architecture of this prototype was the basis for the Model B. The first Buick made for sale, the 1904 horizontally opposed 2-cylinder engine
Model B, was built in Flint, Michigan at a re-purposed factory that was known as the
Flint Wagon Works. There were 37 Buicks made that year, none of which survive. There are, however, two replicas in existence: the 1904 endurance car, at the Buick Gallery & Research Center in Flint, and a Model B assembled by an enthusiast in California for the division's 100th anniversary. Both of these vehicles use various parts from Buicks of that early era, as well as fabricated parts. These vehicles were each constructed with the two known surviving 1904 engines. (here pictured in 2015), built in 1907 The early success of Buick is attributed mainly to what it called the valve-in-head engine, now known as the
overhead valve (OHV), engine patented by Eugene Richard and developed by Richard, Buick, and Marr. The Model F had a two-cylinder engine, an 87-inch wheelbase, and weighed 1,800 lbs. The creation of
General Motors is attributed mainly to the success of Buick, so it can be said
Marr and Richard's designs directly led to GM. The power train and chassis architecture introduced on the Model B was continued through the 1909 Model F. The Model F was similar to the Model G, a lower-priced two-seat roadster, produced from 1906 until 1909. Both the F and G were powered by a two-cylinder 159 engine producing along with a 2-speed transmission as well as mechanical brakes on the rear wheels. The
flat-twin engine is inherently balanced, with
torque presented to the chassis in a longitudinal manner. The engine was mounted
amidships.
Billy Durant was a promoter, and Buick soon became the largest carmaker in America. Durant embarked on a series of corporate acquisitions, calling the new firm
General Motors. At first, the manufacturers comprising General Motors competed against each other, but Durant ended that. He wanted each General Motors division to target one class of buyers. Buick was positioned below the
Cadillac brand. To save on resources, Buick vehicles shared a common platform, called the
GM A platform, that was shared with
Chevrolet,
Oakland,
Oldsmobile, and Cadillac. At first, Buick followed the likes of
Napier in
automobile racing, winning the first-ever race held at
Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The first full-size Buick to join the smaller Model B was in 1907, when the
Buick Model D was introduced with a four-cylinder T-head engine, installed in the front with rear-wheel drive. This was one of the only cars with side valves that Buick ever made.
1910s–1920s in his
Buick 60 Special (aka "Buick Bug") in 1910 In 1910, Buick introduced the
Model 10 with an OHV four-cylinder engine followed in 1911, with their first closed-body car, the
Buick Six, that followed the same bodystyle that first appeared at Cadillac, and four years ahead of
Ford. The car was built at the all-new factory in Flint which later became known as
Buick City. Buick during the 1920s made various sized vehicles, with series designations for different years, sometimes using numbers, while later years using lettered designations. One of the larger vehicles, with a straight-six, was the
Buick Master Six. The Model 10 was phased out during a restructuring initiated by GM's new leadership that assumed position on November 15, 1910. In the 1910s and 1920s, Buick was a prestige brand in the Republic of China with the brand driven by or for high-level politicians and the
Emperor. The latter imported two Buick cars in 1924, making it the first automobile to enter China. Buick now sells 80% of its production in the People's Republic of China and is a minor player in Taiwan. In 1929, as part of
General Motors' companion make program, Buick Motor Division launched the
Marquette sister brand, designed to bridge the price gap between Buick and
Oldsmobile. Its styling featured a high peaked hood and radiator shell while its suspension used four, parallel, semi-elliptical springs with
Delco-Lovejoy shock absorbers. Marquette was discontinued in 1930. All Buick, Marquette,
Viking, and Oldsmobile products shared the newly introduced
GM B platform starting in 1926.
