Advertisement
Durant also created a racing team that won 500 racing
trophies in 1909 and 19 10, including successes at
Indianapolis two years before the Indy 500 began.
The success of Buick engines was visible not only on
the race track, but in endurance tests across the country
and around the world. Buick was the only car to
complete a 1,000-mile Chicago-to-New York race in
1906. And a Buick was the first car to travel across
South America, driven from Buenos Aires, Argentina,
over the Andes to Santiago, Chile in 19 14.
1911 Model 21 Touring Car on Buick's Test
H i l l
Buick drew plenty of attention because it could climb
hills and run through mud like
no
other car. Buick's
endurance and reliability were world famous.
During World War
I,
Buick built Liberty aircraft engines
as well as Red Cross ambulances so successful that one
Buick ambulance was awarded the Croix de Guerre by
the French government.
As a builder of premier automobiles, Buick was hard hit
by the Great Depression. However, new General
Manager, Harlow H. Curtice created popular new
models including the Special and the Roadmaster. Buick
sales soon flourished.
First Buick Fuctory
V
Advertisement
