Side Blind Zone Alert

Side Blind Zone Alert
A blind spot in vehicles are part of areas that cannot be directly observed under existing circumstances. Blind spots exist in a wide range of vehicles, from cars, trucks, motorboats and aircraft.

The areas most commonly referred to as automobile blind spots are the rear quarter blind spots, areas towards the rear of the vehicle on both sides. Vehicles in the adjacent lanes of the road may fall into these blind spots, and a driver may be unable to see them using only the car’s mirrors.

Apparently, based on the research the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminsitrasion (NHTSA), blind spots or dark zone or not visible is the cause of most of the accident. Portion reaches 85 percent.

This is one of the factors that led the engineer for General Motors (GM), which handles security issues on completing several GM products with a tool called “Side Blind Zone Alert.” Translation, Warning Zone Dark Side. ”

One product that has been using this equipment is the Buick LaCross. On the outside rearview mirror or side of the car have a small orange icon. This is called the “Blind Side Alert Sport.”

This tool works by using sensors that are equipped with radar that is used as the “eyes” to see additional vehicles that follow from the side or area not visible to the outside mirror.

New Astra to Become a Buick? Managing Brand Isn't Getting Any Easier

DETROIT – Our European correspondent, Paul Horrell calls the 2010 Opel Astra “one of the best compact hatches the world has to offer.” His story asks; will it come here? The answer is “yes,” in a way. Buick’s 2012 Cruze-based compact (on the Delta platform), designed to anchor the lower end of its New GM lineup, will wear the sheetmetal of the notchback sedan version of the Astra, a source close to matter tells me. I don’t know what it will be called. We haven’t seen the conventional sedan version of the new Astra yet. We can guess it will be very similar to the hatchback, retaining its “sweeping” look, with the sculpted blade in the bodyside and the strong shoulders.The new Astra hatchback’s wheelbase is three inches longer than the old Astra’s, and it’s 174 inches overall, though the version with the trunk may be closer to the Cruze’s 181-inch overall length. The old Opel/Vauxhall Astra hatchback served as the Saturn Astra, a model that sold so poorly here that Saturn didn’t import any for the 2009 model year. While Saturn was designated as GM’s import-fighter, and thus was briefly the portal for Opel designs, that brand now is headed for Penske Automotive. Anyway, GM recognized that the Opel Insignia’s design and the premium level of its interior better fit its intended direction for Buick. GM wants to return both Opel and Buick to their old positions as sub-luxury premium brands. It’s similar, but not the same as Ford Motor Company’s Mercury division, which is about to transform from badge-engineered Fords to European models. Does the new Opel Astra fit? Horrell reports the car “derives much of its upscale feel and design from the Insignia.” I don’t know whether the Buick version will get the Astra’s suspension upgrades over the Chevrolet Cruze, but it should. The Opel’s front suspension has supplementary rebound springs to take the load off the front anti-roll bar, and reduce understeer, and a Watts linkage supplements the torsion beam rear axle for better axle articulation than from a cheaper Panhard rod. “This design allows the bushings that take the lateral loads to be separated from those that take the longitudinal,” Horrell explains. “The former are stiff — for handling finesse — while the latter are soft for ride comfort.”Opels are tuned typically for European roads, which means the new Astra’s suspension may prove too stiff for a traditional Buick ride. We’ll have to wait and see whether GM engineers will even try to get the right compromise from this setup. If GM is serious about revitalizing the core differences between Chevy, Buick, GMC and Cadillac models, though, it had better figure out a way to make the Buick compact different from the Chevy Cruze beneath the skin.I’m not quite as confident about GM’s announcement at the Center for Automotive Research’s Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, Michigan, that Buick will have an also-unnamed 2012 plug-in hybrid model in showrooms in ’11. The compact crossover, which makes its debut next year as an ’11 model with conventional engines, is the current Saturn Vue with some new sheetmetal. GM engineers were hard at work to introduce the plug-in hybrid powertrain for that model when the company gave up on the brand. The gas engines will be the direct-injection 2.4-liter four and 3.0-liter V-6 now proliferating through GM’s small and midsize lineup, and the plug-in hybrid will feature LG Chem lithium ion batteries and the 3.6-liter gas direct-injection V-6.I have no argument against Buick getting a plug-in hybrid. In fact, it probably can better absorb the system’s cost with a higher price than GM could charge for a Chevy or GMC model. The problem is that the rest of GM has moved on, with the 2010 Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain (replacing the Pontiac Torrent) reviewed as being far superior to their predecessors. The Saturn Vue/new Buick is another version of those predecessors. These days, though, GM can’t afford to throw away any well-developed technology. Technologies being developed for eight brands must find their way into the surviving four. And the plug-in Vue was well on its way. Perhaps the Buick crossover should be sold as plug-in only. This Buick will share showrooms with the dynamically superior (though design-challenged) GMC Terrain. And with Buick’s own Enclave. That large crossover re-established the Buick brand as a legitimate premium nameplate. Let’s hope the new smaller crossover and the Astra-based compact don’t damage the progress the Enclave has made.
Source : blogs.motortrend.com/6540547/car-news/new-astra-to-become-a-buick-managing-brand-isnt-getting-any-easier/index.html

