Tag Archives: Buick

Demise of Olds – What Happened to GM?

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Often a comment sparks an entire blog entry.  Nothing gets me going more than a discussion about US auto makers, especially if I can lay out my thoughts about “what’s happened to (insert brand here)”.

In a comment to my Auto Factoids for the Week of Aug 19, 2012 (http://wp.me/pKHNM-1fG) Bill wrote:

“If I were in charge of GM, I would not have left Oldsmobile for death. I liked the idea of ‘Saturn-izing’ Olds into a Lexus level car. There might have been only one, or two models under the Olds badge, but I would not have left the world’s oldest car company for dead.

Oldsmobile was GM’s ‘experimental’ division both in terms of engineering and product marketing. Many automotive firsts such as automatic transmission (Hydramatic), OHV V8s, and even the ‘self winding’ car clock……….Which brings me to the time I find myself saying in many of my comments in your BLOG:
“What happend to GM????””

I’ve mentioned this before,  it never really made any sense to me why you would have so many divisions in a car company as GM did. Some say, it was to offer different levels of options that were affordable on up to expensive.  But lets take the Chevrolet for instance. At one time they had the Biscayne, Belair, Impala and Caprice (and I think that was the correct order from lowest optioned to the highest) as option levels and pricing to reach everyone. This doesn’t seem too bad. But now add in  the other divisions with Chevy being the lowest, then there’s Pontiac, Buick, Olds, and Caddy and I think that would be the correct order for options and pricing as well.  A further break down in what as suppose to be different classes of automobile for different classes of society was the norm for those divisions as well.  For example the Tempest and La Mans, GTO were basically  the same car with different options.

I understand brand/model loyalty, especially at the initial merging/acquisition of a brand, but at some point that stopped being the only valid reason for keeping them separate.  By the time the ’70s and ’80s rolled around they all started looking the same.  For example take the Chevy Monte Carlo for 1978 and compare with the Buick and Olds of the same year:

78 Buick Regal

78 Chevy Monte Carlo

1978 Olds Cutlass

Minus the big tires on the Olds, tell me why I should purchase one over the other or purchase one at all (beside the fact they were fairly ugly)?

Frankly, I would have kept Pontiac over Olds any day but then again the difference between a Camaro and a Firebird in 2000 wasn’t much -but they are both gone now.

2000 Firebird

2000 Camaro

There just wasn’t much different.  They diluted the brand and it became impossible to find any major differences – unless you were a gear head and most consumers were not.

The necessity to cut cost and share parts made it nearly mandatory to have them all made from the same cookie cutter.

Now don’t get me started on the purchase of oversea brands and becoming a finance/mortgage company to defray cost.  (Did you know that at one time GM did more business in home/real estate loans then they did with their core car brands?

I rest my case.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Car Production Numbers. They Made How Many? 1946

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Fresh out of WWII the America car industry was facing the challenge of converting back to peace time auto production.  This as a huge task and the pressure was on, because if the average American owned a car there was a good change (50%) that it was 9 years old or older and needed replacing.   Materials were still in short supply, money wasn’t and to ensure that stayed the case most of the car company merely refreshed their 1942 cars.  Toss in labor issue and you can understand how tough the  situations was.

Ford lead the 17 manufacturers that year with 468,022 units produced. Chevy followed second with 398,028 cars. The others followed as such:

Plymouth – 264,660        Dodge – 163,490

Buick – 153, 627                Pontiac – 137,640

Olds – 117,623                    Nash – 94, 000

Hudson – 91,029               Mercury – 86,608

Chrysler – 83,310              DeSoto – 66,900

Packard – 30, 793             Caddy – 29,214

Studebaker – 19,275         Lincoln – 16,465

Corsley – 4, 99

1946 Crosely….not much to look at for sure but it did sport a 4 cylinder power plant.

I’m betting they meant to build this:

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Car Production Numbers. They Made How Many? 1956

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Well I wasn’t present for the 1956 year but it was an interesting year.  Lincoln and Continental were separate makes and interestingly enough the Clipper (a model of Packard) tried ‘independence’ on for size.  Oh…and there were some very cool show cars.

