Museum Showcases Buick Automobiles
by Johnny McDonald

1906 Buick.

It is interesting to note that a Scottish plumbing inventor would turn his attention toward building an automobile.

But that was the case for the ingenious David Dunbar Buick, and in 1903 he introduced the first model that would bear his name.

The San Diego Automotive Museum on Nov. 28 acknowledged this invention by opening its showcase of 15 legendary Buicks, chronicling the 100-year history of the respected automaker.

Featured through Jan. 26 will be a 1906 Model F touring car, 1920 truck, 1987 WE4 Grand National racecar and and a styled 1948 Roadmaster convertible.

2004 Buick Century

Five years after Buick founded his company, the car became the leading producer of automobiles in the United States. Prior to this, his inventions included such items as the lawn sprinkler and the process of applying porcelain to metal bath fixtures, tubs and sinks.

He became intrigued by the efforts of Ransom Olds and Henry Ford as they experimented with gasoline engines in the 1890s. Buick was infatuated with the idea that he could replace a team of horses with one engine. He sold his successful plumbing fixture company in 1899 for $100,000 and began the first version of Buick Motor Company, called Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company.

The company at first targeted farm and marine markets, and Buick concentrated on building stationary engines, not autos. After ignition, carburetion, and valve train innovations, only two automobiles were produced in 1904, but he elected to dissolve his company.

James Whiting took over the ill-fated business and called upon William C. Durant to manage his new venture. Using his instinctive business sense, Durant made Buick the largest automaker in the United States. Using capitol gained by the success of the Buick cars, Durant was able to establish General Motors in December 1908.

Wheeling and dealing, he purchased, acquired or incurred a substantial interest in almost 30 automakers and related suppliers. The names of Cadillac, Olds and Oakland (Pontiac) now became synonymous with General Motors.

Unlike most early automotive pioneers, Durant was not a tinkerer, mechanic or inventor. He was a salesman. In fact, he was a superb salesman.

Initially, Durant did not like the new automobiles around his hometown of Flint, Mich. They were noisy and smelly, he said, and they frightened the animals. Durant drove a steam-powered Mobile car in 1902, not because he might want to buy one, but because he might want to build and sell it. But he was unimpressed with it and with automobiles, generally, until he saw the Buick.

Its creator, David Buick, however, never played a further role in Buick or General Motors.