July Sales: Cash for Clunkers Spurs FoMoCo; Toyota Regains Second-Place

DETROIT – Ford Motor Company is ebullient about its first year-over-year sales increase since November 2007. Total Ford-Lincoln-Mercury sales, including fleet, rose 2 percent in July 2009 compared with July 2008, and of that, retail sales rose 9 percent. Still, it’s too early to party. The Great Recession isn’t over yet.”Right now, the legs under the economy are not strong enough to sustain a 14-16 million sales rate as we saw at the end of July,” says Ford analyst George Pipas. “A sales increase in July is not the end of the journey.”Aside from the minor increase compared with a very weak July ’08, when gasoline averaged $4.11 per gallon, Ford proved through individual model sales that the Cash for Clunkers program helped move fuel-efficient metal. Probably not coincidentally, the low-priced cars and trucks that consumers who until now were driving clunkers could afford to buy moved the most. Ford Focus sales surpassed Fusion sales, although both models were up compared with last year. Even though a four-cylinder Fusion is within a couple mpg city/highway, the smaller, cheaper Focus easily outsold the Fusion, 21,830 (up 43.6 percent) to 17,610 (up 66 percent).The redesigned-for-2009 Focus became Ford’s darling when gas topped $4 per gallon. Earlier this year, the facelifted 2010 Fusion was Ford’s savior in some of the slowest sales months in decades. Advertising dollars targeting new models helps.If Cash for Clunkers money drew a lot of prospective buyers to Ford lots in the last week, I’ve got to bet that some of those consumers trading in ’90s Explorers chose, say an $18,000-list Focus over a $23,000-list Fusion because it better met their budgets. Many of those clunkers undoubtedly were third or even fourth cars, driven by the high schoolers in the family. Estimates of how much oil the program saves may be a bit of a stretch.No matter. The program is a success for bringing consumers back into the market — either those who have been holding off or those who figured credit had dried up so much, it wasn’t worth it to walk into a showroom. General Motors estimates July sales for all makers totaled an annual rate that would equal about 11.3-million vehicles, marking the first month in 2009 above the 10-million level.And GM has just announced a lease program with U.S. Bank for Chevrolets, Buicks, GMCs and Cadillacs (its core four in North America) for New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Michigan and Ohio through August 31. U.S. Bank leases for the new Cadillac SRX are available nationwide.Meanwhile, Chrysler says that The Wall Street Journal got it wrong Monday morning. Chrysler will continue to offer matching incentives of up to $4500 on certain models whether you bring in a clunker or not. Obviously, if your local dealer is out of, say, 2009 PT Cruisers, you’re not going to get $4500 off a 2010 model. And so, to the numbers:GM: 189,443, off 19.4 percent.Inventory of about 466,000 is the lowest on record, says sales veep Mark LaNeve.With inventories dropping for all automakers, the deals aren’t likely to get any more desperate.Chevy division sales were relatively strong, at 124,948, still down 9.3 percent.Equinox was a rare gainer, up 77.8 percent to 10,834. About 60 percent were ’10 models, and most of those were four-bangers.Buick Enclave remains strong, selling 3,797, off 2.5 percent.Cadillac, at 6,171, off 52.6 percent, was the biggest loser of the core four.Saab was off 71.7 percent to 574 and Hummer was off 57.4 percent to 799.Impala was up 9.6 percent to 14,649 but Malibu was off 7.8 percent to 15,339.Modern wagon wars continues: Toyota sold 9,407 Highlanders, (+39.1 percent), Chevy sold 6,690 Traverses, Honda sold 6,430 Pilots (-15.3 percent), Dodge sold 4,165 Journeys (+21 percent) and Ford sold 3,631 Flexes (+64.7 percent).The new Camaro continues to be in short supply. Chevy sold 7,113, vs. 6,686 Ford Mustangs (-37.6 percent) and 886 Dodge Challengers (-69 percent).GM will build some 2010 G6s for fleet customers, LaNeve said, making it the last Pontiac.The New GM of Chevy, Buick, GMC and Cadillac, sold 160,078 vehicles, a couple thousand more than Ford/Lincoln/Mercury but short of Toyota.Toyota-Scion-Lexus: 174,872, off 11.4 percent.Toyota division accounted for 156,355 (including Scions), off 10.8 percent, making Toyota the U.S.’ best-selling brand.Lexus fell 16.5 percent to 18,517.Prius jumped 29.7 percent to 19,173. Camry sales fell 19.4 percent to a still-strong 33,974.RAV4 may have benefited from the clunkers credit, up 32.5 percent to 15,912.Midsize pickups also are doing well. Tacoma was up 7.6 percent to 12,552.Monthly Scion numbers: 6,754, vs. 11,906 in July ’08.Ford-Lincoln-Mercury: 158,838, up 2 percent.Focus was Ford’s best-selling car, up 43.6 percent to 21,830.Fusion was up 66 percent to 17,610.F-150 remains Ford’s best-selling vehicle, off 19 percent to 36,327.Escape was up 94.2 percent to 20,241.Ranger was up 64.5 percent to 7,695. Looks like another Cash for Clunkers winner.Taurus was off 57.1 percent to 1,760 as Ford ramped down the old model.Mercury Milan was up 59.8 percent to 2,934 while Mariner was up 70.5 percent to 3,682 as the Lincoln side of the showroom suffered a 24.3 percent drop.Inventory of 295,000 vehicles, averaging less than a 50-day supply, is 41 percent thinner than at the end of July ’08.Honda-Acura: 114,690, off 17.3 percent.That’s 106,028 Hondas, off 15.8 percent, and 8,662 Acuras, off 32.5 percent.Civic was up 3.1 percent to 30,037.Accord was off 28.1 percent to 29,774.Fit was off 27.6 percent to 8,876 but CR-V was up 9.9 percent to 19,151.Acura RDX was off 62.5 percent to 519 and TSX was off 35.8 percent to 2,232.Chrysler LLC: 88,900, off 9 percent.Winners were small models, helped by heavy incentives. Chrysler PT Cruiser was up 24 percent to 4,092 sold.Jeep Patriot was up 134 percent to 8,084 and Compass was up 95 percent.Jeep Wrangler, which posted increases for the first five months of the year, was down for the second month in a row, off 25 percent to 4,540.Dodge Caliber was up 63 percent to 7,814.Avenger was up 30 percent to 5,616.Sebring was off 27 percent to 2,781. Chrysler has sold 13,466 for the entire year so far, well below Ford Fusion’s monthly sales.Chrysler Town & Country fell 15 percent to 6,837. Dodge Caravan was up 15 percent to 8,405, however.Ram was off 17 percent to 17,723.Nissan-Infiniti: 71,847, off 24.6 percent.Nissan division was off 24.8 percent to 64,751.Infiniti was off 23.3 percent to 7,096.Nissan Versa was off just 2 percent to 8,530, though Sentra fell 13.5 percent to 9,496.Rogue sales were up 3.8 percent to 6,770.Z was up 11.9 percent to 890. Inexplicably, Infiniti QX56 was up 0.4 percent to 553.Nissan GT-R was off by 19 units to 128.OTHERS …Hyundai says 22 percent of its trade-ins were “clunkers.” Sales rose 12 percent, to 45,553. Accent, Sonata, Elantra and Genesis all posted gains and Santa Fe was down very slightly.Kia sold 29,345 units, up 1,324 units from last July. Subaru was up an impressive 34 percent, to 21,839. Mazda sold 19,032, off 15.1 percent.BMW Group, including Mini, was off 26.7 percent, to 21,253. BMW brand sold 16,381, off 31.5 percent. Mini was off 3.8 percent, to 4,872. Only all-ne
w models gained sales last month; BMW Z4 (up 33.8-percent) and 7 Series (up 14.5 percent), and Mini Cooper convertible (up 45.1 percent).Cash for Clunkers helped Volkswagen, which was up 0.7 percent, to 20,590 while Audi says it outperformed the premium segment, dropping just 5.8 percent, to 6,407. The clunkers program does not help with new cars north of $45,000.Mercedes-Benz USA, sold 17,646, including 16,228 Mercedes (off 21.7 percent) and 1,418 smarts, off 44.6 percent.Jaguar Land Rover fell 25 percent, to 2,607. Jaguar was down 45 percent, to 785 cars and Land Rover was down 11 percent, to 1,822.
Source : blogs.motortrend.com/6564996/car-news/july-sales-cash-for-clunkers-spurs-fomoco-toyota-regains-second-place/index.html

