{"id":72318,"date":"2026-06-07T05:18:04","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T09:18:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/?p=72318"},"modified":"2026-06-07T05:19:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T09:19:03","slug":"buicks-enduring-legacy-how-americas-oldest-car-brand-adapted-through-innovation-global-shifts-and-changing-tastes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/buicks-enduring-legacy-how-americas-oldest-car-brand-adapted-through-innovation-global-shifts-and-changing-tastes\/","title":{"rendered":"Buick\u2019s Enduring Legacy: How America\u2019s Oldest Car Brand Adapted Through Innovation, Global Shifts, and Changing Tastes"},"content":{"rendered":"

How Has Buick Maintained Its Relevance Across 120 Years?<\/p>\n

Buick\u2019s longevity\u2014spanning from its 1903 incorporation to its 120th anniversary in 2023\u2014invites scrutiny beyond the surface narrative of corporate survival. The evidence suggests that Buick\u2019s endurance is less a product of unbroken success than of adaptive reinvention, strategic positioning within General Motors, and a persistent, if sometimes ambiguous, brand identity. Unlike many early American automakers that succumbed to financial volatility or technological inertia, Buick repeatedly recalibrated its engineering priorities and market focus, often under duress. The company\u2019s early embrace of overhead-valve engine technology, for example, provided a fleeting but crucial competitive edge, while its later oscillation between innovation and conservatism\u2014seen in the adoption and abandonment of straight-eight engines, or the delayed shift to front-wheel drive\u2014reflects a pattern of calculated risk and retrenchment. Buick\u2019s survival, then, is less about doing one thing \u201cright\u201d and more about navigating the shifting terrain of American and global automotive demand, sometimes as a pioneer, sometimes as a follower, but rarely as a casualty.<\/p>\n

What Core Innovations Defined Buick\u2019s Early Technical Identity?<\/p>\n

Buick\u2019s technical legacy is often reduced to a handful of engineering milestones, yet the reality is more nuanced. The early adoption of overhead-valve engines, championed by chief engineer Walter Marr, set Buick apart in the nascent industry, offering superior performance relative to sidevalve contemporaries. However, the subsequent reversion to sidevalve technology in the post-GM takeover \u201cBuick Four\u201d models complicates the narrative of unbroken innovation. This apparent regression was likely a pragmatic response to manufacturing constraints and cost pressures, rather than a repudiation of technical progress. The later return to overhead valves in the six-cylinder engines of the 1910s suggests that Buick\u2019s engineering decisions were contingent, iterative, and responsive to both internal and external pressures. The methodological limitation here is clear: technical \u201cleadership\u201d in the early auto industry was rarely linear or absolute, but rather a series of contingent bets shaped by market realities and resource limitations.<\/p>\n

How Did Buick\u2019s Relationship with General Motors Shape Its Trajectory?<\/p>\n

The Buick-GM relationship is often cast as a straightforward rescue narrative, with William Durant\u2019s acquisition of the struggling automaker in 1908 providing the capital and organizational infrastructure necessary for survival. Yet this interpretation risks overstating the coherence of GM\u2019s early strategy and understating the volatility of the period. Durant\u2019s vision of economies of scale and multi-brand integration was prescient, but also fraught with risk; Buick\u2019s initial success under GM was as much a product of fortuitous timing as of strategic genius. Notably, founder David Buick\u2019s own exit\u2014leaving with a substantial payout but ultimately dying in obscurity\u2014underscores the precariousness of early automotive entrepreneurship. The subsequent fate of companion brands like Marquette, which failed to gain traction, further illustrates the limits of GM\u2019s portfolio approach. Buick\u2019s role as GM\u2019s first and most stable acquisition thus reflects both the promise and the pitfalls of early corporate consolidation in the industry.<\/p>\n

What Explains Buick\u2019s Shifting Market Position\u2014Luxury, Performance, or Middle Ground?<\/p>\n

