1995 Buick Riviera Owner's Manual - Page 5

Walter Marr and Thomas Buick Buick's chief engineer, Walter Marr (left), and L. Thomas D. Buick, son of founder David Dunbar Buick, drove the first Flint Buick in asuccessful Flint-Detroit round trip in July 1904. David Buick was building gasoline engines by 1899, and Marr,his engineer, apparently builtthe first auto to be called a Buick in1900. 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 William C. (Billy) Durant iv