GM Taking Its Sweet Time With Opel Sale

How long can General Motors hold off on choosing a partner for its European Opel/Vauxhall operations? The New GM, just born out of July’s bankruptcy, took a second round of bids from Canada’s Magna International, Belgium’s RHJ and China’s Beijing Automotive Industry Holding last week. GM rejected BAIC’s offer and has narrowed down the list to Magna and RJH, while further holding off on deciding between the two.

BAIC offered just 660 million euro in its initial bid, equal to about $940 million, for a 51 percent stake. The Chinese company asked the German government for 2.64 billion euro ($3.8 billion) in German government guarantees. Speculation had BAIC’s rival, Shanghai Automotive Industry Holding, waiting in the wings to come in at the last minute after BAIC’s weak bid. SAIC would have been a natural. It’s GM’s 50-50 partner assembling Buicks for the Chinese market.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel prefers Magna, for political reasons; the powerful labor union, IG Metall, likes Magna’s bid because it considers the RHJ bid a “short-term” investment. Here are Magna’s and RHJ’s bids, as reported by Dow Jones:

Magna, automaker GAZ and Russian government-controlled Sberbank would invest 500 million euro ($712.2 million) in return for 55 percent of Opel, with 100 million euro up front and the rest in loans, which would gradually become equity. Germany would support Magna with the equivalent of $6.4 billion in loan guarantees.

RHJ wants just 50.1 percent of Opel for the equivalent of $392 million, and seeks the equivalent of $5.4 billion in German government funding.

You can see why GM would favor RHJ’s bid. What’s worse, Magna wants to own Opel patents, and GAZ would obtain ownership of GM’s factories in Russia, where it has seen a lot of growth in recent years. The prospect that a state-owned Russian bank would be Opel’s primary investor can’t be very comforting to GM, either.

GM has been backed into a corner with Opel. It needs to maintain a substantial European presence to prevent becoming as provincial as Chrysler was before and after Daimler’s takeover. Right now, the Magna deal is its easiest way into German aid, which entails far more intervention than anything the Obama administration could devise. Working with a labor union that makes the United Auto Workers look like a pussycat (which it has been, anyway, lately) doesn’t help.

RHJ, on the other hand, looks like just the type of investor GM needs: one that gets into Opel quickly and briefly, keeps the European operation afloat while GM North America tries to get back on its feet and then takes its share of future profits, leaving the automotive operations to GM in a few short years.

Source : blogs.motortrend.com/6562665/editorial/gm-taking-its-sweet-time-with-opel-sale/index.html

Buick: Sorry, I Don't Get It

Last week was quite a ride for The General: BK 11, making quick deals to off Saturn and Hummer, and dealing with the long process of rationalizing its dealer network.  Among all this, the New GM has declared that Buick will be one of its core brands in the American marketplace going forward.  There’s no question that it needs something to fit in between Chevrolet and Cadillac.  But I wonder if Buick is the best answer, or just a handy one?

