Buick facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Buick

Buick dealership in Springfield, Oregon
Formerly	Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company (1899–1903) Buick Motor Company (1903–1908)
Type	Division
Industry	Automotive
Founded	December 1899; 125 years ago (1899-12)
Founder	David Dunbar Buick
Headquarters	Detroit, Michigan , U.S.
Area served	North America China
Brands	Electra (EV)
Parent	General Motors

Buick is a famous car brand from America. It's part of a bigger company called General Motors (GM). A person named David Dunbar Buick started the company in 1899. This makes Buick one of the oldest car brands in America.

In fact, Buick was the company that helped start General Motors in 1908. Before that, William C. Durant, who founded GM, was a big investor in Buick. After another old car brand, Oldsmobile, stopped making cars in 2004, Buick became the oldest American carmaker still around.

Buick cars are known for being a bit fancy or "premium." They are usually more expensive than Chevrolet cars but less expensive than luxury Cadillac cars. In North America, you often find Buick cars sold at the same dealerships as GMC trucks and SUVs.

Even though Buick's sales in the U.S. have changed over the years, the brand is very popular in China. China now buys about 80% of all Buick cars made!

Buick's Story

How Buick Started

Buick is one of the oldest car brands in the world. It's the oldest American car brand that's still making cars today. Other old carmakers like Autocar (started 1897) now make heavy trucks. Oldsmobile (started 1897) doesn't exist anymore.

The very first Buick cars were made in 1899 and 1900. They were built by an engineer named Walter Lorenzo Marr. But David Buick wasn't sure about making cars. He preferred making engines for boats and other machines.

So, Walter Marr left in 1901. Another engineer, Eugene Richard, took over. He got a patent for an important engine design called the "valve-in-head" engine. This design made engines more powerful.

In 1904, Buick Motor Company moved to Flint, Michigan. Walter Marr came back as the chief engineer. That year, they made 37 Buick cars. Production quickly grew to thousands of cars each year! By 1908, Buick was the biggest car manufacturer in the U.S.

David Buick officially started the Buick Motor Company in 1903. A friend helped him with money. Later, a man named James H. Whiting took over. He wanted to put Buick's engines into his wagons.

Whiting didn't make many cars before he ran out of money. So, he brought in William C. Durant in 1904. Durant was a very successful businessman who made carriages. He helped Buick become the top-selling car brand in the U.S.

David Buick sold his share of the company in 1906. He became rich, but sadly, he lost his money later in life. In 1908, Durant used the success of Buick to create a much bigger company: General Motors.

Between 1899 and 1902, two test cars were built. In 1904, another test car was made. This led to the first cars sold to the public, called the Model B.

The first Buick Model B cars were built in Flint, Michigan, in 1904. Only 37 were made that year, and none exist today. But there are two replicas (copies) that were built using old parts.

Buick's early success came from its special "valve-in-head" engine. This engine design was very good for its time. The success of Buick and its engines directly led to the creation of General Motors.

The Model F and Model G cars were popular in the early years. They had a two-cylinder engine that made 22 horsepower. They also had a 2-speed transmission and brakes on the back wheels.

Billy Durant was great at promoting cars. Buick quickly became the biggest carmaker in America. Durant then bought other car companies and called his new big company General Motors.

At first, the different car brands under GM competed. But Durant wanted each brand to focus on a different type of buyer. Buick was placed just below the luxury Cadillac brand. To save money, Buick cars often shared parts and designs with other GM brands like Chevrolet and Oldsmobile.

Buick also got involved in car racing. They even won the first race ever held at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Buick in the 1910s and 1920s

In 1910, Buick introduced the Model 10 with a four-cylinder engine. In 1911, they made their first car with a closed roof, called the Buick Six. This was four years before Ford offered a similar car.

During the 1910s and 1920s, Buick cars were very popular and fancy in China. Important people like politicians and even the Emperor used them. Today, Buick still sells most of its cars in China.

In 1929, Buick launched a sister brand called Marquette. This was to offer cars that fit between Buick and Oldsmobile in price. But Marquette was stopped in 1930.

