This page will contain additional articles about Buick, as they become available.BuickBuick is a brand of automobile built in the United States, Canada, and China by General Motors Corporation. Buicks are sold in North America, China, Taiwan, and Israel. The name is pronounced "B-YOO-ick" (IPA 'bjuIk). HistoryBuick originated as an independent motor car manufacturer, the Buick Motor Company, incorporated on May 19, 1903 by the Scottish-American David Dunbar Buick (who invented the overhead valve engine on which the company's success was based) in Flint, Michigan. In 1904 the struggling company was taken over by James Whiting, who brought in William C. Durant to manage his new acquisition. Buick himself unwisely sold his stock for a small sum at his departure, and died in very modest circumstances forty years later. Durant was a natural, however, 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. In 1929, the marque launched the Marquette designed to help bridge the price gap between Buick and Oldsmobile, however the Marquette was discontinued in 1930. Even today, Buick retains that position in the GM lineup. The ideal Buick customer was comfortably off; possibly not quite rich enough to afford a Cadillac or not desiring the ostentation of one, but definitely in the market for a car a cut above the norm. Speculation [1] exists, however, as to whether GM will repeat its termination of the Oldsmobile by eliminating the Buick brand in order to further cut costs, following the temporary suspension of GM's planned Zeta project to develop new rear wheel drive cars which would have fit the Buick market niche [2], and the consolidation of Buick, Pontiac, and GMC trucks into a single dealer franchise, which would make it simple to eliminate the Buick brand without leaving any dealers with no product. However, with the development of the Zeta platform apparently still ongoing (including the development of the 2006 VE Holden Commodore), it may be likely that Buick will survive still. Buick began consolidating its lineup in 2005, replacing the Century and Regal with the LaCrosse, and the LeSabre and Park Avenue with the Lucerne the next year. The company will replace both of its SUVs, the Rendezvous and Rainier with the Enclave within 18 months, while the slow-selling Terraza minivan likely to end production shortly after. This will leave the marque with just three models by 2009. Distinguishing featuresBuick's emblem consists of three shields, each bisected diagonally to the right by a straight line, the shields arranged touching each other in a left-diagonal pattern, inside a circle. If represented in color, the leftmost shield is red, the middle white, and the rightmost blue, although white is sometimes represented by light gray. This design, known as the Trishield, was adopted in 1959 for the 1960 models and represents the three models that comprised the lineup that year—LeSabre, Invicta, and Electra. 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. The source of this design feature was a custom car (one not made by Buick), which in addition had a flashing light within each hole, each synchronized with a specific spark plug - a feature not used by Buick. These were originally called Ventiports (later just portholes), and have appeared sporadically on several models since, as nonfunctional ornamentation. Lower cost models were equipped with three portholes, while higher cost models came with four; when the number of portholes was standardized across the entire model line, buyers of the higher cost models complained bitterly that they felt shortchanged. In 2003 they were re-introduced on the Buick Park Avenue. After the Park Avenue was discontinued, Buick salvaged the portholes to appear on the new Lucerne. In a break with tradition, the Lucerne's portholes refer directly to engine configuration--six-cylinder models have six, while V-8's have eight. Another styling cue during the 1940s - 1970s was the sweepspear, a curved line running the length of the car. In the earlier cars, this was a chrome-plated rub strip which, after it passed the front wheel, gently curved down nearly to the rocker panel just before the rear wheel, and then curved around the rear wheel in a quarter of a circle to go straight back to the tail-light. During the two-tone color craze of the 1950s, the sweepspear separated two different color areas. After that, the curved line was usually indicated either by a vinyl rub strip or simply a character line molded into the sheetmetal. During