The Buick Wonders of 2007
Buick Motor Division, which claims one of the most dramatic and important chapters in the history of the American automobile, celebrated its 103rd anniversary in 2006.
The founder of the company, David Dunbar Buick, was building gasoline engines by 1899, and Walter L. Marr, his engineer, built the first automobile to be called a Buick between 1899 and 1900. But officially, Buick dates its beginning in the year 1903. That was the year the company was incorporated and moved from Detroit to Flint.
The company’s history has been exciting from the beginning. Buick recovered from near bankruptcy in 1904 to become the number one manufacturer of automobiles in 1908 - exceeding the combined production of Ford and Cadillac, its closest competitors.
Buick was the financial pillar on which General Motors, today the world’s largest automaker, was created.
From the beginning, “motor” has been a key word in Buick’s name. Their original patented overhead valve single cylinder was unbelievably powerful for its time. And today’s 3.8-liter 3800 V6, widely described as world class in smoothness, performance and reliability, is a result of the Buick V-6 used in the 1962 Buick Special– the first V-6 ever offered in a mass produced U.S. car. Today, Buick offers V-6 engines in most of its models, including a supercharged 3800 in its flagship Park Avenue Ultra.