David Dunbar Buick began playing with engine manufacturing in the 1890s. Buick as a company was founded in 1899 and the Buick Motor Company was incorporated in 1903 after a few years of engine and model development. Buick only made 37 vehicles the first year in business.
After about a year, David Dunbar Buick sold the company to Benjamin Briscoe, who sold it to James H. Whiting. William C. Durant, co-founder of GM, became the controlling investor shortly thereafter. It wasn’t until William C. Durant took over that the Buick name began to scale out higher-end vehicles to the masses. With a little promotion, a fine product and the ability to scale production, Buick became the largest car maker in America for a while.
In fact, it was the success of Buick that gave Durant the capitol to purchase other car companies to form General Motors. So one could legitimately claim, Buick’s origin story is actually the origin story of General Motors.
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