The Buick reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004
(provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Buick

Sponsorship the way you would do it
Buick Logo

Buick is a brand used in the USA by automobile maker General Motors.

Table of contents
1 History
2 Distinguishing features
3 Geographical distribution
4 Buick models
5 See also
6 External link and reference

History

Buick originated as an independent motor car manufacturer, the Buick Motor Company, incorporated on May 19, 1903 by David Dunbar Buick in Flint, Michgian. In 1904 the struggling company was taken over by James Whiting, who brought in William C. Durant to manage his new acquisition.

Image:Buick Y.jpg
Buick Y-Job, 1938
Durant was a natural, and Buick soon became the largest car maker in America. Using the profits from this, Durant embarked on a series of several dozen corporate acquisitions, calling his new mega-corporation General Motors.

At first, the different manufacturers who comprised General Motors competed against each other, but Durant put a stop to that. He wanted each General Motors division to target one class of buyer, and in his new scheme Buick was near the top -- only the luxurious Cadillac brand had more prestige. Even today, Buick retains that position in the GM lineup. The ideal Buick customer was comfortably off; not rich enough to afford a Cadillac nor want the ostentation, but definitely desiring a car a cut above the norm.

Distinguishing features

Buick's emblem is three shields arranged touching on a diagonal, within a ring. This design was adopted in 1960 and represents the three models that comprised the lineup that year—Electra, LeSabre, and Invicta. The shields are adopted from the shield of the Buick family crest, which in modified form had been used on Buicks since the 30s. A version of the traditional crest appeared on Electras through the 70s.

A traditional Buick styling cue dating to 1949 is a series of three or four portholes or vents on the front fender behind the front wheels. These were originally called Ventiports (later just portholes), and have appeared sporadically on several models since. As of 2003 they have been re-introduced on the Buick Park Avenue.

Geographical distribution

Unlike some of GM's other brands, Buicks are largely restricted to the United States and Canada.

Buick cars have been produced and sold in China under Shanghai GM since 1999 and are highly popular.

Buick models

See also

External link and reference