Great Cars: BUICK

A wily salesman and carriage builder, Billy Durant, was asked to help David Buick’s struggling company. He stepped in, saw the potential and leveraged its assets to create the world's largest corporation, General Motors. Buick has been one of the great names in American automobiles ever since. Once legendary designer Harley Earl took charge of its lineup cars like Century, Roadmaster and Riviera began to turn heads.
EP 209

[@richardcline1337]

I learned to drive on a '58 Buick Special, a big four door car that I loved! My last car was an '04 Buick LeSabre with full leather and all the buttons and bells of that year. Plenty of power and so smooth and quiet you almost forgot the engine was running. Being a widower by then, when I retired I sold it as I couldn't justify it and a pickup truck at the same time and the truck was more practical (I live out in the rural part of the county). Every time I see an '03, an '04 or '05 I still remember that car. It had to be the most beautiful car Buick ever designed. The new ones will almost scare you half to death!

[@mikemullay5622]

I have a '56 Buick Special 4 door hardtop I have owned for 34 years. Big and comfortable like driving your living room furniture.

[@larryjones-emery807]

My step daddy loved Buicks. As a boy, I had a crush on his black 1950 Buick sedan. I hated it when he traded it in 1953. Thank you for the history and narration for this video.

[@davidkrueger3584]

Buick 3.8/3800 V-6. One of the best engines ever built.

[@orange70383]

I agree but they had their weak spots.

[@CHUNKEYWHALE]

@@orange70383 7o

[@kristensorensen2219]

The history lessons in these videos can save us from repeatedly reliving the mistakes of the past!

[@27011946645]

Maybe!

[@richardcline1337]

Sadly, I think GM has gone too far down an empty rabbit hole to ever be able to market anything that isn't a plastic, over computerized piece of JUNK!

[@guitarpro248]

That car at the end is pretty timeless too! I'd assume this was made in the mid 2000's but you could release that car in 2020 and that would still look like a luxurious, modern car!

[@richardcline1337]

The car at 24:23 is one of the most beautiful Buick's ever built. Mine was an '04 LeSabre with leather, the works. It was painted a maroon red and was the most reliable car I have ever owned. I still miss that car.

[@stevenfromer3816]

This is a great story. Well done

[@pinkflydnt]

I was hoping they would talk about how the Turbo V6 saved Buick during the late 70's and early 80's thus giving the Iconic Grand National/GNX some love.

[@eldo59]

I love my '81 Regal. It's been my daily driver for the past 5 years.

[@zelphx]

Grand National??? :)

[@miltoncallan1471]

My son's first car was a very used 95' Regal. Even though parts were falling off of it as it went down the road, it road like a luxury car.

[@hanschenk2708]

A REAL NICE VIDEO OUTLINED SOO CLEAR EXCELLENT SPEAKER

[@guitarpro248]

That's wild man 8:35 you have people literally right next to cars doing 60+ miles an hour, behind a wooden fence. Not only were the driver's ballsy the spectators were too!

[@maryrafuse2297]

The Canadian Buick was different and a truly royal car in 1939. It was called the McLaughlin Buick. Very stylish indeed!

[@bullettube9863]

A decent, if superficial, look at Buick's (and GM) basic history. Sadly, Oldsmobile is no longer in the lineup, Harry Olds started building cars in 1897, long before anyone else at the time. Pontiac was a made up name for the old Oakland so it wasn't as sad when they were eliminated, but Pontiac was always the division of performance while Buick was the engineering division pioneering and developing the V-8, automatic transmission and of course electric windows. Maybe if GM gets rid of the bean counters and start using their engineers more, they'll succeed?

[@fosterfike4987]

Bullettube jay leno

[@GH-oi2jf]

Bullettube - Mary Barra is an engineer and she has done pretty well so far, I think.

[@FrankGutowski-ls8jt]

GH1618 Her expertise is manufacturing engineering, not product engineering.

