1909 Buick Model G

The earliest Buick automobiles were made in 1899 and 1900 and at the time the company was known as 'Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company.' The company owner was David Dunbar Buick and the chief engineer was Walter Marr, and both had different visions for the company's direction. David Buick was content with building stationary and marine engines while Marr wanted to pursue automobile production. With contrasting opinions, Marr left in 1901 to found his own automobile company under his own name. Buick hired Eugene Richard to fill the void left by Marr and secured a patent in 1902 for Marr's valve-in-head (overhead valve) engine design. The third automobile created by the Buick Company was completed in 1903 and built by Richard. By 1904, the company had been renamed the 'Buick Motor Company' and was based in Flint, Michigan (having moved from Detroit). Buick produced 37 vehicles in 1904, 750 in 1905, 1,400 in 1906, and 4,641 in 1907. With 8,800 vehicles built in 1908, Buick became the number one automobile manufacturer in the United States, with more vehicles than Oldsmobile, Ford, and Maxwell.

The company's early success is attributed to the 'valve-in-head' (overhead valve) engine, and the success of the Buick Company is attributed to the formation and prosperity of General Motors. Buick's longevity and continual success in the rapidly evolving automotive marketplace during the 1900s were sustained by Billy Durant's talents as a natural promoter. William (Billy) Crappo Durant became a controlling investor in the Buick Motor Company in 1904, infusing the company with capital that allowed it to become the biggest-selling automobile brand in the US. Durant and Josiah Dallas Dort had made a fortune with their Durant-Dort Carriage Company, which - by 1904 - was the largest carriage-making company in the U.S. and ranked among the largest in the world.

The profits from the Buick Company allowed Durant to embark on a series of corporate acquisitions, resulting in a new mega-corporation called General Motors. Durant structured his empire of companies to each target a class of buyers, with Cadillac at the top and Buick not far behind. To reduce costs, the companies shared a common platform and at times, they shared resources and technology. This hierarchy initially worked, but Durants aggressive pursuit of acquisitions quickly led to over-leveraging GM, resulting in his removal by the board of directors in 1910. Undeterred, Durant co-founded Chevrolet in November of 1911 and its success would allow Durant (with the backing of Samuel McLaughlin and Pierre S. du Pont), to reacquire a controlling interest in GM in 1917.

The Buick Model G
One of the earliest Buick models was the two-cylinder Model G two-seat roadster introduced in 1906. It had a base price of $1,150 and was powered by a 159 cubic-inch two-cylinder engine delivering 22 horsepower at 1,200 RPM and backed by a two-speed planetary transmission. Both the Model G and the Model F rested on an 87-inch wheelbase chassis and shared mechanical components, distinguished by the five-passenger Touring body of the Model F. For 1907, both the Model G and F received a longer, 89-inch wheelbase and a slightly smaller 15-gallon (smaller by a gallon) fuel tank. The wheelbase size grew again in 1908, stretching to 92-inches. The exterior styling became more modern, with an updated grille, hood, and fender designs.

1909 was the final year for the Model G. The Model F and the two-cylinder engine would continue into 1910 before Buick embraced a line exclusively of four-cylinder engines for the 1911 model year.

The two-cylinder engine powering the 1909 Model F and Model G displaced 159 cubic inches and had a bore of 4.5 inches and a stroke of 5 inches. It had a cast-iron block, mechanical valve lifters, a float feed Schebler carburetor, and delivered 22 horsepower at 1,200 RPM. It used a two-speed planetary transmission with floor and steering column controls, a cone clutch, and chain drive. This was different than the Model 16 and 17 which had a three-speed sliding gear transmission, shaft drive, bevel gear, and torque tube. All 1909 Buick models had mechanical brakes on two wheels and wooden spoke wheels. The Model 10 also used a planetary transmission, cone clutch, but shaft drive.

The 1909 Buick Model F Tourer was priced at $1,250 and the Model G Runabout at $1,150. The Model F was more popular with 3,856 examples produced compared to the 144 examples of the Model G.

During the Model G's four-year production lifespan, a total of 1,091 examples were built, compared to the 11,709 of the Model Fs.

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2022