the 1950s, the characteristic form of the Buick taillamps was a tier of small circular bullet-shapes. In the early 1960s, most models began to evolve a wide, rectangular pattern, until the '65 Skylark and Electra models appeared with full-width rear lamps. Since then, wide taillamps have been a Buick hallmark. The one Buick styling cue (dating from the 1940s) which has most often reappeared, though, is for the grille to be a horizontal oval with many thin vertical chromed ribs bulging forward. This has sometimes been called the Buick "dollar grin," particularly on the early 1950s models, which had thick, highly-polished ribs which did somewhat resemble teeth. It appears Buick may be preparing to abandon this styling cue for a new waterfall grille, as seen on the Buick Velite concept car from 2004 and the Buick Lucerne introduced for the 2006 model year. This waterfall grille bears some resemblance to grilles of Buicks from the 1980s, such as the Grand National. The Buick V8 engine, nicknamed the "nailhead", became popular with hot-rodders in the 1950s and 1960s, because the vertical attachment of the valve covers, in contrast to the angled attachment of other V-8 engines, enabled the engine to fit into smaller spaces while maintaining easy access for maintenance. Geographical distributionUnlike some of GM's other brands, Buicks are currently not marketed globally, although the marque had a substantial export presence until a few years ago. Some Buicks were also built in Europe or were available with specific trim for european market until 1996. In pre-World War II China, one in five cars were Buicks. Currently most Buick sales are restricted to the United States and Canada. However, Buick has attracted a considerable market in a few countries. Buick in New ZealandBuicks used to be sold in New Zealand. Back then, they were also built at the GMNZ plant in Petone, outside Wellington. However, at the end of World War II, the Buick name was not revived. Buick in IsraelIn Israel, Buicks are imported by Universal Motors, Ltd. (UMI), which also imports other GM vehicles. In the 2005 model year, the Buick LeSabre and Buick Rendezvous were sold. For the 2006 model year, the Buick LaCrosse will be sold alongside the Rendezvous, which might replace the LeSabre in sales. Buick in the Middle EastBuicks used to be sold throughout the Middle East until the Buick Roadmaster was discontinued. Buick in ChinaSince 1999, a Chinese version of the Buick Century/Regal has been produced and sold in China under Shanghai GM and has proven to be popular among upscale, professional families, establishing Buick as GM's most popular brand in China. In addition, Buick of China also sells the compact Excelle (based on the Daewoo Lacetti/Nubira), a five-door hatchback version called the HRV, and a modified version of the Terraza minivan named the GL8. In June, 2005, Buick announced that it will build a car named the Buick Royaum in Australia for export to China, based on the Holden Statesman and Caprice luxury cars. Buick previously marketed the subcompact Sail, sourced from GM's Asian operations and based on the Opel Corsa B, until 2005. Since then, Shanghai GM has replaced it with the Chevrolet Sail. Buick has stated that it expects China to become its second largest market. Buick in TaiwanIn December 2004, General Motors signed a memorandum of understanding with Yulon, a firm based in Taiwan, for the licensed manufacture of Buick vehicles there. Currently, the only Buick vehicle sold in Taiwan is the imported Rendezvous. Buick models
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Concept Vehicles
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Since then, Shanghai GM has replaced it with the Chevrolet Sail. A progressive disintegration of personality appears in the stylistic incoherence of his books based on his life during the war: Guignol's Band, D'un château l'autre and Nord. However, some critics claim that the books are less incoherent than intentionally fragmented, and that they represent the final development of the style introduced with Journey to the End of the Night, his first novel, suggesting that Céline maintained his faculties in clear working order to the end of his days. Buick previously marketed the subcompact Sail, sourced from GM's Asian operations and based on the Opel Corsa B, until 2005. However if one wishes to say this then it must be qualified by the narrative of betrayal and exploitation, both real and imagined, that punctuated his life, for his two