1930s Buick debuted two major achievements for the 1931 model year, the
OHV Buick Straight-8 engine and a
synchromesh transmission in all models but the Series 50. The Eight was offered in three displacements, the 220 cubic inch (bore 2 7/8 in. stroke 4.25 in.), was available in the Series 50 with 77 brake HP. The Series 60 engine was a 272 cu. in. unit (bore 3 1/16 in., stroke 5 in.) giving 90 brake HP. Cadillac had previously introduced the
Cadillac Type 51 with a flathead V8 engine in 1915 which made usage of an eight-cylinder engine a luxury feature. The Series 80 and Series 90 used a 344 cu. in. version (bore 3 5/16 in., stroke 5 in.) for 104 brake HP. Automatic vacuum-operated spark advance was another feature replacing the steering column-mounted spark lever although an emergency lever was now dash mounted. Buick scored another first in 1939 when it became the first company to introduce
turn signals, which did not appear on other car brands until almost a decade later. All 1939 models also had a steering column-mounted shift lever. In the mid-1930s McLaughlin-Buicks were purchased by British monarch
Edward VIII. He had a preference for the Canadian built McLaughlin-Buick. Buicks were used for royal transport within Canada, including for King
George VI and Queen
Elizabeth during the
1939 royal tour of Canada. In 1957, Buick's new 364 cu. in. engine block and
ball joint front suspension debuted and Roadmasters now had
aluminum finned brake drums. However, with the economic cooldown, in 1957 Buick fell to fourth place again.
1970s The 1970s saw a number of new models added to the Buick lineup including the Estate Wagon as its own model in 1970,
Centurion in 1971,
Apollo in 1973, and
Skyhawk in 1975. 1975 also saw the first appearance of the "
Park Avenue" nameplate for Buick as a trim/option package on the Electra 225 Limited. A Buick Century paced the Indianapolis 500 race not once but twice in the mid-1970s. In 1976, Buick began selling rebadged
Isuzu Geminis as Opels to replace the Opel Kadett models it had previously marketed. The following year, Electra 225 and LeSabre were redesigned and downsized, and the Buick brand saw its best model year sales to date with 773,313 vehicles sold. 1978 marked Buick's 75th anniversary and welcomed a redesigned Century as well as a redesigned Regal coupe which was now available with a turbocharged
V6 engine. Buick model year sales broke another record in 1978 with 795,316 vehicles sold. In 1979, the Riviera was redesigned; Riviera S-Type was named Motor Trend Car of the Year. File:Buick Skylark (5011365230).jpg|1980
Buick Skylark File:1982 Buick LeSabre Limited diesel sedan front.jpg|1982
Buick LeSabre Limited File:1984 Riviera convertible.jpg|1984
Buick Riviera File:Blue Buick Electra.jpg|1985
Buick Electra Park Avenue File:Buick Somerset.jpg|1986
Buick Somerset File:1987 Buick Regal Grand National, front left (2022 Back to the 50's Weekend).jpg|1987
Buick Regal Grand National File:1987 Buick SkyHawk Custom.jpg|1987
Buick Skyhawk Custom File:1988 Buick Reatta, front left.jpg|1988
Buick Reatta File:Buick Roadmaster -- 04-22-2010.jpg|1992
Buick Roadmaster Limited File:1994-96 Buick Century wagon, front right side.jpg|1994
Buick Century Estate File:1996-1998 Buick Skylark.jpg|1996
Buick Skylark File:Buick Park Avenue -- 01-07-2012.jpg|1997
Buick Park Avenue File:1999 Buick Riviera.jpg|1999
Buick Riviera 1980s In the 1980s, Buick's lineup saw several changes including the downsizing of various models. In 1980, Lloyd Reuss was appointed as general manager and further pushed Buick into turbocharging, racing, and performance production cars, building momentum which continued a number of years after his departure in 1984 as he headed toward a brief term as GM president. Also in 1980, the
Diesel engine became available on select Buick models and Somerset was introduced as an optional package on the Regal Limited. In 1981, the
T-Type performance trim was introduced on the Riviera. Regal was the official pace car of the
Indianapolis 500 race in 1981. In 1982, the
Grand National high-performance package was first offered on Regal, helping Buick return to its #3 spot after 26 years. Also for 1986, the
E-body Riviera was converted to
unibody construction and further downsized to a wheelbase similar in length to that of the
Buick Regal. The V6 was now the only engine, rated initially at SAE and of torque. It used the Turbo-
Hydramatic 440-T4
automatic with a 2.84:1 final drive ratio. This generation was noted for advanced electronic instrumentation displayed on a dash-mounted CRT. The CRT controlled the vehicle's climate control system and stereo, and also supplied advanced instrumentation such as a
trip computer and maintenance reminder feature. Four-wheel disc brakes were standard. With a choice of three suspension packages available, up to the performance oriented FE3 setting, handling was notably improved. The Riviera placed fourth for
Motor Trends 1986 Car of the Year contest. Fuel economy was notably improved for the 1986 Riviera, but the investment in the downsized,
transverse engine front-wheel drive platform resulted in a substantial price increase to $19,831 for the base model to $21,577 for the new
