David Buick's Marvelous Motor Car: The men and the automobile that launched General Motors

David Buick led a team that created gasoline engines for motor cars that were truly remarkable. They were powerful, durable and efficient engines that proved formidable on race tracks and in hill climbs. And, more important, those engines provided the power to negotiate the deeply rutted mud, clay and sand roads that often defeated other cars in the early 20th century.

David Buick created one of two big story lines that connected in Flint, Michigan, in 1904. His theme was about a faltering little company with a great engine, Buick Motor Company. The other big story line was that of the brilliant organizer and promoter, William C. Durant. When Durant was introduced to the Buick automobile, it was almost like an explosion in the business world. That combination, Durant and Buick, formed the beginning of General Motors.