The finished out with Chevy and Ford way out in front with 1,567,117 and 1,408,487 – respectively.  They were followed over 500,oo behind, were Buick with 573,024, Plymouth with 571,634 and Oldsmobile with 485,458.  The rest of the field looked like this:

Pontiac – 405,730

Mercury – 327,943

Dodge – 240,686

Cadillac – 154, 577

Chrysler – 128,322

DeSoto – 109,442

Nash – 83,420

Studebaker – 69,593

Lincoln – 50,322

Hudson – 22,588

Clipper – 18,482 (out paced Packard by nearly 8,000 cars)

Imperial – 10,684

Packard – 10,353

Metropolitan – 9,0868

Continental – 2,550

Here is an ad for a 1956 Clippard Super…Looks alot like…>>>

…this 1955 Packard Clipper…doesn’t it?

1956 Show Cars were really hot looking.

1956 Centurion by Buick. Come on!!! Warp speed Mr. Sulu!!

Pontiac was in the game with their 1956 Pontiac Club de Mer show car. I like it!!!

What? A Parkard you say?!!!! Yup this was the Predictor (name only would have killed this model). But just think how cool that would have been!!!!

A few other things were happening in 1956 like:

– Studebaker’s Goldenhawk was given Packard’s 352 cid V8

– American Motors developed a 200 pound air-cooled V4 engine

– Plymouth ran a gas-turbine car from New Your to L.A.

It’s ugly!!!

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Did You Know? – 1932 Buick

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The 1932 Buick had a Ride Regulator.  Yup.  It was a manually controlled suspension adjustment system was by moving a six position lever on the steering column.

It also featured a button next to the clutch pedal would activate the vacuum-operated Wizard Control for clutch-less shifting.

 

 

1932-Buick

Thanks for reading.

Tim

They Made How Many? 1950

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Oh the cars of the 1950’s were great. So how did they start out that iconic decade?

Some fantastic car and shapes came out in 1950.

Leading the numbers game was Chevy and Ford with over a million each, Chevy with 1,498,590 and Ford with 1,208,912, not bad.

Plymouth was third with nearly 800,000 out of first place with 610,954, Buick with 588,439 and Pontiac finished up the top 5 with 446,429.

Here’s the rest of the 19 makers:

Oldsmobile – 408,060

Dodge – 341,797

Studebaker – 320,884

Mercury – 293,585

Chrysler – 179,299

Nash – 171,782 (produced it’s 2,000,000th car)

DeSoto – 136,203

Hudson – 121,408

Cadillac – 103,857

Packard – 42,627

Lincoln – 28,190

Kaiser – 15,228

Crosley – 6,792

Frazer – 3,700

Do you have a favorite?  I have a couple.  My first would be the Hudson, followed closely by the Studebaker with its bullet nose.

I don't know why but I love the shape of these cars. Here is the 1950 Hudson Commodore.

There is nothing more interesting than the Bullet Nose Studebaker. Here is the 1950 Land Cruisera.

What else went on in 1950?

Micro Cars!!!  Say WHAT???   Yeah!!!   The IMP – hailed as “The Little Car with the Big Future”. With an MPG of 10 miles per gallon and all fiber glass body, the hopes were high.  But the car didn’t sell and disappeared in the same year.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Buy Your Classic Car Now.

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Sometime planning ahead is a good idea.  So want to buy a car now that will sure to be a classic?  What would you buy?

Here is what Hagerty’s has to recommend. 

1)      Buick Regal, $32,535. Buick, he says, “is doing it with the Regal GS”;

I'm not feeling this one.

2)      Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca Edition, $48,100. “A beast on the track, yet tame enough to drive on the street”;

That is a no brainer!!! I'll take two, one to drive now and one to put way and drive when I'm 70.

3)      Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, $61,785. “Rugged, go-anywhere looks” but “performance characteristics that would earn respect on a race track”;

$62K for a Jeep? You better hope it becomes collectable...I'll pass.

4)      Fiat 500 Abarth, $22,000. “Small but wicked,” and already having buyers lining up;

Sigh...I doubt it.

