If you search the words "Buick collectors" on Google, you'll get about 359,000 results. Buick is one of the all-time classic car brands, truly loved by aficionados and virtually worshipped by the true believers of car collection. Buick was one of the benchmark American brands almost from inception, and it's certainly one of the few surviving brands to have achieved legend status and remained on the market. It's the sort of brand where you can't get rid of your mechanic because the guy doesn't want to leave.
Buick history
Buick incorporated in 1903 and moved from Detroit to Flint, Michigan. In its early days it was a direct competitor with the model T Ford. By 1923, Buick had built its one millionth car, and by 1925 it was producing the famous Prohibition Era sedans with the running boards. In 1938, it produced the famous "Y job" convertible, a truly modern looking car, and predecessor of the giant chrome mountains of the 1950s and early 60s.
During the Second World War, Buick took some time off from designing cars to design a tank destroyer called the M–18 Hellcat, of which 2500 were produced. These were very fast-moving, hard-hitting vehicles which saw service in Europe. By 1949 however, Buick was back in the business of creating advanced modern looking cars which set the standards for the Baby Boom generation and their parents.
The 1960-70 period saw a virtual avalanche of new design concepts in five major Buick models which are still revered to this day including:
The Invicta – The centerpiece design of 1961.
The Skylark – A big brassy convertible adored by its fans.
The Riviera – A big powerful sedan with iconic lines.
The Wildcat- A streamlined, agile looking performance car
The Gran Sport GSX – In 1970 and enthusiasts to light, and still one of the all-time grunt cars which still has collectors drooling to this day. If you own one of these cars and want car servicing, you'll cause interstate gridlock.
These are the true giants of Buick collector vehicles and they all emphasize one particular thing about Buicks. Buick is a design brand, and it has earned its reputation. It needs to be remembered that Buick was competing with the other all-time great cars of this era, and that these models weren't designed for neophytes. Buick built its reputation on building good cars, not simply "just cars", but special, high design value cars.
That's not the easiest way to operate a brand, particularly in the highly competitive American car market, in the face of tough competition. At the best of times the car market is extremely fickle, and design statements can be taken or left when a new model comes on the market. The Buicks made a major impact whenever they were released.
That's why collectors are so crazy about Buicks. These cars have not only survived their own days on the market, they have remained incredible favorites competing with literally hundreds of other brands. Car collectors don't have to buy cars, and nine times out of 10 they won't. Try finding a collector-standard Buick on the market, and you could be searching for years.
It all the best testimony to the enduring love of car enthusiasts for Buicks. They've stayed in the market for over a century and remained highly regarded even in an era of far more advanced car technology. That's the epitome of good design, and that's what makes Buicks special.
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