T-Type. Downsizing also resulted in a dimensional similarity to smaller, less expensive offerings from GM. The smaller dimensions, generic styling, and lack of a V8 led to Riviera sales plummeting to 22,138 for 1986. In 1987, the last of the turbo/intercooled Regal Grand Nationals, often called the quickest American cars, were offered as well as 547 even quicker special edition '87 GNXs. It would also be the last year for the rear-wheel-drive Regal. General manager Ed Mertz promoted the new "Premium American Motorcars" theme which focused Buick marketing on the various qualities that made the marque famous. In 1988, Buick was the official car of the
U.S. Olympic Team. The
Reatta two-seater was introduced, to be followed two years later by a convertible. Also in 1988,
Regal was downsized and converted to front-wheel drive. Bobby Allison won the Daytona 500 in a Regal that year. 1988 also saw the debut of the slogan "The Great American Road Belongs to Buick". In 1989, a new Electra trim level was offered called the Park Avenue Ultra. The Ultra was an upgrade to the Electra Park Avenue and featured a standard leather-trimmed interior with dual 20-way power front seats (shared with Cadillac's restyled 1989
Fleetwood Sixty Special), lower-body accent exterior paint treatment, distinctive thick-padded vinyl top with limousine-style rear-window surround (available only on Ultra), simulated burled elm trim on the doors and instrument panel, unique aluminum wheels, anti-lock brakes, chromed
B-pillar moldings, specific grille and tail lamps, leather-wrapped steering wheel, electronic instrumentation, padded glove-compartment door, unique interior door panel trim, and a variety of otherwise minor changes. With its long list of standard equipment, the Park Avenue Ultra carried a higher base price than Cadillac's
Sedan de Ville. The Riviera was also restyled for 1989, adding 11 inches to its overall length. In the late 1980s, the Flint-built LeSabre ranked #1 in North America and #2 in the world in a major independent quality study which eventually led Buick to change its ad slogan from "The Great American Road Belongs to Buick" to "Buick: The New Symbol for Quality in America."
1990s In 1990, the first Reatta convertible was produced. 1990 was also the last year for the Electra as Park Avenue, previously a trim level on the Electra, became its own model for the 1991 model year. In 1991, Buick led the industry in improvement in sales and market share. A new four-door Regal came to market for 1991, the first Regal sedan since 1984. Buick also introduced a supercharged 3.8-liter V6 in the Park Avenue Ultra. Supercharging became so popular at Buick that by the new millennium, Buick was the leading marketer and industry leader of supercharged cars. 1991 saw the return of the
Roadmaster after a 33-year absence. The Roadmaster was first offered as a wagon only and then a sedan was added for 1992. For 1992, the popular LeSabre was redesigned along the same lines as the previous year's
Park Avenue. 1992 also saw the introduction of a new, redesigned Skylark. In 1993, a special edition LeSabre was sold to commemorate Buick's 90th anniversary. In addition to Custom trim level standard equipment, included were "90th Anniversary" badging, cassette player, cruise control, rear-window defogger, power driver's seat, carpeted floor mats, exterior pinstripes, and choice of wire or aluminum wheel covers. In 1995, after a hiatus in 1994, the Riviera returned with radical styling that departed from the previous generations' more traditional image. A
naturally aspirated 3800 V6 was standard, with a
supercharged version rated at and available as an option. Rivieras were now assembled in
Lake Orion, Michigan, riding the same Cadillac-derived
G platform as the 4-door
Oldsmobile Aurora. In 1996, both the Roadmaster sedan and wagon were discontinued. In 1998, after 95 years in Flint, Buick's headquarters was moved to Detroit. Bob Coletta, Buick general manager, saw the first Chinese Buick roll off the line at Shanghai before he turned over the top Buick job to Roger Adams. Buick Gallery and Research Center opened at Flint's Sloan Museum. A reorganization of the division split sales from marketing. In 1999, the last of nearly 16 million Buicks were built in Flint's Buick City. The last car, a 1999 LeSabre, rolled off the assembly line on June 29 that year. In a major independent quality study, Buick ranked #2 (and top domestic) among 37 international brands and Buick City shared the top world position among automotive assembly plants. With sales of all coupes declining in the North American market, GM decided to discontinue the Riviera. 1999 was the car's last model year with production ceasing on November 25, 1998. The final 200 cars had special silver paint and trim and were denoted "Silver Arrow" models, a designation which hearkened back to several Silver Arrow show cars that had been built off Riviera bodies by
Bill Mitchell. The eighth generation Rivieras received the most powerful V6 Buick engine since the
Grand Nationals of the 1980s. The supercharged
OHV V6 allowed the car to accelerate from 0 to in under 7 seconds, complete the mile in 15.5 seconds, and achieve MPG fuel efficiency ratings of 18 city/27 highway.
