WhenBetterAutomobilesAreBuiltBuickWillBuildThem
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When Better Automobiles Are Built,
(Buick's slogan from 1911)
David Dunbar Buick
Buick Motor Division takes its name from David Dunbar Buick, a Scottish
immigrant born in 1854. David Buick, along with his partner William Sherwood,
owned a successful plumbing and supply business. Their success was largely
attributable to David Buick's patented process for bonding porcelain to iron -
hence the white porcelain bathtubs which were booming at that time. David,
however, was infatuated with the gasoline engine and the automobile. In 1899,
David established the Auto Vim and Power Co. to produce gasoline engines for
farm and stationary use. In 1900, David decided to concentrate on gas engines
and cars and sold his plumbing business for $100,000 to raise capital for his
new venture.
David immediately began tinkering with using the engines he produced to power
four wheeled vehicles. In 1902, David Buick organized the Buick Manufacturing
Company to make engines for various car makers and to make cars himself.
Although there is some controversy over this, David Buick is credited with
developing the "Valve in Head" engine that made Buick Motor Division famous.
David Buick proved to be a great plumber and inventor, but he was cranky,
exhibited poor business skills, and an amazing propensity for losing complete
financial control. By the end of 1902, David had built his first car, but his
company was bankrupt. In 1903, the company received much needed capital from the
Briscoe brothers.
Unfortunately, this capital was used up again without any profit being made. The
Briscoes got worried and began looking to unload Buick Manufacturing Company.
They succeeded in selling the company to James Whiting of the Flint Wagon Works
company. A year later, the Buick Manufacturing Company turned out its second
car, designated "Model B". However, as before, the company was deep in debt and
unprofitable. At that time, the Whitings began looking for a buyer for the
company.
On November 1, 1904, after having driven a Buick car for 2 months and noting
that it could climb hills and run through
mud like no other car made, William Crapo Durant (the soon to be organizer of
General Motors), took over the company and recapitalized it. Durant was the
owner of Durant-Dort Carriage Co., the largest maker of horse drawn carriages.
Durant did not like autos, which should not come as a suprise given he was a
carriage man, but he was smart and a visionary and knew a self-seller when he
saw it. Six weeks later, Durant attended the New York Auto Show and came back
with orders for 1,108 Buicks. A factory was leased and production began in
earnest. Assembly of Buick automobiles was moved from Flint to Jackson,
Michigan, while Durant raised money to build the largest assembly facility in
the country on Flint's northside. On his return, Durant persuaded numerous
businesses to relocate to Flint to build components for Buick automobiles.
Among these was Charles Mott (who later was a GM Director for 60 years), owner
of an Utica, N.Y. axle building business. Buicks were marketed and sold through
existing carriage dealerships owned by Durant.
By the end of 1905, 750 Buicks had been
built. In 1906, 1,400 cars were built. By 1907, all Buick manufacturing
operations were in Flint due to the involvement of prominent Flint businessmen,
and 4,641 cars were built. Buicks were sold and distributed through Durant Dort
Carriage showrooms. Durant then capitalized on the reputation Buick had earned
on the racing circuit. In fact, it was here that Buick's official slogan was
born. One day, Buick racing team member Bob Burman was visiting the factory and
touring the facility with Durant. Durant told Burman that
he wanted any parts that failed in a race sent back to the factory so they could
improve on them. "The next time we build it, we'll build it better".
"When better cars are built, Buick will build them"
thus came Buick's slogan. By the close of 1908, Buick built 8,820 cars;
second only to Ford, which had built 10,202 vehicles.
In the spring of 1908, ideas were raised and talks began of merging some of the
various auto producers to form a large, strong company. Durant suggested a
merger of Buick, Maxwell-Briscoe, Ford and Reo. Ford was dropped from
consideration when Henry Ford demanded cash instead of stock. Durant continued
with the idea and in September of 1908 he incorporated a holding company to
accomplish this. The holding company was named General Motors. General Motors
then purchased Buick with stock. Six weeks later, GM acquired the Olds Corp. of
Lansing, Michigan. Next, Durant completed a deal with financially troubled
Oakland Co. Oakland was located in Pontiac, Michigan, and would later be renamed
-- you guessed it -- Pontiac. Finally, Durant sought to acquire Cadillac Motor
Car Co. from the Leland father/son team. The Lelands did not want stock, but
cold hard cash to the tune of $4.5 million. GM could not raise this amount of
money, but Buick, the cash cow, could. So, Cadillac was bought with Buick
funds, thereby becoming a subsidiary of Buick. Eventually, though, GM purchased
Cadillac from Buick. Durant also acquired many truck and parts supply
companies, including AC-Delco, which he helped form with Albert Champion and
still bears his initials.
Durant became financially overextended due to acquiring more than 30 companies
under the GM umbrella between 1908
and 1910. Consequently, Durant lost control of GM to a financial group in 1910.
However, he hooked up with Louis Chevrolet and developed the....that's right,
Chevrolet company in 1911. Durant used Chevrolet to regain control of GM in
1915-1916. Among the notable people who worked at Buick was Walter Chrysler,
the president of Buick. Chrysler
utlimately resigned in a dispute with Durant and went on to form the Chrylser
corporation. Durant once again got into financial trouble in the 1920 due to
his involvement in the stock market. According to Alfred P. Sloan, who became
GM's president in 1923, it was Buick's strong reputation and financial position
that pulled GM through its rough periods.
One final development occurred near the end of the Great Depression which had severely impacted GM. In 1933, Harlow Curtice, then 39 year old president of AC Spark Plug company, was tapped to bring Buick back to its former greatness. Curtice was a supersalesman in the mold of Durant. He began by bringing power and speed back to Buick with the 1934 Series 40 (later called the Special). It gave exceptional performance for the small price of $865. Production went from 40,000 the year before to over 78,000 units that year. Next, he issued a simple challenge to Harley Earl, GM's design chief who drove nothing but Cadillacs. "Design me a Buick that YOU would like to own" challenged Curtice. The result was the 1936 model line which added Roadmaster and other successful names to the Buick stable: Special, Super, Century, and Limited. Production that year was close to 200,000.
