The first two Buick automobiles were in-built 1899 and 1900 not by David Buick, the founding father of the Buick Motor Co., but by an engineer named Walter Marr on the Buick Auto-Vim and Power Co.
The first Buick on the market was a 1904 model with a two-cylinder engine. The early success of Buick Motor is usually attributed to the overhead valve engine. Billy Durant became Buick's general manager and an important promoter, and Buick became the most important U.S. automobile manufacturer. Along with Oldsmobile, Cadillac, and Oakland (later Pontiac), Buick became the brand that ranked just under Cadillac in price and standing structure.
Buick has built some beautiful and great models throughout its long history. From the Thirties through the Nineteen Fifties and beyond, Buick was a real status automobile. When buyers had (or claimed to have) significant wealth, they were more more likely to buy Cadillacs; but when buyers had significant wealth but didn't want to point out it off, they were more more likely to buy Buicks.
In 2009, GM discontinued Pontiac and Oldsmobile resulting from financial reasons. Many have wondered why they selected these two as a substitute of Buick. I feel it's protected to say it's all in regards to the dollar. Buick is extremely popular in China. For example, in 2020, Buick sold 926,532 Buicks in China and 162,749 in America.
Our automobile today dates from the Thirties to the Nineteen Fifties and is a phenomenal 1940 Buick Special two-door convertible. The owner, mechanically gifted Bob Coates of Danville, bought this automobile in 1959. It was in poor condition and sitting at a gas station in East Oakland. He says he liked the design, which brought back memories of shopping for a brand new 1940 Buick coupe along with his father.
The gas station owner offered to sell the automobile for $25, $10 greater than the junkyard would pay for it. Coates, then a university student, bought the automobile after borrowing $20 from his father. The automobile ran, but needed a variety of work. The body, nevertheless, was in good condition, with only just a few minor dents and no rust.
“In 1959-1960, I went into the Army and left the car at a body shop in Hayward. I told them, 'Fix the car. Take your time, because I'm gone.' When I came back, the car was done, but then I had to get a top. I got a white cloth top and some plain black seat covers, and it was 'a pretty sexy car.'”
Coates is a patient man, and time marched on. He rebuilt the engine nearly 10 years ago and acquired all the inside parts latest for about $2,000. Around 2002-04, Coates put a period-correct interior and roof within the automobile. He also redid the dash and gauges. This Buick runs great with a rebuilt 248 cubic-inch inline-eight engine that makes 107 horsepower.
It contains a column-mounted three-speed manual transmission and switch signals as standard equipment, as Buick was the primary company to put in them as such. The very distinctive turn signals were mounted on the trunk lid with arrows flashing left or right. Front turn signals were added later.
Coates says that in 1940, 3,564 Buick Special convertibles were sold for $1,077, which is about $24,197 today. That's a bargain at today's prices, but a few of the extras were very expensive for that 12 months. A heater cost $33 ($741 today's equivalent), a radio $63 ($1,415), a clock $22 ($494), and a side-mounted spare tire $47 ($1,056).
In any case, this beautifully restored automobile looks prefer it just got here off the showroom floor. Coates' investment is kind of modest, as he did many of the restoration work himself. He estimates the present market value of this automobile to be around $65,000 – not bad for a $25 initial investment.
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