1996 Buick Century Owner's Manual

“valve-in-head” engine, a light, powerful and reliableengine which would eventually influence the entireautomotive industry.William C. Durant was instrumental in promotingBuicks across the country using his Durant-DortCarriage Co. outlets and salespeople as the nucleus of agiant distribution system. He knew the Buick as a“self-seller.” If automobiles could be this good, hethought, maybe it was time to switch from the horse andbuggy business to automobiles.Walter Marr and Thomas BuickBuick’s chief engineer, Walter L. Marr (left), andThomas D. Buick, son of founder David Dunbar Buick,drove the first Flint Buick in a successful Flint-Detroitround trip in July 1904.David Buick was building gasoline engines by 1899,and Marr, his engineer, apparently built the first auto tobe called a Buick in 1900. However, Buick traditionallydates its beginnings to 1903. That was the year thecompany was reorganized, refinanced and moved fromDetroit to Flint. Buick has always been a productinnovator. Buick engineers developed theWilliam C. (Billy) DurantAt the 1905 New YorkAuto Show, Durant tookorders for 1,000 Buicksbefore the company hadbuilt 40. On Buick’ssuccess, Durant created aholding company,September 16, 19081. He1 called it General Motors.