1995 Buick Park Avenue Owner's Manual - Page 6

"valve-in-head" engine, a light, powerful and reliable engine which would eventually influence the entire automotive industry. William C. Durant was instrumental in promoting Buicks across the country using his Durant-Dort Carriage Co. outlets and salespeople a s the nucleus of a giant distribution system. He knew the Buick as a "self-seller." If automobiles could be this good, he thought, maybe it was time to switch from the horse and buggy business to automobiles. At the I905 New York Auto Show, Durant took orders for 1,000 Buicks before the company had built 40. On Buick's success, Durant created a holding company, September 16, 1908. He called it General Motors. Walter Mcxrr and Tlmnzus Buick Buick's chief engineer, Walter L. Marr (left), and Thomas D. Buick,son of founder David Dunbar Buick, drove the first Flint Buick in a successful Flint-Detroit round trip in July 1904. David Buick was building gasoline enginesby 1899, and Marr, his engineer, apparently built the first autoto be called a Buick in 1900. However, Buick traditionally dates its beginnings to 1903. That was the year the company was reorganized, refinanced and moved from Detroit to Flint. Buick has always been a product innovator. Buick engineers developed the iv