Buick in the 1930s

In 1931, Buick introduced two big improvements. They started using a new "Straight-8" engine. This engine had eight cylinders in a row. They also added a "synchromesh transmission" to most models. This made shifting gears much smoother.

Buick also added automatic turn signals in 1939. This was a new feature that other car brands didn't have for almost ten years!

In the mid-1930s, even British royalty, like King Edward VIII, bought special McLaughlin-Buick cars. These cars were used for royal travel in Canada.

• Buick in the early years
• 

  1904 Buick Model B

• 

  1905 Buick Model C

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  1910 Buick Model 10 Runabout

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  1914 Buick Six Model B-35 phaeton

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  1917 Buick D-35 roadster

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  1918 Buick E-45

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  1922 Buick Model 22-54 Sport roadster

• 

  1925 Buick Master Six Series 25 touring

• 

  1925 Buick Master Six

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  1929 Buick Series 46 Business Coupe

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  1930 Buick Series 46 Business Coupe

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  1932 Buick Series 60 Model 67 sedan

• 

  1935 Buick Series 40 Model 46C convertible coupe

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  1938 Buick Series 80 touring sedan

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  1939 Buick Series 40 Model 41 touring sedan

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  1941 Buick Series 90 Touring Sedan Model 90

Buick Engines Over Time

Buick has used many different engines:

• 1904–1911: Two-cylinder engines.
• 1907–1924: Four-cylinder engines.
• 1914–1930: "Straight-6" engines (six cylinders in a row).
• 1931–1953: "Straight-8" engines (eight cylinders in a row).
• 1953-1981: V8 engines (eight cylinders in a V-shape).
• 1961-2008: V6 engines (six cylinders in a V-shape).

After World War II

• 1940s–1950s
• 

  1947 Buick Super

• 

  1948 Buick Roadmaster Sedanet

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  1949 Buick Roadmaster

• 

  1950 Buick Super Riviera

• 

  1953 Buick Roadmaster Skylark

• 

  1953 Buick Roadmaster Estate

• 

  1955 Buick Special

• 

  1956 Buick Century Riviera

• 

  1957 Buick Super Riviera

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  1958 Buick Special Riviera

• 

  1959 Buick Electra

The 1940s

In 1940, Buick started using the "Estate" name for its station wagons. Car production stopped in 1942 because of World War II. During the war, Buick made military vehicles like the M18 Hellcat tank destroyer. They also made engines for airplanes.

Car production started again in late 1945. In 1948, Buick offered its first automatic transmission, called "Dynaflow." In 1949, Buick introduced its famous "VentiPorts" on the side of the car.

The 1950s

1953 was Buick's 50th birthday! They also introduced the new V8 engine and the fancy Roadmaster Skylark. In 1955, Buick sold the most cars they ever had, with over 738,000 vehicles. This record lasted until 1977.

In 1959, Buick introduced three new models: Electra, Invicta, and LeSabre. An Electra car also led the famous Indianapolis 500 race that year.

• 1960s–1970s
• 

  1962 Buick Special DeLuxe

• 

  1963 Buick Wildcat

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  1963 Buick Riviera

• 

  1965 Buick LeSabre

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  1966 Buick Riviera GS

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  1968 Buick Skylark

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  1970 Buick GSX

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  1971 Buick Estate

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  1972 Buick Riviera

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  1973 Buick Century GS

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  1975 Buick Skyhawk

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  1978 Buick Electra Limited

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  1979 Buick Regal

The 1960s

Buick cars led the Daytona 500 race in 1960 and 1963. In 1961, a new V6 engine called "Fireball" was introduced. The Skylark name also returned for a smaller car line. The Buick Special was even named "Car of the Year" in 1962.

In 1963, the very stylish Riviera model was introduced. In the mid-1960s, Buick also started selling German-made Opel cars in North America.

The 1970s

The 1970s brought many new models to Buick. These included the Estate Wagon, Centurion, Apollo, and Skyhawk. The "Park Avenue" name first appeared in 1975 as a special trim package for the Electra.

Buick cars led the Indianapolis 500 race twice in the mid-1970s. In 1977, Buick sold a record number of cars, over 773,000 vehicles. In 1978, Buick celebrated its 75th anniversary. They also introduced a redesigned Regal coupe that could have a powerful turbocharged V6 engine.