[@michaelweizer7794]

Bullet tube I think Oldsmobile did more innovating than Buick did Oldsmobile was where the Automatic transmission started with the hydramatic and Oldsmobiles first rocket v8 came out the same year as Cadillacs first overhead valve v8 (1949) Buick didn't get a new ohv until the nail head v8 until 1953 but Buick did have ohv engines since the very beginning also the very first 1966 Oldsmobile Tornado was front wheel driven so was the 67 Cadillac El Dorado The Riviera didn't go to front wheel drive until 1979. Just a few things.

[@patdthomas]

"Buick's new aluminum block V8 was more powerful than a Volkswagen". Wow. Imagine that.

[@oyesuken]

I saw a glimpse of an Opel sign, but then, right to the 2000's. The Buick GS models in the late 60's, early 70's, the Opels during the gas crisis, and the Grand National in the 80's...just surprised no mention of any of these.

[@tomblack9202]

Back in the ‘30s, ‘40s, and ‘50s, if you wanted to own a Cadillac but couldn’t afford it, you bought a Buick. They don’t fill that slot anymore.

[@GH-oi2jf]

Tom Black - You might also prefer a Buick because the Cadillac is gauche.

[@anderander5662]

Nobody wants a Cadillac anymore

[@edyram22]

Buick is great. I hate that I see those Buick commercials now "Is that's a Buick" or "That's not a Buick" shit, like if Buick was never good or anything. I think the GM commercials of Buick tried to convince the millennium market that Buick was getting a change or something? I don't know, but I cringe when I see those commercials. BTW, Great videos man, thanks.

[@KingRoseArchives]

Thanks for watching.

[@thetreblerebel]

Buick slipped terribly in the 80s through the early 2000s. But now...it seems they are jumping the luxury market

[@davidmcleod7757]

I had 2 buick's in my life first one was a 69 Buick with 114 grand on it ran great for 3 years then croaked with 180 thousand on it then I had a buick century got up to 120grand and gave it to my oldest daughter in mint shape after she graduated high school

[@c5back9]

Sadly, built more like childrens’ toys than automotive treasures these days, and unfortunately with lackluster styling too. Half my family have been employed by GM so I’ve had dozens of Buick’s, Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs and Chevrolets since the early 1970’s. I’m not impressed by anything built by the general anymore, and it’s been quite a few years since I was.

[@anderander5662]

I agree..... I've been a Chevrolet truck owner for years and recently switched to ram

[@c5back9]

Ander Ander: Hopefully you’ll have a great experience with it!

[@davidkrueger3584]

Buick 3.8/3800 V-6. One of the best, most reliable engines ever built.

[@c5back9]

David Krueger: 100% true. Pound for pound, one of the best ever.

[@richardcline1337]

c5back9, sadly GM's greedy unions and anal management have all but destroyed the company. Even after taking Obama's bailout they still produce some of the worst junk on the roads today. It's as if they just don't care what the public thinks or wants. Chrysler is a dead whale and has been for years and if Dodge ever starts losing money it is finished! Ford's management and unions saw what was happening to GM and decided to work together to save the company and their jobs without having to beg for a bailout. It worked and now they are stronger than ever. I won't even go into the bastards at Toyota that have flooded the market and all but destroyed the American automotive industry. What happened to GM should be their fate!

[@georgexanthopoulos1247]

NO WORDS ... SUPER AUTO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@CarswithNash]

I’m disappointed there is no mention of Virgil Exner... He was Harley’s nemesis over at Chrysler & at times his designs were superior, they were equals if there ever were... Also there are some lacking details about Mr. Earl here, like the fact that he had a preference for bright colored suits & often wore a yellow suit. He had several other unique character traits, I’ve read lots on him as he was an interesting man.

[@loveitorscrapit6673]

Some great cars. Thumbs up.