One of the reasons Buick finds itself in this spot is that it was a less wrong choice than Pontiac, Saturn, or Saab. What sort of endorsement is that?  Another piece of baggage is that many Buick/Pontiac/GMC dealers need Buick to survive, since Pontiac is riding into the sunset.  I get that, but do customers care about dealer dualling patterns?  Finally, I was told (off the record) that if Buick were shuttered here, it would impact perception of the brand in China, where Buick is viewed as a prestigious American nameplate, and is a big seller.  I get that too, but again, does that make it a compelling proposition in the U.S.?  Launching a new upscale brand was out of the question, given the current climate; GM already had too many.  This all tells me that Buick survives more by default than by choice or plan.

I’m not saying for a minute that there haven’t been several, if not many, great Buicks over the years.  And it would be a shame to another 100-plus-year-old American marque fade to black.  But no matter how much we love automotive history — and, goodness knows, I do — when a company is in the market to sell products, its present offerings and future potential mean more to most buyers than how magnificent the ’63-65 Riviera was (and it was.  Sure liked the ’53-54 Skylark, the GNX, the Reatta…).

A now-retired GM exec once said that Buick was going to become GM’s Lexus.  Has that happened?  Don’t think so. Will that happen?  In my opinion, not any time soon.  Let’s take a look at the lineup:

Lacrosse – Buick’s new mid-sizer for 2010.  The first American market product to be built on GM’s Epsilon II chassis architecture (The previous Lacrosse, Pontiac G6, Saab 9-3, and Saturn Aura are all Epsilon I models).  Looks pretty, offers a choice of modern V-6 engines, and GM just announced that a high-efficiency turbo-charged Ecotec four will also be developed.  Interiors appear to be fresh and of high quality, but we haven’t driven them so can’t say if this is really the ES350-killer that its touted to be.

Lucerne – A larger front-driver offered with V-6 and V-8 power, the Lucerne rides on a chassis architecture that first appeared when the surface of the earth was still cooling.  Pleasant as a rental car favorite, but hardly compelling in any way.

Enclave – A pretty competitive player in the three-row luxury crossover market.  Handsome inside and out, but has to play against the functionally identical GMC Acadia that will be sitting directly across it in those Buick/GMC showrooms.

That’s it.  A new sedan yet untested in the market, another that’s nearing (or past?) its sell-by date, and a nice crossover also sold by two other of the remaining GM divisions.  This is the roster that’s going to slay Lexus?

A Chevy Cruze-based Buick compact sedan will likely arrive for model year 2012, but that’s all we know about the upcoming lineup.  There’s another issue: Buick is perceived as an “old” brand.  For years, it was referred to as “The Doctor’s Car.”  With all due respect to the senior driving community, Buick has the oldest average buyership of any GM, perhaps any American, nameplate.

We can make all kinds of suggestions about what Buick should do, what they shouldn’t do, what other global models should come here as Buicks, what they should develop from scratch, positioning, and such.  All that matters is what GM plans to do to make this storied but starving mid-luxury brand into what it needs to be going foreword.  “Wait until you see all the great stuff we have in the pipeline” doesn’t sell cars, earn brand loyalty and market share, or yield profits.  And people are tired of hearing it.

Yo GM: Don’t tell me what’s going to make Buick a great aspirational brand.  Show me.  Until then, I’m unconvinced.

What do you think?

Source : blogs.motortrend.com/6551432/editorial/buick-sorry-i-dont-get-it/index.html

Buick Models

Current Models

Buick Allure (2005 ? Current, only sold in Canada, same as the LaCrosse)

Buick Enclave (2008 ? Current)

Buick GL8 (2000 ? Current, only sold in China)

Buick HRV (2004 ? Current, only sold in China)

Buick LaCrosse (2005 ? Current)

Buick Lucerne (2006 ? Current)

Buick Park Avenue (2007 ? Present, only sold in China)

Buick Sedan (Present – 2010 , North America only)

Discontinued Models

Buick Apollo (1973 ? 1975)