• 1980s–1990s
• 

  1980 Buick Skylark

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  1982 Buick LeSabre Limited

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  1984 Buick Riviera

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  1985 Buick Electra Park Avenue

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  1986 Buick Somerset

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  1987 Buick Regal Grand National

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  1987 Buick Skyhawk Custom

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  1988 Buick Reatta

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  1992 Buick Roadmaster Limited

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  1994 Buick Century Estate

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  1996 Buick Skylark

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  1997 Buick Park Avenue

• 

  1999 Buick Riviera

The 1980s

In the 1980s, many Buick models became smaller. In 1980, Lloyd Reuss became the general manager. He pushed Buick to focus on powerful, high-performance cars. The Grand National performance package was first offered in 1982.

In 1983, Buick sold a new record of over 810,000 vehicles. In 1984, Buick was the official car of the Olympic Games. That year, Buick sold over 906,000 cars, and worldwide sales topped one million for the first time!

In 1985, Buick introduced the smaller, front-wheel-drive Electra. It was GM's first big car with this design. Buick also introduced the Somerset as its own model. Buick engines were very successful in racing, powering many cars in the Indy 500.

The last of the very fast Regal Grand Nationals were made in 1987. These cars were known for being incredibly quick. In 1988, the Reatta two-seater car was introduced. The Regal also became a smaller, front-wheel-drive car.

In the late 1980s, a study showed that the Flint-built LeSabre was one of the highest quality cars in North America. This led Buick to change its advertising slogan to "Buick: The New Symbol for Quality in America."

The 1990s

In 1990, the first Reatta convertible was made. The Electra model was replaced by the Park Avenue as its own model in 1991. Buick also introduced a supercharged V6 engine in the Park Avenue Ultra. Supercharged engines became very popular for Buick.

The Roadmaster car returned in 1991 after 33 years. It was first a wagon, then a sedan was added in 1992. In 1992, the popular LeSabre and Skylark models were redesigned.

In 1995, the Riviera returned with a bold new look. It had a powerful V6 engine, with an even stronger supercharged option.

In 1996, the Roadmaster sedan and wagon were stopped. In 1998, Buick's main office moved to Detroit. In 1999, the last Buick was built at the "Buick City" factory in Flint. The last car was a 1999 LeSabre.

With fewer people buying coupes, GM decided to stop making the Riviera. The last Riviera was built in 1998. The final 200 Rivieras were special "Silver Arrow" models.

Buick in Recent Years

• 2000s–2010s
• 

  2000 Buick LeSabre

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  2002 Buick Rendezvous

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  2004 Buick Rainier CXL

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  2005 Buick Terraza

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  2006 Buick Lucerne CXL

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  2008 Buick Enclave CXL

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  2009 Buick LaCrosse Super

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  2011 Buick Regal GS

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  2012 Buick Verano

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  2013 Buick Encore

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  2016 Buick Cascada Premium

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  2016 Buick Envision Premium

• 

  2017 Buick Velite 5

The 2000s

In the 2000s, Buick started focusing more on SUVs and crossovers. They stopped making smaller cars and performance models. In 2001, Buick introduced its first crossover, the Rendezvous. In 2003, a special concept car called the Buick Centieme celebrated Buick's 100th anniversary. Some of its features later appeared on the 2008 Enclave crossover.

By 2008, Buick's lineup in North America was smaller, with only three models: the LaCrosse, Lucerne, and the new Enclave. There were rumors that Buick might be stopped. But because Buick was doing so well in China, General Motors decided to keep Buick and instead stopped the Pontiac brand.

Since 2005, Buick dealerships often shared space with GMC and former Pontiac dealerships. In 2009, Buick was named one of the most dependable car brands in the U.S.

The 2010s

The 2010s brought back a classic Buick name, the Buick Regal. Many new models were also introduced. Buick also started selling its first hatchback since 1987, its first convertible since 1991, and its first station wagon since 1996. Buick continued to grow its lineup of popular crossovers and SUVs.