Recent years File:00-05 Buick LeSabre.jpg|2000
Buick LeSabre File:Buick Rendezvous.jpg|2002
Buick Rendezvous File:04-07 Buick Rainier.jpg|2004
Buick Rainier CXL File:Buick Terraza -- 09-26-2009.jpg|2005
Buick Terraza File:Buick-Lucerne-CXL.jpg|2006
Buick Lucerne CXL File:Buick Enclave CXL -- 03-05-2010.jpg|2008
Buick Enclave CXL File:2009 Buick LaCrosse -- 09-07-2009.jpg|2009
Buick LaCrosse Super File:2011 Buick Verano (5490346021).jpg|2011
Buick Regal GS File:2012 Buick Verano -- 04-30-2012.JPG|2012
Buick Verano File:Buick Encore P4250799.jpg|2013
Buick Encore File:Buick Cascada (16282443827).jpg|2016
Buick Cascada Premium File:Buick Envision P4250795.jpg|2016
Buick Envision Premium File:Buick Velite 5 (cropped).jpg|2017
Buick Velite 5 2000s In the 2000s, Buick's lineup was modified with the compact and performance segments being abandoned in favor of the crossover/SUV market which was growing in popularity. In 2000, Buick headed into the new millennium with a redesigned LeSabre (best-selling U.S. full-size car for eight straight years) and a more powerful Century. Since the first Detroit experimental car of 1899–1900 and the first Flint production car of 1904, more than 35 million Buicks had been built. The 2000 LeSabre was introduced in March 1999 and was now built on
GM's G platform; however, GM chose to continue to refer to it as the H platform. The LeSabre was manufactured at GM's
Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly factory in
Hamtramck, Michigan and Lake Orion Assembly, in Lake Orion, Michigan. Some of the changes with the redesign included a new grille that did not open with the hood and slightly smaller exterior dimensions. Despite its somewhat smaller exterior size, it still offered similar interior room and more trunk space than the previous model. 2001 saw Buick's first entry into the crossover market with the introduction of the
Rendezvous as a 2002 model. In 2003, the
Buick Centieme crossover
concept car commemorated Buick Motor Division's 100th anniversary. Some of the Centieme's exterior design and interior features would later appear on the 2008
Enclave crossover. In 2004, Buick added the
Rainier mid-size SUV, and the new
Terraza minivan was added a year later. In the years following, Buick began consolidating its North American lineup and by 2008 had reduced it to just three models: the
LaCrosse/Allure, the
Lucerne, and the new-for-2008 Enclave. The Super name had also returned after a 50-year absence as a new performance trim level on LaCrosse and Lucerne. The brand's total overall sales slipped in the United States, and, with a reputation for primarily appealing to older buyers, rumors circulated throughout this decade that the Buick marque would be discontinued. The profitability of the model lineup and popularity in China ensured Buick's future within General Motors, with the decision being made to discontinue the
Pontiac brand instead. Since 2005, GM had gradually consolidated Buick with
GMC and former
Pontiac dealerships to create the current Buick-GMC network. During
General Motors Chapter 11 reorganization and emergence in 2009, the company designated Buick as a "core brand", citing the division's success in China. Behind the scenes, GM began to move products originally planned for other brands to Buick. The
Opel Insignia was originally intended to become the second-generation
Saturn Aura, but instead became the new Buick Regal. In the 2009 J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study, Buick tied with Jaguar as the most dependable brand in the United States.
