COMPANY

Buick is the oldest American automotive make that is still in production. The original idea was to build a comfortable driving experience, and at one point the brand held the nickname of the "moving couch of America".

It started out in 1899 as the Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company, but was renamed Buick Motor Company in 1903. The first models offered to the public came in 1904 with the Model B. While 37 were made, not one exists today.

The Model 10 played a part in Buick becoming the largest car maker in America. Around this time Buick began to acquire different corporations, eventually putting them all together to create General Motors. Instead of competing with one another, each was given its own market based on what it offered to customers. The Buick continued to be labeled a luxury car.

Buick took the lead in several areas of American car manufacturing. It was the first to create the closed-body vehicle and only a year later was the first to offer turn signals. The first Buick sedan came in 1916 and was called the Model D-47. A name change brought about the creation of the 21 along with the Sport Roadster and the Sport Touring.

Jumping ahead to 1930 Buick was still not producing as many vehicles as some of the other American car manufacturers. However, it was still looking to take the lead in innovations. Here the "H" shifting pattern began as well as a new type of windshield. Sales continued to decline and by 1934 to 1936, very few things changed when it came to the Buick brand. Many collectors believe that the next few years that followed were some of Buick's best.

As the 1940s began it was time for Buick to step out from some of GM's other brands. In 1942 a new model was presented. The hood ornaments were just one of the ways that Buick began to differentiate itself from others. The 1946 model was much like its predecessors, as was the 1947 model.

On its 50th anniversary Buick released the Roadmaster Skylark. Only 1,690 vehicles were produced. A second generation was created in 1961 and from there a new generation of Skylark was created every couple of years. Each time the vehicle was changed on the inside and the outside. The name was last used by Buick in 1997.

New models continued to be produced throughout the 50s, 60s and 70s with the brand peaking in the mid-1980s. The Roadmaster and the Limited were renamed the Electra and the Electra 225. The Electra 225 Rivera was available with a four-door hardtop and a convertible with only two doors. Production of the Rivera began in 1963 and continued through 1999. Much like the Skylark, the line went through various changes over the next few decades.

Buick found its peak in the mid-1980s. It held a variety of lines, each with different sizes and markets. The vehicle that truly carried the team was the Buick Regal Grand National. It also held on to the Century, LaSabre and Park Avenue lines. In 2001 Buick made its first step into the SUV market with the Rendezvous.