Buick: A Century and a Decade Later…

“A century and a decade” is the answer.

The question: “How long has Buick been around?”

It is, in fact, the oldest American automotive brand. Buick Motor Company was incorporated on May 19, 1903. Now, some 43 million new vehicle sales later, the Buick brand is experiencing a real renaissance. Today, many of General Motors’ latest ideas find their way quickly into the luxurious vehicles of the Buick Division.

From Humble To Luxurious

Through those 110 years, Buick has survived and then thrived. Its storied history encompasses the radical transition from the roaring twenties to the Great Depression. Buick has endured through two World Wars to become, thereafter, a showcase for technological innovation, time and again.

Humble indeed were Buick’s beginnings. The 1904 Model B featured an 88-inch wheelbase, on the 37 cars built that year. Today, no Buick sports a wheelbase of less than 100-inches. Things did rev up however; Buick began racing in 1908. In the century or so since, Buick has been the Official Pace Car for the Indy 500 six times since that auspicious start.

A New Concept

Quick — when did car windows get power? Buick’s 1930s era concept car, the “Y-job,” actually had power windows. World-acclaimed designer and forward-thinker Harvey Earl created a vehicle that inspired Buick designers for many years thereafter. In fact, he introduced the “concept” of the concept car. His then radical Buick was the very first concept car in America.

Buick’s Wider Appeal

Today, Buick’s inter-generational appeal is perhaps broader than ever. The compact luxury Verano has been effectively pitched by NFL star QB Peyton Manning, who has experienced a bit of a renaissance, or even a resurrection, himself. Young buyers will undoubtedly embrace the addition of “Siri,” the electronic “know-it-all” that arrives in the Verano’s Intellilink system for Buick’s 110th birthday. What would David Dunbar Buick and William C. Durant think of that?

When Century Meant Speed

Many are aware of the long run enjoyed by the Buick Century, but few realize that it acquired its moniker in 1936, when it became the very first Buick to hit the century mark — speed wise.  Today, the performance-minded can revel behind the wheel of a Buick Regal GS, which is capable of 162 mph — just at the track, one hopes. Before emissions controls and the 1970s oil embargo, Buick generated speed the old-fashioned way, through brute power. In 1970, a 7.5 L eight cylinder behemoth made its debut only to disappear soon after. Compare that to Buick’s current 2.0 L turbocharged four-cylinder power plant.

Today, designers accentuate mood with the addition of the soft glow of LED ambient lighting. This contrasts rather well with automotive lighting over a century ago, when a couple of stark headlamps represented innovation. And, what about interior lighting? It was not really an issue back then, as the boundary between the inside and the outside of those early Buicks was, lets say, not too well-defined.

Today’s Buicks Honor The Brand’s Heritage

Today, many of General Motors’ latest ideas find their way quickly into the luxurious vehicles of the Buick Division. The 2013 LaCrosse Hybrid combines a 2.4 L gas engine and an 11 kw electric motor to achieve a highway rating of 36 mpg. For LaCrosse enthusiasts who want a little extra power to go along with a good dose of luxury, Buick offers a 300-horsepower V-6 as well.

The debut of the three-row Enclave crossover several years ago has been followed by the more recent introduction of the two-row Encore CUV. By the way, the Encore now has the shortest wheelbase in the Buick lineup, at 100.6-in. That’s a foot longer than that early Buick Model B. From the compact Verano to the 7-8 passenger Enclave, the Buick division, at 110 years of age, is as spry and as nimble as ever.