2010s The 2010s included the return of a classic Buick nameplate, the
Buick Regal, and several new model names. The decade also saw the brand's first hatchback since 1987, its first factory convertible since 1991, and its first station wagon since 1996. Buick further expanded its presence in the popular crossover/SUV market in the 2010s. In January 2009, Buick unveiled the new 2010 LaCrosse sedan, an all-new styling direction that included traditional Buick cues. The market responded positively to the LaCrosse and reviews favorably compared it to luxury models such as the
Lexus ES. In 2010, Buick became the fastest-growing automotive brand in America and attracted a younger customer demographic. A GM company spokesman at the time said that Buick was positioned as a "premium" marque (entry-level luxury) to compete with various
Acura,
Infiniti,
Lexus, and
Volvo models, while
Cadillac was aimed at the "luxury" performance segment which includes brands like
BMW and
Mercedes-Benz. An all-new Regal sedan, a smaller model based on the European
Opel Insignia, was re-introduced for the 2011 model year after a seven-year absence. For 2012, the all-new
Verano, which was a compact sedan based on the
Chevrolet Cruze, joined the lineup. Additionally, the performance-oriented Regal GS officially went on sale and became the first Buick in almost 20 years to be offered with a manual transmission and a turbocharger. Buick also entered the hybrid market with the introduction of
eAssist technology on the 2012 LaCrosse and Regal which helped improve fuel economy ratings by as much as 38% over the regular gas-engine versions. Meanwhile, sales of the Enclave crossover remained strong. In January 2012, the all-new
Encore mini crossover was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Also in 2012, a turbocharged version of the Verano was introduced and the Enclave was redesigned for the 2013 model year. In 2013, GM confirmed plans for a "hybrid global brand" which includes
Opel/Vauxhall and Buick using more synergies between the brands. LaCrosse and Regal were refreshed for the 2014 model year. In 2015, the all-new
Cascada subcompact convertible debuted at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The all-new 2017 LaCrosse was shown at the
2015 Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2015, as a 2017 model. Buick also confirmed that the
Envision compact crossover would be sold in North America starting summer 2016. The Verano compact sedan was dropped from the Buick lineup in North America in 2017. With GM selling off the Opel/Vauxhall division to
PSA Group in March 2017, Buick is expected to move away from sharing the Opel model/designs upon the completion of the current generation vehicles. For 2018, Buick replaced the Regal sedan with an all-new model offering hatchback and station wagon body styles. This new Regal was the first hatchback from Buick for the North American market since the 1987 Skyhawk and the first station wagon since the 1996 Roadmaster. A sub-brand was also added in 2018 to accompany Buick, with the Avenir badge being applied to its top-of-the-line level trims, utilizing the same strategy as GMC's successful Denali sub-brand. 2019 would be the last year for the Cascada convertible globally and the LaCrosse sedan for the North American market.
2020s New for 2020 was the
Encore GX crossover which slotted in between the existing Encore and Envision. The Regal hatchback and station wagon were discontinued for the North American market in 2020. In June 2022, Buick Global Chief
Duncan Aldred announced that Buick would transition its entire line-up to electric vehicles by 2030. As part of that plan, all Buick dealers would be given the opportunity to take a
buyout rather than switch to all-electric. Aldred explained the move saying that making the transition to electric would require a considerable investment in upgrading dealer facilities and not all dealers would be willing to make the financial commitment. Aldrerd also pointed out that most Buick dealers also sold other GM products, so accepting the buyout would not necessarily result in a dealership closing. Once Buick's top-selling model in North America, the Encore was discontinued in 2022 as more customers favored the larger Encore GX which was introduced for 2020 and became Buick's new top seller. In 2023, the
Envista launched for the 2024 model year. For the 2026 model year, Buick's North American lineup consists of the Envista and Encore GX subcompact crossovers, the Envision compact crossover, and the Enclave mid-size crossover. == Leadership ==