Buick

US, 1903 to date

(1) Buick Motor Car Co, Detroit, Mich., 1903

(2) Buick Motor Car Co, Flint, Mich., 1904 to date

David Buick’s first car followed conventional American design in having a flat-twin engine mounted amidships under the floor, a two-speed planetary transmission, and final drive by chain – but unusual were its mechanically-operated full overhead valves, a feature of all cars bearing the name of Buick to the present day, apart from Buick fours of the 1906 – 1909 period, which had side-valves in T-heads. Capacity was 2.6-litres, and it sold for $1.250. Developments of this original Buick model were selling in England for £294 in 1907, but there was already a companion 4.2-litre four with front-mounted engine, and 1908 saw a ‘square’ Buick four (95.2x95.2mm) with planetary transmission added to the range. In 1908 W.C. Durant formed General Motors, Buick being one of the original members of the group. In 1909 Bob Burman drove a Buick to victory in the first race ever held at Indianapolis Speedway. Sales had exceeded 30.000 Buick cars by 1910. For the next few years Buicks with English bodywork were sold in Britain first as ‘all British Bedfords’, and then as ‘Bedford-Buicks’. By 1912 planetary transmission had been dropped and 4-cylinder Buick cars were available in 2.7-litre, 3.3-litre and 5.2-litre sizes, still with rhd, but with the brake and gear levers faired into the driver’s door. Delco electric lighting and starting were standard on all Buick models by 1914, in which year Buick marketed their first six, the Buick B-55. Nearly 126.000 Buick cars were sold in 1916, and the company entered the post-World War 1 era with a 2.8-litre four and a 3.9-litre six, cars which brought Buick into fourth position in US sales, behind Ford, Dodge, and Chevrolet, all far cheaper vehicles; a Buick Six tourer cost $1795 in 1921.

Drastic change came in 1924. The Buick cars acquired front wheel brakes as standard equipment, while cylinder heads were now detachable, and the rounded radiator shell gave way to an angular, Packard-like outline that was to continue until 1928. Prices of Buick fours started at $935, and the cheapest Buick six was listed at $1565. The 6-cylinder cars became the staple in 1925 and the ‘back-to-front’ gear shift pattern shared with Dodge was discarded in 1927. The Buick cars were completely re-styled in 1929, when hydraulic shock absorbers were added, and the capacities of the two basic Buick models were increased to 3.8-litres and 5.1-litres respectively. Prices ran from $1.195 to $2.145, but for Buick customers with slenderer pockets there was the Buick Marquette. Buick went over to an all-straight-8 programme, still with overhead valves, in 1931. Expanding brakes were now standard at front and rear. Synchromesh was standardized on the more expensive Buick models and available as an extra on all, and was standardized throughout the range in 1932.

Buick’s evolution up to World War 2 followed General motors policy; cruciform-braced frame and no-draught ventilation in 1933, Dubonnet-type ifs in 1934, and turret-top styling, down-draught carburation and hydraulic brakes in 1936 with the Buick DA-series – one example of which became famous when it took Mrs Ernest Simpson into exile at the time of the British Abdication crisis. Despite Buick’s upper middle-class position in the GM sales picture, the 1937 range of 4.1-litre and 5.2-litre eights covered everything from a sedan on a 10ft 2in wheelbase at $855 up to a seven-seater Buick C090 limousine at $2095; prices in Britain, where the Buick cars were consistently well received between the Wars, were £500 and £865 respectively. 1938 Buicks had coil springing all round, and that year the Division produced GM’s first ‘dream car’, a two-seater convertible coupé styled by Harley Earl on a Roadmaster chassis. Buicks used the same engines up to 1952, though they came out with a 2-speed Dynaflow automatic transmission in 1948. In 1948 they pioneered the now popular hardtop convertible body with their Buick Riveira. The smaller engines were, however, enlarged to 4.3-litres in 1952, and the following year the Division’s first ohv V8 unit appeared; its capacity was 5.3-litres, and its output 188bhp. All 1954 Buicks used this type of engine.

