The History of Buick: The Brand That Built General Motors
Buick is a premium car brand of General Motors and the oldest surviving American car brand. David Dunbar Buick founded it in December 1899, and the Buick Motor Company was incorporated on 19 May 1903. In 1908 William C. Durant used Buick as the base for General Motors. Today the brand sells mainly crossovers, and about 80 % of its production goes to China.
Key takeaways
- 1899–1904: David Buick and engineer Walter Marr build the first cars and an overhead-valve engine; production moves to Flint.
- 1908: the firm is the top US producer, with 8,820 cars, and becomes the core of the new General Motors.
- 1938–1963: the Y-Job concept, Dynaflow automatic, VentiPorts, a new V8 and the Riviera.
- Since 1999: the brand builds and sells more cars in China than in the United States.
Key facts at a glance
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Founded | December 1899 (Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company) |
| Incorporated | 19 May 1903, as Buick Motor Company |
| Founder | David Dunbar Buick |
| Parent company | General Motors (since 1908) |
| Headquarters | Detroit, Michigan (Flint until 1998) |
| Best US year | 1985: 915,336 cars |
| Main market today | China |
| Emblem | Trishield, from the founder's family crest |
David Buick, Walter Marr and the first cars
David Dunbar Buick was a Detroit plumbing-goods businessman with an interest in engines. In December 1899 he founded the Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company, which built engines and experimental cars. His chief engineer, Walter Marr, built the first two Buick automobiles in 1899 and 1900.
The most important invention came from Marr and Eugene Richard. They developed an overhead-valve engine, patented in Richard's name in 1904. Overhead valves gave more power than the side-valve layout of most rivals, and Buick used the principle for decades.
On 19 May 1903 the business was incorporated as the Buick Motor Company in Detroit. David Buick had little money left, and James H. Whiting of Flint bought control the same year. The company moved to Flint, Michigan, in 1904.
William Durant and the founding of General Motors
In 1904 the carriage maker William C. Durant became the controlling investor. He was a gifted salesman. The Model B, the first Buick offered for sale, was built in 1904, with 37 cars that year. Output then rose fast: 750 cars in 1905, 1,400 in 1906 and 4,641 in 1907.
By 1908 the Flint plant built 8,820 cars and led all American makers in production. That year Durant founded General Motors, with this company as its foundation, and added Oldsmobile, Cadillac and other firms. By our calculation, output grew about 238 times between 1904 and 1908, compared with 37 cars in the first year. For the rest of the group's story, read the history of General Motors.
Walter Chrysler, later founder of his own car company, was president at Flint from 1917 to 1919. His time at Flint is covered in the profile of Walter Chrysler.
Timeline from 1899 to 2024
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1899 | Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company founded |
| 1903 | Buick Motor Company incorporated on 19 May |
| 1904 | Model B, 37 cars; move to Flint; Durant takes control |
| 1908 | Top US producer with 8,820 cars; General Motors founded |
| 1937 | Trishield badge first appears on the grille |
| 1938 | Y-Job, described as the industry's first concept car |
| 1939 | First turn signals on a production car |
| 1948 | Dynaflow automatic gearbox |
| 1953 | First V8, for the brand's 50th anniversary |
| 1963 | Riviera launched as a separate model |
| 1985 | Record US sales of 915,336 |
| 1999 | Last car built at Buick City, Flint; Regal production starts in China |
| 2004 | Becomes the oldest surviving US brand as Oldsmobile ends |
Innovations from turn signals to Dynaflow
The brand often introduced technology that others copied. According to the old 1cars text, it offered its first closed bodies in 1911 and a gearbox with synchromesh on all forward gears around 1930. In 1939 it became the first company to fit turn signals.
The Y-Job of 1938 is described as the car industry's first concept car. It was a long, low two-seater that previewed design ideas for the next decade. After the war came its first automatic gearbox, the Dynaflow, in 1948. In 1949 the brand added VentiPorts, the round holes on the front wings. They were functional at first and later became a pure styling signature.
There were royal customers too. Canadian-built McLaughlin-Buicks were used for royal transport in the 1930s, and the old 1cars text notes that Edward VIII favoured the brand. In 1939 King George VI toured Canada in one of these cars.