Buick\u2019s brand identity has oscillated between luxury, performance, and mainstream appeal, often in response to competitive pressures and shifting consumer expectations. The introduction of models like the Century and Limited in the 1930s signaled an ambition to encroach on Cadillac\u2019s territory, while the later embrace of high-performance variants such as the Gran Sport and GSX in the muscle car era reflected a willingness to court a different demographic. However, these forays were often tentative or short-lived, constrained by internal GM politics and the need to avoid cannibalizing other divisions. The evidence suggests that Buick\u2019s most enduring successes have come not from staking out a clear niche, but from occupying the ambiguous space between mass-market and premium\u2014a strategy that has enabled flexibility but also engendered brand dilution. The discontinuation of models like Marquette and the rebranding of the Sail in China further illustrate the risks of misaligned market positioning.<\/p>\n

How Has Buick Navigated Globalization and the Rise of the Chinese Market?<\/p>\n

The transformation of Buick into a major player in the Chinese automotive market represents one of the most consequential shifts in its modern history. While GM\u2019s claim that figures like Sun Yat-sen and Emperor Pu Yi lent Buick cultural cachet in China is plausible, the practical significance lies in the brand\u2019s ability to adapt its product lineup to local preferences. The launch of the locally produced Regal and GL8 MPV in 1999, followed by the rapid expansion of China-specific models, reflects a strategic pivot that has insulated Buick from the decline of traditional sedan sales in North America. Yet the failed experiment with the low-cost Sail\u2014quickly rebranded as a Chevrolet due to brand misalignment\u2014highlights the fragility of imported brand equity. Buick\u2019s Chinese success is thus neither inevitable nor easily replicable; it is the product of targeted adaptation, favorable regulatory conditions, and the peculiarities of Chinese consumer perceptions.<\/p>\n

What Are the Structural Limitations and Blind Spots in Buick\u2019s Evolution?<\/p>\n

For all its adaptability, Buick\u2019s history is marked by recurring structural constraints. The brand\u2019s position within GM has often limited its ability to pursue radical innovation, as evidenced by its late adoption of front-wheel drive and the periodic recycling of platforms and technologies from other GM divisions. The tension between engineering ambition and corporate conservatism is perhaps most evident in the fate of the aluminum 215 V8\u2014an engine lauded for its technical merits but abandoned due to manufacturing costs, only to find a second life in Britain. Similarly, the reliance on badge-engineered Opels and Holdens in recent decades has enabled global reach but at the cost of a distinct technical identity. These patterns suggest that Buick\u2019s future relevance will depend not only on its ability to read market signals, but also on its capacity to assert a coherent vision within the constraints of a sprawling multinational parent.<\/p>\n

What Second-Order Consequences Emerge from Buick\u2019s Persistent Adaptation?<\/p>\n

The consequences of Buick\u2019s adaptive strategy extend beyond the survival of a single brand. Its ability to serve as a testbed for new technologies (e.g., the concept car Y-Job, the VentiPorts, the Sweepspear) and as a bridge between American and global markets has had ripple effects across the industry. The transfer of engine technology to Rover, for instance, shaped the trajectory of British performance and luxury vehicles for decades. Buick\u2019s success in China has informed the global strategies of other legacy automakers seeking to navigate the complexities of emerging markets. Yet these achievements come with trade-offs: the risk of brand dilution, the challenge of maintaining technical distinctiveness, and the ever-present possibility of obsolescence in a rapidly evolving industry.<\/p>\n

What Should an Informed Reader Conclude About Buick\u2019s Place in Automotive History?<\/p>\n

Buick\u2019s story complicates the notion of linear progress or unalloyed success in the automotive sector. Its survival is neither a simple testament to superior engineering nor a straightforward case of brand loyalty. Rather, Buick exemplifies the messy, contingent, and often paradoxical nature of industrial endurance. The informed reader should recognize that Buick\u2019s legacy is not merely a relic of American automotive history, but a living case study in the dynamics of adaptation, the limits of corporate strategy, and the unpredictable interplay between technology, culture, and market forces. The lesson is not that longevity guarantees relevance, but that relevance must be continually renegotiated\u2014sometimes at the expense of clarity, sometimes at the cost of coherence, but always in response to the shifting demands of the world beyond the factory gates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"Small<\/a><\/p>\n