[@wordsmith52]

at last! someone who knows how to make and edit a video about cars - no loud music drowning out the narrative, which can be heard and understood...

[@thetreblerebel]

No rap music

[@bluesharp59]

Cool video and a Thumbs Up for you.

[@carlhawks2915]

Buick had some interesting cars in the 50's, even a few in the sixties and seventies, but since then Buick can be summed up with one word: BORING!

[@arnepianocanada]

Oakland was *not* "later known as Pontiac." Introduced as a cheaper companion make, Pontiac outstripped Oakland sales greatly; the older company had to fold. They were related but not the same company.

[@miltoncallan1471]

The ONLY thing Tiger Woods knows is how much his endorsement deal is. Did you see the WTF look on his face when the concept car was unveiled?

[@edwardbenkert2618]

Buick is a good car you see mostly old people driving Buicks and stop me I'm a Ford person I like Ford I've been with Ford for a long time and I will always drive a Ford

[@DrLeroyArch]

Fords are for people who can"t afford Buicks.

[@richardcline1337]

@@DrLeroyArch, why buy a car that is too hard to find a dealer to repair or maintain it? After the Obama fiasco and the GM draw down which killed off Pontiac, Olds and others there were very few dealers left that could or would service a Buick. I had a 2004 Buick LeSabre, one of Buick's last real cars, but couldn't even get the local dealer to replace the battery, an item that is not owner friendly since it is under the back seat and can kill the computer if installed the wrong way. The Buicks being sold today have nothing in common except the name with the real cars that came before them.

[@foggy_b2837]

No mention of the iconic Grand National? You skipped from the 80s entirely! From oil crisis straight to Tiger Woods...

[@zelphx]

I know, huh? After the abrupt ending, I felt robbed.

[@brandond5209]

87 GNX!

[@CarminesRCTipsandTricks]

NO KIDDING! *THAT* was the first "youth appeal" Car. I still miss my 87 GN. 😭 Remembering how DISMAL Cars were between 73-86, the Grand National epitomized FAST! And still comfortable. Of COURSE that meant that GM had to immediately dump the G-Body platform and return to dismal with FWD shitboxes!! 😖

[@Hofffrog]

My Riviera was wonderful to drive 1979 T type.

[@thetreblerebel]

A luxary brand forr China and the US. Almost replacing Cadillac here in the US. They are luxurious

[@kristensorensen2219]

We need to build a new auto industry where cars are treasures that last 300,000 miles require little maintenance run on synthetic fuel and electric fuel cells. This is the time for a renewal of American industrial power that is owned by new stock holders that will bring back a permanent vested middle class!!

[@chrisgermo1956]

.....and everyone gets a FREE UNICORN...........

[@lincolnpaul1814]

Kristen Sorensen dream on

[@rollingtones1]

3:27 That's NOT David Dunbar Buick, that's henry Ford.

[@ElectrologyNow]

Picky here: that "1959 Buick" is actually a 1960. My father had one.

[@catey62]

Lol..who thinks the theme music sounds similar to 'bittersweet symphony' by the Verve?

[@patdthomas]

Better give Jagger and Richards writing credits or else they'll sue.

[@chadsimmons6347]

these new models..all look the same!..dont matter what brand..unless they are corvette

[@lincolnpaul1814]

Chad Simmons baloney

[@towermoss]

Because they are the same. Same platforms, same design language, and same aerodynamic research.

[@kristensorensen2219]

Wouldn't we all prefer to have a new car that held it's value, cost little to run, virtually no maintenance; and could be enjoyed for thirty years and 300,000 miles?!!!

[@christophermay4998]

Kristen Sorensen car's nowadays are a disaster.....no one makes a good car now.....many are trash by 60 to 100k miles.....my old Honda is almost 25 years old and passed 212k and still going.....the old car's are so much simpler than now.....you need a computer to fix a computer now......and even then many new car's can't be fixed....