In 2009, Buick showed off the new 2010 LaCrosse sedan. It had a fresh new look. People liked the LaCrosse, and it was compared to luxury cars like the Lexus ES. In 2010, Buick became the fastest-growing car brand in America. It also started attracting younger buyers.

In 2011, the Buick Regal sedan returned. It was a smaller car based on a European model. In 2012, the new Verano compact sedan joined the lineup. The Regal GS also became the first Buick in almost 20 years to offer a manual transmission and a turbocharger.

Buick also started using "eAssist" technology in 2012. This helped cars like the LaCrosse and Regal get much better gas mileage. In 2012, the new Encore mini crossover was shown.

In 2015, the new Cascada convertible was introduced. Buick also confirmed that the Envision compact crossover would be sold in North America. The Verano sedan was stopped in North America in 2017.

For 2018, the Regal sedan was replaced with a new model that offered hatchback and station wagon styles. Buick also added a new "Avenir" badge for its fanciest models, similar to GMC's "Denali" line. 2019 was the last year for the Cascada convertible and the LaCrosse sedan in North America.

The 2020s

In 2020, the new Encore GX crossover was introduced. It fit between the existing Encore and Envision models. The Regal hatchback and station wagon were stopped in North America in 2020.

In June 2022, Buick announced that all its cars would become electric vehicles by 2030. As part of this plan, Buick dealers could choose to stop selling Buicks if they didn't want to invest in electric car upgrades.

The Encore model was stopped in 2022. More customers preferred the larger Encore GX, which became Buick's new best-seller. Today, Buick's lineup in North America includes the Envista, Encore GX, Envision, and Enclave crossovers.

Buick Cars You Can Buy (or Used to Buy!)

Current Models

• Current lineup
• 

  Century

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  Electra E4

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  Electra E5

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  Enclave

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  Encore GX

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  Envista

• 

  Envision

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  GL8 ES

• 

  GL8 Land Business

• 

  LaCrosse

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  Regal

• 

  Velite 6

• 

  Verano

Past Models

Cool Concept Cars

• Concept cars
• 

  1938 Buick Y-Job concept

• 

  1951 Buick XP-300 concept

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  1954 Buick Wildcat II concept

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  1956 Buick Centurion concept

• 

  1963 Buick Silver Arrow
  concept

• 

  1989 Buick Park Avenue Essence concept

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  1995 Buick XP2000 concept

• 

  2007 Buick Riviera concept

• 

  2013 Buick Riviera concept

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  2015 Buick Avenir concept

• 

  2016 Buick Avista concept

Buick has a long history of making amazing concept cars. These are special cars built to show new ideas and designs. The first one was the Y-Job in 1938, which was the first concept car ever!

More recent concept cars from Buick are all electric. These include the Buick Enspire (2018), the Buick Electra (2020), and the Buick Wildcat (2022).

Special Buick Features

The Trishield Logo

The Buick "Trishield" logo comes from the family crest of David Dunbar Buick, the founder. It was a red shield with a checkered pattern. Buick started using this shield on its car grilles in 1937.

In 1960, the logo changed. It became three shields in red, white, and blue. These colors represented the three main Buick car lines at the time. The Trishield logo was simplified in 2005, but the colors have returned. Today, they represent Buick's current lineup of sedans and crossovers.

VentiPorts

A classic Buick design feature since 1949 is a set of three or four small vents on the front fender. These were called "VentiPorts."

Originally, they were meant to help air flow out of the engine. But soon after, they became just a cool styling detail. At first, the number of VentiPorts (three or four) showed how big the engine was. Later, it showed the size of the car's body.

In 1961, Buick introduced its first V6 engine. After that, the VentiPorts showed the number of cylinders in the engine. V6 models had three VentiPorts on each side, and V8 models had four. VentiPorts appeared on some Buick models until 1981. They were brought back in 2003 on the Buick Park Avenue Ultra and later on the Lucerne.

Sweepspear

Another special Buick design from the 1940s to the 1970s was the "Sweepspear." This was a curved line of trim that ran along almost the entire side of the car. It started over the front wheel, curved down, and then flared up over the rear wheel.

It was first an option in 1949 but became a standard feature on all Buicks by 1951. On cars with two-tone paint, the Sweepspear often separated the two colors. Over time, it changed from a metal strip to a simple line in the car's body.