Buick: the story of America\u2019s oldest auto firm still running<\/p>\n

\n

Small to large.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

By a small margin, Buick is the oldest North American company still building cars today, was the first to be incorporated into General Motors,\u00a0<\/strong>and marked its 120th birthday in 2023.<\/p>\n

To have survived so long, Buick has clearly been doing something right for the last 120 odd years, which is as good a reason as any for us to delve into its history:<\/p>\n

\n

The founder<\/h2>\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

David Dunbar Buick<\/strong> (1854-1929) was born in Arbroath on the east coast of Scotland<\/strong>, but was taken by his family to the US at the age of two. Like Henry Ford<\/strong> (1863-1948), he created three companies, the last of which was by far the most successful.<\/p>\n

The Buick Motor Company<\/strong> was incorporated on 19 May 1903, two months before Ford. Its predecessors had built cars, but this was the one that took the business seriously.<\/p>\n

\n

The first car<\/h2>\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

The first Buick to go to market, in 1904, was the Model B<\/strong>, which was renamed several times as it was developed over the years. None are believed to survive, but there are still over a dozen examples of the Model C<\/strong> derivative.<\/p>\n

These cars had exceptional performance for their day, largely because their valves were mounted above the cylinders rather than alongside. This was due to the work of chief engineer Walter Marr<\/strong> (1865-1941), an early adopted of overhead-valve<\/strong> technology.<\/p>\n

PICTURE<\/strong>: 1905 Buick Model C<\/p>\n

\n

General Motors<\/h2>\n

\"General\n<\/p>\n

The Buick Motor Company got into deep financial trouble very quickly, and might not have lasted for much more than a year. It was saved by William Durant<\/strong> (1861-1947, pictured), who had made a fortune selling horse-drawn carriages<\/strong>. Not initially keen on cars, Durant was impressed by the Buick, and bought the company.<\/p>\n

In 1908, he created a holding company called General Motors<\/strong>, Durant realizing before others that autos were going to be a huge new consumer product and economies of scale were key to producing them efficiently. Buick, by now very successful after its shaky start, was its first acquisition. Founder David Buick<\/strong> left the business in 1906 with a $100,000 pay off (around $3 million in today’s money), but subsequent business ventures didn\u2019t work out and he died, apparently broke, in March 1929.<\/p>\n

\n

The Four<\/h2>\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

Buick Four is the collective name for a series of cars built after the GM takeover, whose engines had four cylinders<\/strong>, rather than the two in the Model B and its successors. Each cylinder was only slightly smaller than those of the older engine, and since there were twice as many of them the capacity almost doubled.<\/p>\n

Oddly, Buick reverted to the less efficient sidevalve<\/strong> (or flathead<\/strong>) arrangement for this engine, but even in its earliest form it was far more powerful at 30bhp<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

PICTURE<\/strong>: 1909 Buick Model 10 Runabout<\/p>\n

\n

The Six<\/h2>\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

The Six was the last Buick launched before the US entered the First World War, and marked the debut of the company’s first six-cylinder engine<\/strong>. Its cylinders were arranged in-line, and Buick reverted to the overhead valve head it had started out with.<\/p>\n

The Six was in production from 1914 until 1925, but the engine was still being used as late as 1930. Available in capacities ranging from 3.1 to 5.4 litres<\/strong>, it was also fitted to the upmarket Master Six<\/strong> and the junior-level Standard Six<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

Marquette<\/h2>\n

\"Marquette\"\n<\/p>\n

In the 1920s, GM tried to increase its market penetration by creating companion makes<\/strong> for four of its five brands (the exception being Chevrolet<\/strong>). Buick’s companion was Marquette, a new division whose name had last been used in 1912. Powered by an uncharacteristic sidevalve\/flathead engine, the Marquette was a single model available in six body styles, and was cheaper than contemporary Buicks.<\/p>\n