5)      Volkswagen Golf R, $36,000. A “pocket rocket…geared towards someone who enjoys driving”;

As collectable as the VW Rabbit Diesel!!! Wait..there's more..it comes in a 4 Door too!!

6)      Porsche 911, $82,100. A car to buy now and lovingly keep, “holding its value over the long-term”;

Can't argue with this one.

7)      Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, $54,095. “Old school muscle is alive and well”;

Sure this one is on the list..but I'd op for the COPO race ready.

8)      Nissan GTR Black Edition, $95,100.  The car that today’s young videogamers will crave “years down the road after their student loans are paid off”;

I don't know.This will be collectable..like the an old Nash-Rambler.

9)      Dodge Charger SRT8, $46,795.  Won over by the “performance pages” on the video display that constantly update driver on performance;

Possible but I'm betting the Challenger will be the one folks will covet.

10)   Audi TT RS, $56,850. “A car with global appeal (that will keep) global demand several decades down the road.”

I can see why this one made the list. Not as Iconic as the Porsche, however.

Give me your feed back.

 
Thanks for reading.
Tim

The Value of 4 Door Collector Cars (And my 500th Post)

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This is my 500th post for Average Guy’s Car Restoration, Mods and Racing blog (my one and only blog).  It has become a bit more board in scope than what I originally intended, but if you are a total car nut case, like me (my wife uses the “o’ word)  and have AADD (automobile attention deficit disorder…..HEY..that could be REAL…you don’t know that it’s NOT!!) you want more than just a Chevy or more than just 1950’s cars.  You’ll be drawn to others. (“Drawn” makes it sound like a slow process…but picture a disco era strobe light…yeah that’s a but closer to what I’m trying to describe.)  I’ve moved fairly close to the edge, having a ’70’s car and a 2007 model and mixing technologies and brands, Ford and Chevy. (I need a MOPAR and a Citroen.)

Of course one of the fun things that keeps me blogging are comments, not so many posted here, but a ton on Facebook and Twitter and now even Google+.  I like when a reader’s comment sparks a blog entry instead of just sitting there.  That brings me to the subject of this piece.

Bill is a frequent reader and leaves comments on a regular basis.  In my recent entry on the 1957 DeSoto Adventurer sold at Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale, last weekend Bill wrote this:

Bill
Submitted on 2012/01/28 at 6:12 pm

DeSoto was Chrysler’s Oldsmobile, and I think it was unappreciated both by the public and Mother Mopar herself.

Back when I lived in San Jose, CA (actually Santa Clara) in the early 1990s, there was a 1957 Adventurer 4 door parked in a driveway with four flat tires in a neighborhood near mine. I think the car had been registered last in 1979. The body, chrome, glass, and even the interior seemed in excellent condition, yet I knew the car needed more than just TLC to become roadworthy. Each time I passed that car I wanted to leave a note and see if I could get it cheap enough to restore.

I know that 4 door DeSotos would not be collectible, or bring the big money, but somehow this car seemed to be in good enough shape that it was worth saving from being just a donor parts car. I’ll be in San Jose on business soon, and will make it a point to drive by and see if the car is still there.

Have a nice day, Bill

It’s true that in the past 4 door versions of classic cars of the 50’s and 60’s lagged as far as pricing and collectivity.  But that is changing.  I as work to finish up my classic car auto appraisal certification, I’m finding that, much like the cars of 1910-1940’s, 2 extra doors aren’t hurting the price they’ll bring. Just take the trend of station wagons – sure at Barrett Jackson’s you’ll only see the two door(plus tailgate) and they’ll bring ‘bigger’ money, but 15 years ago, only crazy people had wagons restored. But the prices for cars like the Pontiac Safari wagon and the Buick Vista Cruiser (Sports wagon) are bringing higher prices. (Actually I think it was Olds Vista Wagon and Buick Sports Wagon.)