Buick sales dropped in 1958, but the 1959 cars were style leaders with the delta tail and fins. Buick’s first effort at a compact car in 1961 was the Buick Special with an all-aluminium 155bhp, 3½-litres V8 engine, replaced the following year by a cast-iron V6, used also by Oldsmobile. The demand for cars with a sporting flavor resulted in the handsome Buick Riviera sports coupé of 1963, which by 1966 was giving 340bhp from 7 litres, and was capable of 120mph. Automatic transmission was, of course, standard. The 1966 Buick range had a more sporting atmosphere than in the past, and embraced the Buick Special with a 9ft 7in wheelbase and a choice of V6 or 4.9-litre V8 engines; the Buick Skylark with the same chassis dimensions and a 6.6-litre V8 engine; and the bigger Buicks in the shape of the 5½-litre Buick Le Sabre, the 6.6-litre Buick Wildcat, the Buick Electra, and the top-line Buick Riviera. These models continued without basic change until 1971, though concealed screenwipers (found on other GM cars of that year) and the option of front disc brakes came in 1967, and cylinder capacities were increased: the biggest V8 ran to 7046cc in that year, to 7456cc in 1970. The small 3½-litre V8 abandoned by Buick in 1963 was taken up by Rover of England in 1968 and was subsequently supplied by them to Morgan. The 1971 Buick station wagons featured glide-away tailgates. By 1972 all but the economy Buick Skylarks had front disc brakes as regular equipment. Engine outputs were reduced (from 370bhp to 250bhp in the case of the most potent V8), and the Buick Riviera was restyled in the Chevrolet Corvette hardtop idiom. Only V8s, of 5736cc and 7456cc, were offered in 1973; the Buick Skylark gave way to a new car with an old Buick name, the Century, that reverted to the single-headlamp layout.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS

The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com

DeSoto

US, 1913 – 1916

DeSoto Motro Car Co, Auburn, Ind.

The DeSoto appears to have succeeded the Zimmerman. This was a large car with a 55hp, 6-cylinder engine, which was furnished with a compressed-air starter. The DeSoto model Six-55 five-seater touring car sold for $2185.

US, 1928 – 1960

Chrysler Motors Corp, Detroit, Mich.

The DeSoto was launched in 1928 as a 3.2-litre side valve six to compete with Oldsmobile, Pontiac and the cheaper Nashes. Styling and general design of the DeSoto were in line with the 1929 Chryslers, and at $885 for a DeSoto sedan 90.000 were sold in the first twelve months. A 3.4-litre straight-8 DeSoto on a 9ft 6in wheelbase was announced for 1930 as the world’s cheapest 8-cylinder car. However, DeSoto suffered badly in the Depression, and in 1932, when flexible rubber engine mountings and free wheels were made available, sales dropped to 26.000 DeSoto cars.
The DeSoto disappeared from the British market about this time, though certain ‘Chrysler’ models listed in England (the Mortlake, Croydon, and some of the Richmonds) were in fact DeSoto cars in all but name. A 6-cylinder version of Chrysler’s advanced unitary-construction Airflow, the SE-type with a 4-litre engine, was brought out in 1934, but was an unsuccessful as its bigger sister. Later DeSotos followed regular Chrysler lines closely though in later years there was a tendency for DeSoto to move into a higher price class than Dodge; by 1952 DeSotos started $300 higher than the companion make.
By 1939 the DeSoto cars for sale were being made with independent front suspension, hypoid back axles and column change. There was a choice at DeSoto of two 6-cylinder engines and three wheelbase lengths, the longest of these being reserved for seven-seater bodywork – DeSoto continued to offer a really roomy family car right up to 1954. A 4-speed semi-automatic Vacumatic transmission became an option in 1941, but DeSoto’s big post-war change of models did not take place until 1952, when the division followed Chrysler’s lead in adopting the oversquare ohv V8; the DeSoto version was of 4½-litre capcity and developed 16-bhp. With the advent of Chrysler’s ‘flight sweep’ styling in 1955, the side-valve sixes were dropped and the standard engine in a DeSoto was now a 4.8-litre eight, giving 185bhp in Firedome guise, and 200bhp in Fireflite form. Though this redesigning saved Chrysler sales generally, the slump in the medium-price class had an adverse effect on DeSoto and in 1959 the DeSoto division was merged with Plymouth. Last of the DeSotos were the 1961 models, unitary-construction cars with a choice of three engines: Plymouth’s 145bhp ohv ‘slant six’ as used in the Valiant, and V8s of 230 and 265bhp, the two former only in Canadian DeSotos. Production of DeSoto cars ceased in November 1960 after only a few had been delivered.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS
The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com