Marquette survived only for the 1930 model year before being discontinued. Two other companion makes lasted hardly any longer, though Pontiac<\/strong> (created as a junior brand to Oakland<\/strong>) uniquely outlived its senior partner and remained active until 2010.<\/p>\n

\n

McLaughlin-Buick<\/h2>\n

\"McLaughlin-Buick\"\n<\/p>\n

Originally a carriage maker, Ontario-based McLaughlin<\/strong> moved into the car industry in the early years of the 20th century. In 1918, it was merged with Chevrolet’s Canadian arm to become General Motors Canada<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Its cars later became known as McLaughlin-Buicks. This name survived until the US entered the Second World War<\/strong>. In the post-War period, the McLaughlin name was dropped, and the cars were sold simply as Buicks.<\/p>\n

\n

Straight-eight<\/h2>\n

\"Straight-eight\"\n<\/p>\n

Straight-eight engines became almost the default choice for premium North American cars in the 1920s, despite the structural and packaging advantages of the more compact V8<\/strong>. Buick was late to the party, but it added its own overhead-valve straight-eight to its entire range in the 1931 model year.<\/p>\n

The engine was available across a wide variety of displacements from 3.6 litres<\/strong> to 5.2 <\/strong>litres<\/strong>, and was still being fitted to some Buicks as late as 1953.<\/p>\n

PICTURE<\/strong>: 1934 Buick Series 60 with straight-eight engine<\/p>\n

\n

The first Century<\/h2>\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

Buick has used periodically Century as a name since the 1936 model year. Its first appearance was on a fashionably streamlined update of the car previously known as the Model 60<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This was by no means the biggest Buick of its time, but it was fitted with the largest (5.2 <\/strong>litres<\/strong>) and most powerful (120bhp<\/strong>) version of the straight-eight engine. The Century name was chosen because the car could reach 100mph<\/strong>, or at least had a speedometer which suggested that it might.<\/p>\n

\n

The first Limited<\/h2>\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

Buick began to use the name Limited (suggesting exclusivity rather than parsimony) in the 1936 model year. The original Limited was an update of the Series 90<\/strong>. It was so large and luxurious that Buick almost seemed to be encroaching on the territory of GM’s poshest brand, Cadillac<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Including a major mid-life update, production continued for more than half a decade until Buick was obliged by world events to shift its focus in 1942.<\/p>\n

\n

The Y-Job<\/h2>\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

Buick is credited with being the first manufacturer to build a concept car<\/strong> – one designed to be seen in public and show off its maker’s ability, but with no suggestion that a production model would follow.<\/p>\n

GM’s chief designer Harley Earl<\/strong> (1893-1969) wanted the 1938 Y-Job to be as low and sleek as possible. To achieve this, he specified 13-inch diameter wheels<\/strong> at a time when 16s were the norm. Earl used the car as his daily driver for several years. According to GM, it then “languished in dusty anonymity” for a while before being fully restored.<\/p>\n

\n

Buick wagons<\/h2>\n

\"Buick\n<\/p>\n

Buick has used the British term \u2018wagon\u2019 to describe cars which would normally be called station wagons<\/strong> in North America. It first did this in 1940, applying the name to an extra-roomy derivative of the Buick Super<\/strong>. This policy continued until the final Roadmaster Wagon<\/strong> was built in 1996.<\/p>\n

PICTURE<\/strong>: 1940 Buick Super Wagon<\/p>\n

\n

Buick at war<\/h2>\n

\"Buick\n<\/p>\n

General Motors put enormous energy into building armaments<\/strong> for the Second World War. Buick’s major contribution was the design and construction of the very fast M18 Hellcat<\/strong> tank destroyer, which was capable of travelling at 55mph<\/strong> despite weighing around 18 tons<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Just over 2500 were built in 1943 and 1944. It performed service in all theaters, but mainly Europe, and was admired for its 50mph <\/strong>top speed, which gave it the ability to outmaneuver slower German tanks; Germany\u2019s Panther <\/strong>could only muster 34mph.<\/p>\n