Post-war success and the V8 era
The 1950s were the golden years. For its 50th anniversary in 1953, the brand introduced its first V8 in the Roadmaster Skylark. It was the third-largest American brand in 1955 and sold 738,814 cars in the United States in 1956.
| Model | Years | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Model B | 1904 | First Buick sold to the public |
| Roadmaster | 1936–1958, 1991–1996 | Flagship of the golden era |
| Century | 1936–1942, 1954–1958, 1973–2005 | Long-running mid-size name |
| Riviera | 1963–1999 | Personal luxury coupé |
| Grand National GNX | 1987 | 547 turbocharged performance cars |
| Excelle | 2003–2023 | Compact saloon for China |
| Enclave | from 2008 | Three-row crossover |
| Encore | 2013–2022 | Small crossover that opened a new segment for the brand |
The Riviera of 1963 was the answer to Ford's personal luxury coupés, and it remained in the range until 1999. The Electra full-size saloon ran from 1959 to 1990; its 1960s convertible is described in our Buick Electra 225 Convertible review.
Grand National, GNX and the 1985 sales record
The 1980s brought the highest sales in the brand's history. US sales reached 906,626 in 1984 and a record 915,336 in 1985. It ranked as the third-largest American brand in 1982 and 1983.
The surprise of the decade was a fast black coupé. The 1987 Grand National used a turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 rated at 183 kW (245 hp). The limited GNX was rated at 206 kW (276 hp), and only 547 were built. For more American performance cars of that type, see the muscle cars section.
The end of car production in Flint
Flint remained the brand's home for most of the 20th century. Nearly 16 million Buicks were built at the Buick City complex there, and the last car left the line on 29 June 1999. The brand's headquarters had moved to Detroit in 1998. The cars were also sold abroad: in Mexico from 1921 to 1962 and again from 2009, and, according to the old 1cars text, in New Zealand and Israel.
Success in China
The name has been respected in China since the 1910s and 1920s, when it was already a prestige import. In 1999 Shanghai GM began building the Regal for the Chinese market. The car became a status symbol, and the brand grew into one of the best-known foreign names in the country.
China soon became the main market. According to the old 1cars text, China was already its second-largest market by June 2005, after the United States. In 2016 GM sold more than 1.1 million of these cars in China. Today about 80 % of production goes to Chinese buyers.
Local models fill the range there: the Excelle compact saloon, based on the Daewoo Lacetti, the GL8 minivan and the electric Electra E4. The Buick Regal, built in China since 1999, is one of the brand's longest-lived names.
Crossovers and the Trishield today
In the United States, the range now consists only of crossovers. The Encore of 2013 was followed by the Envision in 2016, the Encore GX for 2020 and the Envista for the 2024 model year. The three-row Enclave sits at the top. The brand is positioned between Chevrolet and Cadillac within General Motors.
The Trishield badge first appeared on grilles in 1937 and is based on the founder's family crest. In 1960 it became a trio of red, white and blue shields, and in 2023 it returned to traditional colours. All Buick models in our catalogue are on the Buick brand page.
Our verdict: which model to buy
For collectors, a 1953 Skylark, a first-generation Riviera or a 1987 GNX are the landmark cars, each with a strong following. For everyday driving, a recent Enclave or Envision offers quiet, comfortable transport at prices below German premium brands. The brand suits buyers who value comfort and refinement over sporty handling. To narrow down the choice, try the 1cars car finder or set two models side by side with the comparison tool.
FAQ
Who founded Buick?
The founder was David Dunbar Buick, who set up the Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company in December 1899. His engine and car business became a corporation in 1903, and William C. Durant took control a year later.
Is Buick the oldest American car brand?
It is the oldest American car brand still in production. It gained that position in 2004, when General Motors closed Oldsmobile, a brand founded a few years earlier in 1897.
How is Buick connected to General Motors?
It was the company on which William C. Durant founded General Motors in 1908. That year it was the top US car producer with 8,820 cars.
Why is Buick so popular in China?
The brand already had prestige in China in the 1910s and 1920s. Local production of the Regal by Shanghai GM from 1999 built on that image, and sales passed one million cars a year by the mid-2010s.
What was the Buick GNX?
The GNX was the final, limited edition of the 1987 Grand National coupé, finished in black. The factory quoted 206 kW (276 hp) from its turbocharged V6, and production stopped at 547 cars.
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