[@ebonymont1705]

well, hold its value...... Ha!!! but my daily has over 680,000k (around 450+m) has barely any maintenance and still gets around 10l/100k! its also a 1660kg car with 4 doors, large boot, comfortable, great to drive, and a car that can do anything including tow heavy loads!

[@c5back9]

ebony mont: don’t keep us in suspense... What is it?

[@mikecastellon4545]

Simple....buy any Toyota or better still,Lexus

[@jakekaywell5972]

@@mikecastellon4545 Even those have turned into complete jokes nowadays in my opinion. The only option I have left now is pre-1980s motors.

[@blacquesjacques7239]

What ? No Grand National ?

[@KingRoseArchives]

Could be the subject of its own show.

[@borginator1493]

Man I wish or even the era of supercharged Regals est.

[@CarminesRCTipsandTricks]

I miss my Grand National so much! They were the first taste of what took another 15 years to become the second Musclecar revolution!

[@jimmorrison8225]

My first car was a 1967 buick wildcat

[@northerniltree]

Tiger Woods can drive a golf ball. But, will he drive a Buick? Hell, no.

[@gf4353]

Last year Buick sold 200,000 in the US and 1,200,000 in China. !!!!!

[@rogerstill71]

..."more powerful than a Volkswagen" ?!?!?

[@m0ther_bra1ned12]

Ooh boy. Big power right there. ;-)

[@kristensorensen2219]

I remember what the f-ing Arab oil extortion (embargo) did to my family and our economy, jobs and liberty stolen by big oil!!

[@lincolnpaul1814]

Kristen Sorensen put the blame on big business in America and the super rich in America. They set the rules and nobody else.

[@here_we_go_again2571]

Kristen Sorensen, The boom years were over for Detroit when Japan and European countries rebuilt their factories and installed new, efficient machines (that would be by the late 1950's/early 1960's) Blame Nixon for the OPEC cartel; he's the guy who pegged the USD to oil. Nixon, Kissinger, Bush Sr., Romney and others made million$ off-shoring American industries to China.

[@guitarpro248]

@@here_we_go_again2571 agreed! Nixon opened the door when he set foot in China! I wouldn't doubt that they invested and or received money from Asia by doing so, and as a result I wouldn't be surprised to hear he laxed restrictions on foreign imports while tightening restrictions on us autos. But it also doesn't help that the big three plus AMC became complacent and quite frankly lazy with their designs and efficiency standards. Its like Pandora's box, once the cats out of the bag it's hard to put it back in. And he got rid of the gold standard, it was repealed in 1933, but the price per Troy Oz was fixed, until the early 1970s I believe and when he adjusted the price of gold the US dollar lost its value due to inflation. Crooked politicians have ruined this country and the sad thing is he isn't the only one either Reagan is just as bad too!

[@rext8949]

America just got complacent. Today it's the turn of the oil countries and companies to feel the heat - EV is swiftly changing the auto industry.

[@kristensorensen2219]

@@guitarpro248 I think we can agree they all were culpable. Politics is just a dirty business!

[@arnepianocanada]

*Irresponsible* to skip over Buick's calamitous '57 & '58, suggesting by omission that the mid '50s highs lasted until '59-60. You know better!

[@hyzercreek]

Expatriot Scotsman? He was 2 years old when he moved to America. Jeeezus.

[@hyzercreek]

And then you say David Buick was building engines for farm machinery but show steam engines!! Buick only built gasoline engines. Jeeesuz!

[@hyzercreek]

Then you say his investors moved his company to Flint. Noooo. They bought his company. Flint Wagon Works was not "investors" it was a wagon factory in Flint. Jeeeessssszus this entire thing is wrong.

[@hyzercreek]

And then you say the bankers brought in a new president, Charles Nash! Ha ha Charles Nash was working for Durant since the 1890's in the carriage factory. Brought in? They promoted him, not brought him in.