Buick Centurion (1971 ? 1973)

Buick Century (1936 ? 1942, 1954 ? 1958, 1973 ? 2005)

Buick Electra (1959 ? 1990)

Buick Estate Wagon (1940, 1946- 1964, 1970 ? 1996)

Buick Excelle (2003 ? Current, rebadged Daewoo Nubira, only sold in China)

Buick G-series (1999 ? 2003, rebadged Buick Century, only sold in China)

Buick Gran Sport (1965 ? 1972)

Buick GSX (1970 ? 1972)

Buick Invicta (1959 ? 1963)

Buick LeSabre (1959 ? 2005)

Buick Limited (1936 ? 1942, 1958)

Buick Master Six Sedan c1926

Buick Master Six Touring c1926

Buick Park Avenue (1991 ? 2005)

Buick Rainier (2004 ? 2007)

Buick Reatta (1988 ? 1991)

Buick Regal (1973 ? 2004)

Buick Rendezvous (2002 – 2007)

Buick Riviera (1963 ? 1993, 1995 – 1999)

Buick Roadmaster (1936 ? 1958, 1991 ? 1996)

Buick Royaum (2005 ? 2006, only sold in China)

Buick Skyhawk (1975 ? 1980, 1982 ? 1989)

Buick Skylark (1953 ? 1954, 1961 ? 1972, 1975 ? 1998)

Buick Somerset (1985 ? 1987)

Buick Special (1936 ? 1958, 1961 ? 1969)

Buick Sport Wagon (1964 ? 1972)

Buick Standard Coach c1926

Buick Super (1940 ? 1958)

Buick Terraza (2005 – 2007)

Buick Wildcat (1962 ? 1970)

Companion make

Marquette

Concept vehicles

Buick Y-Job (1938)

1951 Buick LeSabre (1951)

Buick XP-300 (1951)

Buick Wildcat I (1953)

Buick Wildcat II (1954)

Buick Wildcat III (1955)

1956 Buick Centurion (1956)

Buick Riviera Silver Arrow I (1963)

Buick Questor (1983)

1985 Buick Wildcat (1985)

1988 Buick Lucerne (1988)

Buick Bolero (1990)

Buick Sceptre (1992)

Buick XP2000 (1996)

Buick Signia (1998)

Buick Cielo (1999)

2000 Buick LaCrosse (2000)

Buick Blackhawk (2000)

Buick Bengal (2001)

Buick Centieme (2003)

Buick Velite (2004)

Buick Riviera (2007)

wikipedia

Buick History

History

Louis Chevrolet driving a Buick Bug in the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup

1910 Buick Bug Race Car and 1944 M18 Buick Hellcat Tank Destroyer

1910 Buick Model 17, at Randall-Dodd Auto Company, Salt Lake City

1914 Buick 5-Passenger Touring

The 2008 Buick Enclave crossover has been a much needed sales success for Buick

Buick originated as an independent motor car manufacturer, the Buick Motor Company, incorporated on May 19, 1903, by the Scottish-American David Dunbar Buick in Detroit, Michigan. Later that year, the struggling company was taken over by James H. Whiting (1842-1919) , who moved it to his hometown of Flint, Michigan, and brought in William C. Durant in 1904 to manage his new acquisition. Buick sold his stock for a small sum upon departure, and died in modest circumstances twenty-five years later.

Between 1899 and 1902 there were 2 prototype vehicles built in Detroit, Michigan by Walter Marr. Some documentation exists of the 1901 or 1902 prototype with tiller steering similar to the Oldsmobile Curved Dash.

In mid 1904 another prototype was constructed for an endurance run which convinced James H. Whiting to authorize production of the first models offered to the public. The architecture of this prototype was the basis for the Model B.

The first Buick made for sale, the 1904 Model B, was built in Flint, Michigan. There were 37 Buicks made that year, none of which survive.

There are, however, two replicas in existence: the 1904 endurance car at the Buick Gallery & Research Center in Flint, and a Model B assembled by an enthusiast in California for the division’s 100th anniversary. Both of these vehicles use various parts from Buicks of that early era as well as fabricated parts. It is important to note these vehicles were each constructed with the two 1904 engines known to exist.