true loves, his cat and wife, are mentioned with nothing other than kindness and warmth. In June, 2005, Buick announced that it will build a car named the Buick Royaum in Australia for export to China, based on the Holden Statesman and Caprice luxury cars. Céline was unable to communicate with others, and during his life sank more deeply into a hate-filled world of madness and rage. In addition, Buick of China also sells the compact Excelle (based on the Daewoo Lacetti/Nubira), a five-door hatchback version called the HRV, and a modified version of the Terraza minivan named the GL8. Pessimism pervades Céline's fiction as his characters sense failure, anxiety, nihilism, and inertia. Since 1999, a Chinese version of the Buick Century/Regal has been produced and sold in China under Shanghai GM and has proven to be popular among upscale, professional families, establishing Buick as GM's most popular brand in China. Céline's importance as an innovative author has been recognized, although many find his anti-semitism distateful. Buicks used to be sold throughout the Middle East until the Buick Roadmaster was discontinued. Céline died on July 1, 1961 of a ruptured aneurysm and was interred in a small cemetery at Bas Meudon (part of Meudon in the Hauts-de-Seine département). For the 2006 model year, the Buick LaCrosse will be sold alongside the Rendezvous, which might replace the LeSabre in sales. Fame came back to him in later life with a trilogy telling of his exile: D'un château l'autre, Nord and Rigodon. In the 2005 model year, the Buick LeSabre and Buick Rendezvous were sold. Amnestied, he returned to France in 1951; unable to earn a living through medicine, and facing difficulty returning his books to print, he lived in poverty, working himself to death on his writing. (UMI), which also imports other GM vehicles. Branded a collaborator, he was condemned by default (1950) in France to one year of imprisonment and declared a national disgrace. In Israel, Buicks are imported by Universal Motors, Ltd. He escaped judgment by fleeing to Germany (Sigmaringen, 1944) along with the Vichy government and later to Denmark (1945). However, at the end of World War II, the Buick name was not revived. Openly anti-semitic before and during World War II, he was identified by the public with the Nazi occupation, despite his consistent contempt for their ideology (and all others). Back then, they were also built at the GMNZ plant in Petone, outside Wellington. In 1936 he wrote Mort à crédit (Death on the Installment Plan), giving innovative, chaotic, and antiheroic visions of human suffering. Buicks used to be sold in New Zealand. The book became a public success, but Céline was not awarded the Prix Goncourt, although the voting was controversial enough to become the subject of a book (Goncourt 32 by Eugène Saccomano, 1999). However, Buick has attracted a considerable market in a few countries. It broke many literary conventions of the time, using the rhythms and, to a certain extent, the vocabulary of slang and vulgar speech. Currently most Buick sales are restricted to the United States and Canada. His best-known work is also his first: Voyage au bout de la nuit (Journey to the End of the Night) (1932, translated into English most recently and successfully by Ralph Manheim). In pre-World War II China, one in five cars were Buicks. He then started to write in his spare time. Some Buicks were also built in Europe or were available with specific trim for european market until 1996. Next he worked in Africa and for the new League of Nations before taking up a permanent position as a doctor to the poor in Paris. Unlike some of GM's other brands, Buicks are currently not marketed globally, although the marque had a substantial export presence until a few years ago. He worked in France as a doctor, then travelled to the United States where he became the staff surgeon at the Ford Motor Company plant in Detroit, Michigan. The Buick V8 engine, nicknamed the "nailhead", became popular with hot-rodders in the 1950s and 1960s, because the vertical attachment of the valve covers, in contrast to the angled attachment of other V-8 engines, enabled the engine to fit into smaller spaces while maintaining easy access for maintenance. Discharged from the Army, after the war he studied to obtain a medical degree. This waterfall grille bears some resemblance to grilles of Buicks from the 1980s, such as the Grand National. He fought in World War I and was decorated for his actions in a battle where