The Buick Six was a top level automobile produced by GM's Buick Division which was first introduced in 1914, and was the senior vehicle to the Buick Series B Four. It was an all new platform which was shared with the Oldsmobile Six and was the first Buick to implement a steering wheel on the left side, and electric starter provided by Delco Remy along with an electric lighting system and electric Klaxon horn. The gearshift and emergency brake were relocated to a central position inside the vehicle, an approach used on all GM products for 1914.[2][1] It continued to use the patented overhead valve engine implemented by Walter Lorenzo Marr[3] while the cylinder head was not removable until later developments.[4] The engine displacement was 331 cu in (5.4 L) and the wheelbase was 130 in (3,302 mm). The first year Buick Six was only offered as a touring sedan for US$1,985[1] ($55,580 in 2023 dollars [5]).
| Buick Six | |
|---|---|
_1Y7A6067.jpg) 1918 Buick Six Series E-45 Touring Sedan | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Buick (General Motors) |
| Model years | 1914–1925 |
| Assembly | Buick City, Flint, Michigan, United States[1] |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Full-size car |
| Layout | Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive[1] |
| Related | McLaughlin-Buick |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 191 cu in (3.1 L) Buick Straight-6 engine OHV I6 224 cu in (3.7 L) Buick Straight-6 engine OHV I6 242 cu in (4.0 L) Buick Straight-6 engine OHV I6 255 cu in (4.2 L) Buick Straight-6 engine OHV I6 331 cu in (5.4 L) Buick Straight-6 engine OHV I6 |
| Transmission | 3-speed synchromesh manual[1] |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 115 in (2,921 mm) 118 in (2,997 mm) 120 in (3,048 mm) 124 in (3,150 mm) 130 in (3,302 mm)[1] |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Buick Master Six Buick Standard Six |
The various body styles were supplied by Fisher Body of Detroit, MI. In 1925, it was updated with both the Buick Master Six and the Buick Standard Six when the four-cylinder engine platform was cancelled. During this time period, Oldsmobile introduced the Light Eight, sourced and shared from the Cadillac Type 51 while Buick chose to stay with the smooth running six-cylinder engine, while Cadillac didn't offer a six-cylinder engine till several decades later. Buick was the only GM product to use the exclusive overhead valve engine however. Chevrolet didn't become a division until 1918. The list of available body styles was extensive, listing 14 different choices. The top level choice for 1925 was the 7 passenger Town Car for US$2,925[1] ($50,818 in 2023 dollars [5]).
See also
edit- Cadillac Type 51
- Oldsmobile Six
- Oakland Six
- Chevrolet Series FA
- "From a Buick 6," a song by Bob Dylan that references the car in the title
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Kimes, Beverly (1996). Standard catalog of American Cars 1805–1942 (third ed.). Krause publications. pp. 162–192. ISBN 0-87341-478-0.
- ^ Georgano, G.N. (2000). Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. London: HMSO. ISBN 1-57958-293-1.
- ^ Kimes, Beverly Rae; Cox, James H. (2007). Walter L. Marr, Buick's Amazing Engineer. Boston: Racemaker Press. p. 14.
- ^ "The Buick, A Complete History," third ed., 1987, Terry P. Dunham and Lawrence Gustin.
- ^ a b 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- Slauson, H. W.; Howard Greene (1926). "Leading American Motor Cars”. Everyman’s Guide to Motor Efficiency. New York: Leslie-Judge Company.