The powertrain and chassis architecture introduced on the Model B was continued through the 1909 Model F. The early success of Buick is attributed in part to the valve-in-head engine patented by Eugene Richard. The creation of General Motors is attributed in part to the success of Buick, so it can be said Marr and Richard’s designs directly led to GM.

The basic architecture of the 1904 Buick was optimally engineered even by today’s standards. The flat-twin engine is inherently balanced, with torque presented to the chassis in a longitudinal manner – actually cancelling front end lift – rather than producing undesirable lateral motion. The engine was mounted amidships, now considered the optimal location.

Durant was a natural, and Buick soon became the largest car maker in America. Using the profits from this, Durant embarked on a series of corporate acquisitions, calling the new mega-corporation General Motors. At first, the manufacturers comprising General Motors competed against each other, but Durant ended that. He wanted each General Motors division to target one class of buyer, and in his new scheme Buick was near the top?only the Cadillac brand had more prestige.

At first, Buick followed the likes of Napier in automobile racing, winning the first ever race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

In 1911, Buick introduced its first closed-body car, four years ahead of Ford. In 1929, Buick Motor Division launched the Marquette sister brand, designed to bridge the price gap between Buick and Oldsmobile; however, Marquette was discontinued in 1930.

Overall sales of the Buick brand peaked in the 1984 model year, when falling oil prices and the prevailing economic recovery buoyed the sales of traditional full-sized automobiles, in combination with the popularity of newer, smaller offerings and performance oriented turbocharged models. Subsequently, sales fell as downsized premium luxury coupe, full-sized and mid-sized models were poorly received by the public in the period between 1985 and 1990. The number of Buick models on offer fell over time, with the compact and performance segments being abandoned altogether.

Today Buick retains that position in the GM lineup. The ideal Buick customer was comfortably off, possibly not quite rich enough to afford a Cadillac or not desiring the ostentation of one, but definitely in the market for a car above the norm. Buick is one of the oldest marques in the world, with Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Peugeot, Cadillac, Daimler and the discontinued Oldsmobile.

Speculation existed, however, as to whether GM will eliminate the Buick brand to cut costs. This followed the temporary suspension of GM’s planned Zeta project to develop new rear wheel drive cars fitting the Buick market niche .GM also has started consolidating of Buick, Pontiac, and GMC trucks into single dealer franchises, which would make it simple to eliminate the Buick brand without leaving dealers devoid of product. However, with the development of the Zeta platform still ongoing (including the development of the 2006 VE Commodore and the new Chevrolet Camaro), it may be likely that Buick will survive still.

Buick began consolidating its lineup in 2005, replacing the Century and Regal with the LaCrosse (known as the Buick Allure in Canada), and the LeSabre and Park Avenue with the Lucerne in 2006. Both of its SUVs, the Rendezvous and Rainier were discontinued in 2007 to make way for the new 2008 Enclave, while the slow-selling Terraza minivan has also been dropped for ’08. This leaves the marque with just three models in the United States. In 2008, Buick sales slipped from an average of four cars per dealer per month to three, in addition to two trucks. There have been rumors on Edmund’s and Motor Trend that Buick will have a roadster sedan in 2010, which could mean that the marque may survive beyond 2009.

There is speculation that future Buick models will have interior and exterior designs with greatly increased influence from Buick of China. This is due to Buick’s great success and high reputation in China. Motor Authority has also written that Buick will introduce the Buick Excelle in the United States in 2008 . Other Chinese designed models are likely to follow either as debuts or as redesigns of existing American models.

According to a July 7, 2008 ABC News report, GM is considering selling the Buick brand as a way to get out of its current financial difficulties.

wikipedia

Buick

Buick (pronounced /?bju??k/) is a marque of automobile sold in the United States, Canada, China, Taiwan, Qatar, and Israel by General Motors Corporation. Since the demise of Oldsmobile in 2004, it is GM’s only North America-based entry-level luxury brand.

Type
Division of GM

Founded
1903

Headquarters
Detroit, Michigan, USA

Industry
Automotive

Products
luxury vehicles

Parent
General Motors

Website
buick.com

wikipedia