[@12121149]

Oldsmobile had the first production line,just sayin'

[@ivanolsen8596]

Didnt Ray Harroun win the first Indy in a Buick?

[@allensaunders449]

Buick hasn't made a car of note in many many years

[@greathornedowl3644]

Sadly, Buick like all of GM is no longer what it was. Now going the way of Sears. I am 58, so remember when (the 60s-70s) 3 of 5 cars on the road were GM. My first years of driving (’79-’89) were all American-made cars (GM, Ford, Chryslers), now have not bought one of the big 3 in 30 years.

[@tawnacanhoto8709]

0old cars

[@dlwatib]

Way too superficial a look at Buick. Doesn't even mention the junior Buick brand, the Marquette. Doesn't mention the Dynaflow automatic transmission or the "nailhead" engine design. Doesn't mention the Wildcat (either the engine or the marque), the Skylark, the Apollo, the Regal, any of the station wagons or SUVs, or a whole host of other cars. Doesn't mention the GM bankruptcy. Doesn't divulge that the real reason Buick survived and Olds and Pontiac did not is that the Chinese buyers like Buicks (go figure)! Doesn't put Buick in perspective relative to the rest of the GM family. To hear them tell it, the other brands were just along for the ride and all the sales went to Buick. Somehow I don't think that was true.

[@KingRoseArchives]

Hard to fit in the rich history in 25 minutes. But you're right, much more to the story. Could do a film just about Durant and his battles with the DuPonts.

[@oh8wingman]

There is no mention either of the Canadian made McLaughlin Buick or the fact that Sam McLaughlin helped finance Durrant to form Chevrolet.

[@KingRoseArchives]

True. And I didn't really do a deep dive into the impact Buick's decline had on Flint. Lots of subjects that could be explored.

[@984francis]

Well, you do a documentary then.

[@MrRobster1234]

Dear Flint, How did GM work out for you ?

[@fredbrooks796]

Kind of sad to watch the next collapse of our forefathers. Inveratabl. One at a time.

[@jackallen6261]

Okay, I'll bite...What???

[@tomasjancarik3665]

I love how they optimistically comment on those bulgy late 90s design flop as if they were harbingers of promising future. Naaah.... it doesnt spell american luxury... it spells stretched Nissan Sentra

[@tomasjancarik3665]

Roadmasters had style... Rivieras had style... just look how they get cast in movies... Dennis Hopper and 1971 Riviera... GNX still a heck of a car, a boxy, manly, cowboy coupe. Adding more chrome on an Opel doesnt cut it

[@tomasjancarik3665]

Its like it lost its american identity, whats Trump doing, start making America great again by making a proper Buick again

[@yumpinyiminy963]

To bad GM makes crap now. They bettered quality in the 80's and went back down the American stockholder / CEO instant gratification instead of looking at long term success. Building cars in Mexico is not the way you cheap bastards.

[@kaseywhidden870]

Do Oldsmobile

[@MostlyBuicks]

Yes WWI, crash of '29 and WWII are in ALL of your US car makers videos. Hey how about less of a history lesson and more about the actual cars!

[@stevew270]

I wish GM would have nuked Buick and kept Pontiac.

[@jakekaywell5972]

That was never going to happen. Buick was the division that built GM from the ground-up and their demand is still VERY strong in mainland China, which is currently the world's largest automotive market.

[@bimercatracho]

BUICK is still lost!

[@dianeswift]

Yawn. Bit stuffy in here.

[@d.e.b.b5788]

Still boring cars. They just don't get it.

[@lincolnpaul1814]

D.E.B. B but Toyota gets it?

[@chadsimmons6347]

yep when you drive by a GM dealership..all you hear is a big sucking sound..from cars that suck!!!

[@lincolnpaul1814]

D.E.B. B you’re the one that doesn’t get it

[@jakekaywell5972]

Buicks were always soft luxobarges whose primary concern was codding you in comfort rather than performance. That's my idea of a good car.