The Buick Model B was

Buick Buick () is a division (business), division of the Automotive industry in the United States, American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American automobil ...

's first model as an independent company, later becoming part of

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

in 1908. It was built in

Jackson, Michigan Jackson is a city in Jackson County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The population was 31,309 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located along Interstate 94 in Michigan, Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127 in Michigan, U.S ...

. A model B was exhibited in 1905 at the

New York Auto Show The New York International Auto Show is an annual auto show that is held in Manhattan, New York City in late March or early April. It is held at the Javits Center, Jacob Javits Convention Center. It usually opens on or just before Easter weeke ...

as a promotion of the model C which would be the same. William C. Durant introduced the car himself at the exhibit, and took new car orders at the car show, raising sales from 37 cars in 1904 to 750 in 1905. It had a 2-cylinder, horizontally opposed engine – the world's first production OHV (overhead valve) engine – installed lengthwise within the frame, and had a

planetary transmission An epicyclic gear train (also known as a planetary gearset) is a gear reduction assembly consisting of two gears mounted so that the center of one gear (the "planet") revolves around the center of the other (the "sun"). A carrier connects the ...

with a cone clutch and two forward speeds, plus one reverse gear. The engine was rated at 21 bhp. In later years, it was renamed as improvements were made. The

chassis A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of a manufactured object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...

was shared later with the Oldsmobile Model 20 when they became a division of GM while the overhead valve engine wasn't used by Oldsmobile. It had a retail price of US$950 ($ in dollars ) for the touring sedan. The Model B / C continued to be made, as model F, G, and 14, but was dropped after 1911 as Buick had been promoting 4 cylinder cars, starting with the D in 1907. * Model B (1903-1904) * Model C (1905) * Model F & G (1906–1910) * Model 14 & 14B (1910–1911)

Model B (1904)

The tourer was equipped with a two-cylinder horizontally opposed engine that drew 21 bhp (15.4 kW) of power at 1230 rpm from 2606 cc. The wheelbase of the chain-driven, front-engined, rear-wheel drive vehicle was 2210 mm. Like all Buicks at the beginning of the 20th century, the Model B had a planetary gearbox with two gears for gear selection. As standard, the cars were painted indigo blue and had bright yellow wooden spoke wheels. The model was introduced on August 13, 1904. Of the 37 examples produced, one won the 1904 Eagle Rock race and another one won the Race to the Clouds at Mt. Washington.

Model C (1905)

In 1905, the Model C replaced the Model B. Engine output increased with unchanged displacement to 22 bhp (16.2 kW) at 1200 rpm. As standard, the cars were painted royal blue and had ivory-colored wooden spoke wheels. Unlike their predecessors, they offered seating for five persons. A total of 750 Model C cars were built.

References

Buick vehicles Cars powered by boxer engines First car made by manufacturer Cars introduced in 1904 Cars discontinued in 1911 {{Brass-auto-stub