1925 Buick

Strange as it may seem, the originator of the Buick automobile, one of the most recognizable names in automotive history, was a manufacturer not of automobiles but of plumbing supplies. His name: David Dunbar Buick, a Scotsman by birth. David emigrated to the United States in 1856 at the age of two, when his family settled in Detroit, Michigan.

As a young man, David made his fortune by inventing the process of binding porcelain to wrought iron. This eagerly accepted process lent itself to the manufacture of white porcelain sinks and bath tubs which are is use to this very day.

David became obsessed with manufacturing a motor car of his own design around the turn of the century and organized the Buick Manufacturing Company later to be absorbed into the gigantic General Motors empire. He began realizing his dream when the first Buicks (sixteen in all) rolled out of the factory in 1903. By 1908, Buick was the world's largest producer of automobiles.

Together with his engineer, Walter L. Marr, Buick created the overhead valve (valve-in-head) engine which quickly earned its reputation in day-to-day motoring and eventually in world -wide racing competition.

The 1925 Buick was the first of its kind to be driven around the world by relay teams representing different countries, proving the car's reliability and opening vast untapped export markets.

The 1925 Buick Marque was a four-cylinder economy model - and a hot seller. The company decided to increase their profits that same year by producing a somewhat larger and more powerful six cylinder which was sold at a slightly higher price. A five passenger vehicle, the Buick Six had the traditional inline overhead valve and was rated at 21.6 horsepower, a three-speed selective sliding gear type center floor shift and four-wheel mechanical braking.

All in all, the Buick has made an indelible mark on automotive history.