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Buick Turns 110, We Look Back

By Matthew Askari | April 17, 2013
From its humble beginnings in 1903, through world wars and generation changes, Buick has persevered. For exactly 11 decades, Buick has been crafting automobiles, and to mark the milestone, we're taking a look back at a few of the automaker's highlights.
While concept cars draw a lot of excitement, they're a relatively commonplace occurrence today, but it couldn't have been so without the 1938 Buick Y-Job. Appreciated as the brain-child of famed designer Harley Earl, the Y-Job is considered to be the first-ever concept car, and its "waterfall" grille is stilled used today. The beautiful concept even featured then-futuristic technologies such as power windows.
In its third decade, Buick saw its first ever 100 mph car, with the aptly named 1936 Buick Century. The 2013 Buick Regal GS has been clocked at a speed of 162 mph, making it the automaker's current top-speed holder.
In 1970, ironically just before oil prices would spike, Buick introduced its largest engine ever: a 7.5-liter V-8. These days, the automaker favors more efficient powertrains, such as its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder.
While Buick was established in 1903, its first model wasn't developed until 1904. Named the Model B, it was Buick's shortest car ever, with a wheelbase of just 83 inches. By contrast, the automaker's shortest model today, the 2013 Buick Encore, has a wheelbase measuring 100.6-inches. As of the end of 2012, Buick has sold over 43 million vehicles. Source: Buick