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| Buick Logo |
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Buick is currently the oldest active
automobile make in America. A Buick engine company was started in
1899 in Michigan and became the Buick Motor Company in 1903 by David
Buick. In 1904, William Durant purchased the brand and would prove to
be an excellent promoter.
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| David Buick |
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| William Durant |
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The first Buick was for sale in 1904
and known as the Model B. Out of 37 produced, none have survived. Two
replicas exist though. The Buick was nicknamed the “moving couch of
America”. Within a few years, the company became the largest car
maker in America. In 1906, David Buick was given a severance package
and left Buick.
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| 1904 Buick Model B |
Durant began owning more companies and
named the megacorporation General Motors. He wanted each division of
GM to target specific buyers. Buick was the one directed towards well
off buyers, but not rich enough to afford a Cadillac.
In 1911, Buick introduced the first
closed body car and in the 30's, Buicks were favored by the British
Royal family. The peak for the company was in 1984.
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| 1980 Buick Electra |
Over time
however, some model sales dropped and were abandoned. In 2005, GM
consolidated the lineup. Buick became the fastest growing
automobile brand in 2010 and began attracting younger customers.
Today, GM states the Buick brand exists to compete with Acura, Lexus,
and Volvo.
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| Click to see our 2010 Buick LaCrosse |
Sources: Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick; Cartype, http://cartype.com/pages/2614/buick; AutoSpeed, http://autospeed.co/buick-car/41/1980-buick-electra/; Pre-War Buick, http://www.prewarbuick.com/cars/4/1904-Buick-Model-B; McLellan's Automotive, http://www.mclellansautomotive.com/newsletter/articles/2006/jan/03/
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