\n

Post-War styling<\/h2>\n

\"Post-War\n<\/p>\n

By 1950, two styling features<\/strong> which would become familiar on Buicks for several years were already well established. One was a distinctive chrome grille<\/strong> featuring a large number of vertical elements placed side by side.<\/p>\n

Buicks were also notable for their VentiPorts<\/strong> – three or four (depending on model) air outlets on the front fenders behind and above the wheels. In the UK, Sunbeam<\/strong> would later use similar (though less obvious) outlets on its MkIII<\/strong> sedan.<\/p>\n

PICTURE<\/strong>: 1949 Buick Roadmaster Riviera convertible showing both features<\/p>\n

\n

The Sweepspear<\/h2>\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

Buick’s stylists also developed the Sweepspear, which first appeared on the 1949 Roadmaster Riviera<\/strong>. This elaborate chrome strip<\/strong> ran almost the whole length of the car, starting high before curving down to sill level, then swooping up over the rear wheels.<\/p>\n

PICTURE<\/strong>: 1954 Buick Skylark Convertible with Sweepspear<\/p>\n

\n

The Nailhead<\/h2>\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

Buick’s first V8<\/strong> engine was nicknamed Nailhead because its narrow valves<\/strong>, arranged vertically in the cylinder head, resembled a row of nails. Initially available in 4.3-<\/strong>litre<\/strong>\u00a0and 5.3-<\/strong>litre\u00a0<\/strong>forms, it was fitted to a wide variety of Buicks from 1953, and occasionally to the Chevrolet Task Force<\/strong> truck. In its second generation, the Nailhead reached a capacity of 7.0 <\/strong>litres<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

PICTURE<\/strong>: 1955 Buick Roadmaster with 5.3-litre\u00a0Nailhead V8<\/p>\n

\n

A car named Electra<\/h2>\n

\"A\n<\/p>\n

In 1959, Buick introduced the first of several models called Electra. It was named after Electra Waggoner Biggs<\/strong> (1912-2001), the sister-in-law of recently retired GM and former Buick president Harlow Curtice<\/strong> (1893-1962), who was TIME magazine’s Person of the Year in 1955. The town of Electra, Texas is named after her mother.<\/p>\n

Typically for American cars of the time, the Electra featured very large rear fins, known as Delta fins<\/strong>. When the second-generation car was launched in 1961 fashion had quickly changed, and there was almost no sign of them.<\/p>\n

PICTURE<\/strong>: 1959 Buick Electra Convertible<\/p>\n

\n

From Buick to Rover<\/h2>\n

\"From\n<\/p>\n

The Nailhead engine was replaced in 1961 by a new 3.5-litre<\/strong> aluminum V8<\/strong>, named 215<\/strong>. Highly respected for its combination of high power and low weight, it was used both by Buick and by several other GM brands for a few years before being abandoned due to its high manufacturing cost, with iron-blocked engines used instead.<\/p>\n

Britain\u2019s Rover<\/strong> however urgently needed a powerful new engine and bought the rights to the engine, modified it and began using it in its high-end cars, including (from 1970) the original Range Rover<\/strong>. Short-lived as an American engine, it survived for many years as a British one in Rovers, MGs<\/strong>, Triumphs<\/strong>, Morgans<\/strong>, TVRs<\/strong> and a very large number of home-built competition cars.<\/p>\n

PICTURE<\/strong>: Range Rover with Buick-derived V8 engine<\/p>\n

\n

The Riviera<\/h2>\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

Buick had used the Riviera name for special versions of other cars for several years before assigning it to a standalone model in 1962. Like the Ford Thunderbird<\/strong>, this was a personal luxury car<\/strong> – a relatively sporty model but one with an emphasis on comfort rather than performance, despite being fitted with the mighty second-generation Nailhead V8 engine.<\/p>\n