he was allegedly wounded in the head. It appears Buick may be preparing to abandon this styling cue for a new waterfall grille, as seen on the Buick Velite concept car from 2004 and the Buick Lucerne introduced for the 2006 model year. Céline received only a basic education before he joined the French cavalry. This has sometimes been called the Buick "dollar grin," particularly on the early 1950s models, which had thick, highly-polished ribs which did somewhat resemble teeth. He was born Louis-Ferdinand Destouches at Courbevoie in the Seine département (now Hauts-de-Seine). The one Buick styling cue (dating from the 1940s) which has most often reappeared, though, is for the grille to be a horizontal oval with many thin vertical chromed ribs bulging forward. . Since then, wide taillamps have been a Buick hallmark. Louis-Ferdinand Destouches (May 27, 1894 – July 1, 1961) was a French writer and physician who wrote under the nom de guerre "Celine". In the early 1960s, most models began to evolve a wide, rectangular pattern, until the '65 Skylark and Electra models appeared with full-width rear lamps. Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890 edited by Philip Rees (1991, ISBN 0130893013). During the 1950s, the characteristic form of the Buick taillamps was a tier of small circular bullet-shapes. Hindus (1950). After that, the curved line was usually indicated either by a vinyl rub strip or simply a character line molded into the sheetmetal. The Crippled Giant by M. During the two-tone color craze of the 1950s, the sweepspear separated two different color areas. by Jesse Browner (1992).. In the earlier cars, this was a chrome-plated rub strip which, after it passed the front wheel, gently curved down nearly to the rocker panel just before the rear wheel, and then curved around the rear wheel in a quarter of a circle to go straight back to the tail-light. Céline: A Biography by Frédéric Vitoux, trans. Another styling cue during the 1940s - 1970s was the sweepspear, a curved line running the length of the car. Thomas (1980). In a break with tradition, the Lucerne's portholes refer directly to engine configuration--six-cylinder models have six, while V-8's have eight. Louis-Ferdinand Céline by M. After the Park Avenue was discontinued, Buick salvaged the portholes to appear on the new Lucerne. Céline and his Vision by Erika Ostrovsky (1967). In 2003 they were re-introduced on the Buick Park Avenue. Céline: Man of Hate by Bettina Knapp (1974). Lower cost models were equipped with three portholes, while higher cost models came with four; when the number of portholes was standardized across the entire model line, buyers of the higher cost models complained bitterly that they felt shortchanged. Hewitt (1987). These were originally called Ventiports (later just portholes), and have appeared sporadically on several models since, as nonfunctional ornamentation. The Golden Age of Louis-Ferdinand Céline by N. The source of this design feature was a custom car (one not made by Buick), which in addition had a flashing light within each hole, each synchronized with a specific spark plug - a feature not used by Buick. Carson (1989). 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. Céline's Imaginative Space by J. A version of the traditional crest appeared on Electras through the 70s. Buckley (1988). The shields are adopted from the shield of the Buick family crest, which in modified form had been used on Buicks since the 30s. K. This design, known as the Trishield, was adopted in 1959 for the 1960 models and represents the three models that comprised the lineup that year—LeSabre, Invicta, and Electra. Critical Essays on Louis-Ferdinand Céline edited by W. If represented in color, the leftmost shield is red, the middle white, and the rightmost blue, although white is sometimes represented by light gray. Reading Louis-Ferdinand Céline by Jim Knipfel. Buick's emblem consists of three shields, each bisected diagonally to the right by a straight line, the shields arranged touching each other in a left-diagonal pattern, inside a circle. Rigodon, published posthumously in 1969. This will leave the marque with just three models by 2009. Guignol's band II (Le pont de Londres) 1964. The company will replace both of its SUVs, the Rendezvous and Rainier with the Enclave within 18 months, while the slow-selling Terraza minivan likely to end production shortly after. Nord, 1960 (North, 1972). Buick began consolidating its lineup in 2005, replacing the Century and Regal