Delta Fin

In 1958, the "Sweepspear" design changed into something called the "Delta Fin." This looked like the tail fin of a rocket ship. It appeared on the 1959 models and was changed in 1960. It was removed in 1961.

Taillight Shapes

In the 1950s, Buick cars often had small, round, bullet-shaped taillights. In the early 1960s, most models started using wide, rectangular taillights. Then, in 1965, some models had taillights that went all the way across the back of the car.

Classic Grille Styling

A Buick design that has appeared many times is the grille. It's often a horizontal oval with many thin, vertical chrome bars that stick out. People sometimes called this the Buick "dollar grin," especially on cars from the early 1950s.

Today, Buick models have a new version of this classic style. They have chromed "Waterfall Grilles."

Waterfall Grille

In recent years, Buick has used a "waterfall grille." This design was first seen on a concept car in 2004. It was first used on a production car with the Buick Lucerne in 2006. This grille looks a bit like the grilles on Buicks from the 1980s.

Nailhead Engine

The Buick V8 engine was nicknamed the "Nailhead." This was because its engine valves were relatively small and looked like nails. Hot-rodders (people who modify cars for speed) liked this engine in the 1950s and 1960s. It fit well into smaller spaces and was easy to work on.

Buick's Performance Cars

Buick is also known for making high-performance cars. Some famous examples include:

• The Gran Sport and Skylark GSX models from the 1960s and 1970s.
• The Grand National and GNX models from the 1980s.
• The "T-Type" performance package.

Buick Around the World

Asia

Buick is one of the most popular car brands in China. In 2016, General Motors sold over 1.1 million Buicks there. Buicks have always been popular in China. Before World War II, one out of every five cars in China was a Buick. Even emperors and important leaders used Buicks.

Since 1999, a special Buick Regal for China has been made by Shanghai GM. It's very popular with professional families. Buick of China also sells smaller cars like the Excelle and the GL8 minivan. Many Buicks for the Chinese market have smaller, more fuel-efficient engines.

In Taiwan, Buick cars were very popular in the early 1990s. In 2005, General Motors started a joint company with a Taiwanese firm to make Buick cars there.

In 2010, Buick introduced a special version of the LaCrosse for South Korea, called the Alpheon.

Mexico

Buicks were sold in Mexico from 1921 until 1962. Then, rules changed, and imported cars were restricted. All GM cars were sold through Chevrolet dealerships. In 1990, GM started building the Buick Century in Mexico. People sometimes called it the "Chevrolet Century."

In 1997, GM stopped selling Buicks in Mexico. But in 2009, Buick returned to Mexico after 12 years! The LaCrosse and Enclave models were sold. Buick shared dealerships with Pontiac and GMC until Pontiac stopped selling cars in 2010.

In 2019, Buick announced that it would only sell crossovers (SUVs) in Mexico. This means models like the LaCrosse sedan and Regal hatchback were stopped there.

Middle East

In Israel, Buick cars are imported by a company called Universal Motors, Ltd. Buicks were sold throughout the Middle East until 1996.

New Zealand

Buicks were once sold in New Zealand. They were also built at a GM factory there.

Buick in Racing

Buick has a history in car racing. A driver named Phil Shafer won a race in a Buick in 1933. This was one of the first official stock car races in the U.S.

Buick also competed in the Indianapolis 500 race. They also raced in the Grand National stock car series with their Regal and Gran Sport cars.

The 1980s were a great time for Buick in racing. They were a big part of the IndyCar Series and other races. But in the 1990s, Buick's time in motorsports ended.

Buick Fan Clubs

The Buick Club of America was started in 1966. It's a group for people who love Buick cars. They work to keep old Buicks in good condition and restore them.

Old Buick Ads

• 

  A Buick advertisement from 1911.

• 

  1913 advertisement.

• 

  From The Saturday Evening Post, November 1920.

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  Buick logo from 1912.

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  Cover of a 1925 promotional folder from a Swedish seller.

• 

  Advertisement for a 1916 Buick.

See also

In Spanish: Buick para niños

• List of automobile manufacturers of the United States