The Riviera\u2019s lustrous design is partly because it was originally destined to be a Cadillac, one notch higher in the GM firmament, but Cadillac didn\u2019t want it. Buick created other production Rivieras up to the end of the 20th century, and a couple of concepts with that name in the 21st.<\/p>\n

PICTURE<\/strong>: 1963 Buick Riviera<\/p>\n

\n

The Buick V6<\/h2>\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

The 1962 Buick Special<\/strong> was the first car fitted with Buick’s new V6<\/strong> engine, a layout almost completely unknown in North American markets at that time. Initially known as the Fireball, it was sold to Kaiser-Jeep<\/strong>, but GM bought the rights back after the oil crisis of the early 1970s.<\/p>\n

Development continued for years afterwards. Latterly known as the 3800<\/strong>, the engine remained in production until 2008; its last application was in the 2009 Buick LaCrosse<\/strong> sedan.<\/p>\n

PICTURE<\/strong>: 1963 Buick Special Convertible<\/p>\n

\n

Gran Sports<\/h2>\n

\"Gran\n<\/p>\n

High-performance Buicks have been named either Gran Sport or GS since 1965, when a Skylark<\/strong> with a 7.0-litre<\/strong> Nailhead V8 engine was introduced. The series included the 1970 GSX<\/strong>, which easily qualifies as a muscle car.<\/p>\n

It was a special version of the second-generation Skylark with a 7.5-litre\u00a0V8<\/strong>, front and rear spoilers<\/strong> and stiffer than normal suspension<\/strong>. Buick built 678 examples in 1970, 500 of them painted Saturn Yellow and 178 Apollo White.<\/p>\n

\n

Front-wheel drive<\/h2>\n

\"Front-wheel\n<\/p>\n

Buick did not get round to producing a front-wheel drive car until 1979, half a century after the Cord L-29<\/strong> had gone on sale with that layout. It wasn’t even a new development for General Motors. The sixth-generation Riviera was related to the Cadillac Eldorado<\/strong> and Oldsmobile Toronado<\/strong>, both of which had been FWD since the mid 1960s.<\/p>\n

Earlier Rivieras had been based on the same platform as those cars too, but Buick had made a point of converting it to rear-wheel drive for its own purposes.<\/p>\n

\n

Buick in NASCAR<\/h2>\n

\"Buick\n<\/p>\n

Buicks were driven in the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing<\/strong> (NASCAR<\/strong>) for many years, but never with more success than in 1981 and 1982. 1981 was the first year of NASCAR’s Generation 3<\/strong> regulations. Buick’s contender was the Regal, in which Darrell Waltrip<\/strong>\u00a0won the first of his three Drivers’ titles, while Buick won the Manufacturers’ crown.<\/p>\n

Both achievements were repeated the following year. Bobby Allison\u00a0<\/strong>used a Buick for most of 1983 and became the Driver’s champion, though the top manufacturer overall that year was Chevrolet<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

The Grand National<\/h2>\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

Buick celebrated its NASCAR triumph of 1981 by creating a Grand National version of the Regal<\/strong>, which went on sale the following year. The road car was fitted with the by now very well established 3.8-litre V6<\/strong> engine, rather than the 5.8-litre V8<\/strong> used in the racer.<\/p>\n

For the 1987 model year Buick created the ultimate variant named GNX<\/strong>: good for over 300 hp, just 547 were made and flew off the lots. One of them with just 568 miles on the clock sold in January 2022 for a cool $308,000<\/strong>, and you won\u2019t get near a rather more used example for less than $50,000<\/strong> today.<\/p>\n

\n

Buick at Indy<\/h2>\n

\"Buick\n<\/p>\n

Buick first won a race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway<\/strong> in 1909, two years before the first 500-mile race. In the 1980s, Buick developed a competition version of its road-going V6 for Indy racing. The rules of the time allowed ‘stock block<\/strong>‘ engines to be larger than ones designed from the start for competition, and to have higher levels of turbo boost<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Buick V6 never won the 500<\/strong>, but it was a popular choice for many teams. Buick pulled out of the project in 1992, citing decreasing relevance to engines used in production cars.<\/p>\n