with the LaCrosse, and the LeSabre and Park Avenue with the Lucerne the next year. D'un château l'autre, 1957 (Castle to Castle, 1968). However, with the development of the Zeta platform apparently still ongoing (including the development of the 2006 VE Holden Commodore), it may be likely that Buick will survive still. Normance (Féerie II) 1954. Speculation [1] exists, however, as to whether GM will repeat its termination of the Oldsmobile by eliminating the Buick brand in order to further cut costs, following the temporary suspension of GM's planned Zeta project to develop new rear wheel drive cars which would have fit the Buick market niche [2], and the consolidation of Buick, Pontiac, and GMC trucks into a single dealer franchise, which would make it simple to eliminate the Buick brand without leaving any dealers with no product. Féerie pour une autre fois 1952. The ideal Buick customer was comfortably off; possibly not quite rich enough to afford a Cadillac or not desiring the ostentation of one, but definitely in the market for a car a cut above the norm. Casse-pipe 1949. Even today, Buick retains that position in the GM lineup. Guignol's Band, 1944 (English translation 1954). In 1929, the marque launched the Marquette designed to help bridge the price gap between Buick and Oldsmobile, however the Marquette was discontinued in 1930. "les Beaux Draps", 1941. 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. "l'École des cadavres", 1938. At first, the different manufacturers who comprised General Motors competed against each other, but Durant put a stop to that. Bagatelle pour un massacre, 1937. Using the profits from this, Durant embarked on a series of several dozen corporate acquisitions, calling his new mega-corporation General Motors. "Mea culpa", 1936. Durant was a natural, however, and Buick soon became the largest car maker in America. Mort à crédit, 1936 (Death on the Installment Plan aka Death on Credit (UK), 1938). Buick himself unwisely sold his stock for a small sum at his departure, and died in very modest circumstances forty years later. Voyage au bout de la nuit, 1932 (Journey to the End of the Night, 1943). Durant to manage his new acquisition. Semmelweis,1924. In 1904 the struggling company was taken over by James Whiting, who brought in William C. Buick originated as an independent motor car manufacturer, the Buick Motor Company, incorporated on May 19, 1903 by the Scottish-American David Dunbar Buick (who invented the overhead valve engine on which the company's success was based) in Flint, Michigan. . The name is pronounced "B-YOO-ick" (IPA 'bjuIk). Buicks are sold in North America, China, Taiwan, and Israel. Buick is a brand of automobile built in the United States, Canada, and China by General Motors Corporation. Buick Velite (2004). Buick Centieme (2003). Buick Bengal (2001). Buick Blackhawk (2000). 2000 Buick LaCrosse (2000). Buick Cielo (1999). Buick Signia (1998). Buick XP2000 (1996). Buick Sceptre (1992). Buick Bolero (1990). 1988 Buick Lucerne (1988). 1985 Buick Wildcat (1985). Buick Questor (1983). Buick Riviera Silver Arrow I (1963). 1956 Buick Centurion (1956). Buick Wildcat III (1955). Buick Wildcat II (1954). Buick Wildcat I (1953). Buick XP-300 (1951). 1951 Buick LeSabre (1951). Buick Y-Job (1938). Marquette. Buick Wildcat (1963 - 1970). Buick Terraza (2005 - Current). Buick Super (1940 - 1958). Buick Sport Wagon (1964 - 1971). Buick Special (1936 - 1958, 1961 - 1969). Buick Somerset (1985 - 1987). Buick Skylark (1953 - 1954, 1961 - 1972, 1975 - 1998). Buick Skyhawk (1975 - 1980, 1982 - 1989). Buick Royaum (2005 - Current, only sold in China). Buick Roadmaster (1936 - 1958, 1991 - 1996). Buick Riviera (1963 - 1999). Buick Rendezvous (2002 - Current). Buick Regal (1973 - 2004). Buick Reatta (1988 - 1991). Buick Rainier (2004 - Current). Buick Park Avenue (1991 - 2005). Buick Luxus (1973 - 1974). Buick Lucerne (2006 - Current). Buick Limited (1936 - 1942, 1958). Buick LeSabre (1959 - 2005). Buick LaCrosse (2005 - Current). Buick Invicta (1959 - 1964). Buick GSX (1970 - 1971). Buick Gran Sport (1968 - 1972). Buick GL8 (2000 - Current, only sold in China). Buick Excelle (2003 - Current, rebadged Daewoo Nubira, only sold in China). Buick Estate Wagon (1940, 1946- 1964, 1970 - 1996). Buick Enclave (2008 - Current). Buick Electra (1959 - 1990). Buick Eight. Buick Century (1936 - 1942, 1954 - 1958, 1973 - 2005). Buick Centurion (1971 - 1973). Buick Allure (2005 - Current, only sold in Canada). Buick Apollo (1973 - 1979). |