Buick, formally the Buick Motor Division, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). For much of its existence in the North American market, the car line has been marketed as a premium automobile brand, selling entry-level luxury vehicles positioned above its mainstream GM stablemate Chevrolet, and below the flagship Cadillac division. The company holds the distinction of being the oldest active American marque of automobile, and the original brand was a cornerstone of the establishment of General Motors in 1908.
Before the establishment of General Motors, GM founder William C. Durant previously served as the general manager, while his friend Louis Chevrolet worked as a racing driver and later learned automotive design working there. In 1939 Buick also pioneered the use of turn signals, which did not appear on other car brands until almost a decade later.
History of Buick
Buick is currently the oldest active North American automotive maker (Autocar, the truck-maker, is the oldest motor vehicle brand) and among the oldest automobile brands in the world. It originated as the Auto-Vim and Power Company in 1899, an independent internal combustion engine and motor-car manufacturer, and was later incorporated as the Buick Motor Company on May 19, 1903, in Detroit, Michigan. Later that year, the company was taken over by James H. Whiting (1842–1919), who moved it to his hometown of Flint, Michigan, and brought in William C. Durant in 1904 to manage his new acquisition.
The number of models in the lineup fell over time, with the compact and performance segments being abandoned altogether. However, they maintained their traditional Century, Regal, LeSabre, and Park Avenue sedan lines. In 2001, Buick introduced its first SUV, the Rendezvous crossover, while golf star Tiger Woods became its spokesperson.
The Centieme crossover concept car commemorated 100th anniversary, and the company began consolidating its lineup in 2005, eventually reducing its line to just three models with new nameplates: the 2005 LaCrosse/Allure, the 2006 Lucerne, and the successful 2008 Enclave.