\n

The Park Avenue<\/h2>\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

After being used for a trim level on the Electra, Park Avenue became a model name for Buick’s full-size luxury sedan<\/strong>. It was built in two generations from 1990 to 2005, and was powered by the 3.8-litre V6<\/strong> in either supercharged<\/strong> or naturally aspirated form.<\/p>\n

A third Park Avenue was launched in China in 2007, and remained on the market for five years. This was essentially a slightly altered Holden Caprice<\/strong>, assembled in Shanghai from parts shipped in from Australia.<\/p>\n

\n

Buick in China<\/h2>\n

\"Buick\n<\/p>\n

Buick has been popular in China for many years. According to GM, statesman and philosopher Sun Yat-sen<\/strong> (1866-1925), Emperor Pu Yi<\/strong> (1906-1967) and Premier Zhou Enlai<\/strong> (1898-1976) all either owned or were driven in the company’s cars and that status has served the US brand very well in the country, helping GM become by far the most successful of the Big 3 in China.<\/p>\n

Buick manufacturing within China itself began in 1999. The first models were a local version of the Regal<\/strong> and the original GL8 MPV<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

Buick Sail<\/h2>\n

\"Buick\n<\/p>\n

Based on the Opel Corsa<\/strong>, the Sail was the first low-cost Buick built and sold in China. The problem with this was that the car did not fit with China\u2019s upmarket perception of the brand. In 2005, GM switched to selling it as a Chevrolet.<\/p>\n

Chevrolet was perceived as having a younger image<\/strong> than Buick.<\/p>\n

\n

The Rendezvous<\/h2>\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

Very few manufacturers nowadays can get away without having at least one crossover SUV<\/strong> in its line-up. Buick entered this market sector in 2001 with the Rendezvous, a corporate cousin of the Pontiac Aztek<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Rendezvous had an unusual appearance, but it looked far less regrettable than its Pontiac equivalent, which is widely regarded as one of the ugliest cars ever sold. Probably for this reason, the Rendezvous outsold the Aztek in a big way every year until they were both discontinued in 2007.<\/p>\n

\n

Buick Enclave<\/h2>\n

\"Buick\n<\/p>\n

Of the nameplates currently used by Buick in North America, the oldest is Enclave. The three-row SUV<\/strong> went into production in 2007, and went into its second generation ten years later. It was given a mid-life update in 2021.<\/p>\n

A two-row Enclave based on a shorter version of the same platform<\/strong> went on sale in China in 2020.<\/p>\n

\n

Buick Cascada<\/h2>\n

\"Buick\n<\/p>\n

To an even greater extent than the Sail mentioned earlier, the Cascada was a renamed Opel<\/strong> rather than a ‘proper’ Buick. The four-seat convertible<\/strong> was developed by GM Europe and sold on that continent as an Opel or, in the UK, a Vauxhall<\/strong>. It was marketed as a Holden<\/strong> in Australia and a Buick in North America.<\/p>\n

Several engines were available in most markets, but only the most powerful – a 1.6-litre<\/strong> petrol turbo producing just short of 200 hp<\/strong> – was offered in the Buick.<\/p>\n

\n

Buick Velite<\/h2>\n

\"Buick\n<\/p>\n

Buick used the Velite name for a roadster<\/strong> concept in 2004, and then for the Chinese version of the second-generation Chevrolet Volt<\/strong> hybrid, known as the Velite 5<\/strong>. The current Velite 6<\/strong> is a compact hatchback<\/strong> which made its debut as an EV<\/strong> but is now also available as a plug-in hybrid<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Velite 7 crossover<\/strong>, offered only as an EV, is built on the same platform as the Velite 6 and all-electric Chevrolet<\/strong> models sold in North America and elsewhere.<\/p>\n

PICTURE<\/strong>: Buick Velite 7<\/p>\n

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