58 Safari Wagon

69 Buick Sports Wagon

I’m still quoted as saying that my Mustang, because it’s a coupe and not a fast back or a sports roof, will never to be worth what I’ve spent in restoring it.  Interestingly enough, you can start finding them on the web and Ebay for $16k.  One recently sold for a bit more than that and it to was a 302 with 351 heads and a wing.  So these things are changing.  Publications like Hemmings and others are often recommending the purchase of 4 door 50’s and 60’s cars.  In part because they are well priced and with the after-market bolt ‘ons’ and drop in crate motors, you can take what was originally under powered 4 door and make it a rubber melting monster.

So go get those 4 doors.  Winch them out of the barns and ditches, drag ’em home, restore them back to life and drive ’em!!!!

And I hope that Bill’s DeSoto (see I already have him owning it) is still there and at the least can grab us a few pics.  And if you can get some contact info for the owner, I might add a pre-MOPAR to my driveway.  Thanks for the comment Bill.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Car Production Numbers. They Made How Many? 1951

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Over 5.5 million car produced in 1951.

Of the 20 solid car manufacturers only 2 were over 1 million cars, 14 in six figures.  Here is how they broke out.

Chevy – 1,229,986

Ford – 1,013,381

Plymouth – 611,000

Buick – 404,657

Pontiac – 370,159

Mercury – 310,387

Dodge – 290,000

Oldsmobile – 285,615

Studebaker – 246,195

Nash – 205,307

Chrysler – 163,613

Kaiser – 139,452

Hudson – 131,915

Cadillac – 110,340

DeSoto – 106,000

Packard – 100,713

Henry J – 81,942

Lincoln – 32,574

Frazer – 10,214

Crosley – 6,614

Here are some sample:

1951 Frazer Convertible - I like paint scheme.

 

'51 Hudson Hornet Cub Coupe

 

1951 Crosley

Thanks for reading

 

Tim

 

 

 

Car Production Numbers. They Made How Many? 1911

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1911 oh… that was a great year!  Well I don’t actually have any proof of that, but there sure were a lot of new car makes that year.  Here the list:

Alpena; ArBenz; Atterbury; Carhartt, Case, Chevrolet; Colby, Crow-Elkhart, Dalton, Gaylord, Havers, Hupp-Yeats; King; Lenox; Mighty Michigan; Motorette; Nyberg: Penn; Rayfield; R.C.H.; Roader; Rogers; S.G.V.; Standard Electric (yes electric); Stutz; Stuyvesant; Virginian; W.F.S.

So who were the leaders for that year?

Ford out-paced all with 69,762 Cars.

Second up was Studebaker/EMF with 26,827.

1911 Studebaker...you can't use just '11 any longer - someone might think this was a 2011 Studebaker

Willys-Overland up next with 18,745 and Maxwell about 2,000 less at 16,000.

One of the 16,000 Maxwells

Buick came in at fifth with 13,389, beating out Cadillac with 10,071 cars.

Hudson and Chalmers finish up the list with 6,486 and 6,250 respectively.

The 1911 Chalmers - look at that stance!!!!

1911 Milestones:

–  International Motor Company was formed (MACK)

– Buick sets a speed record, running 20 miles in just over 13 minutes.

– First Indianapolis 500 was held and won by Ray Harroun in a six-cylinder Marmon Wasp – 6 hours, 42 minutes and 8 seconds of drive time.

The Marmon Wasp

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Car Production Numbers. They Made How Many? 1922

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It is 1922 and the car industry is moving right along.  Small start-up car companies pop up here and there in the 1920’s.

Here is how they stacked up for 1922.

Top spot was Ford  producing 1,147,028 cars.

Dodge was a very distant second with 152,653 car rolling off their assembly line.

Chevrolet ran in third place with 138,932 cars made.

And finish up the list were Buick with 123,152; Studebaker with 105,005; Williys-Overland with 95,410; Durant with 55,300 and finally Maxwell/Chalmers 44,811.

Total passenger cars produced were 2,274,185 with 269,991 truck being made.

Rickenbacker was a new upstart beginning production in 1922.

Durant produce a car priced at $319 . Ford reduced prices to $298.

Balloon tires were introduced.

Hey fuel gauges began being installed in dash in 1922.

1922 Durant Star - An attempt to undercut Ford's prices

1922 Rickenbacker 4 Door

I love this one:

1922 Chrysler Panel Truck

Thanks for reading.

Tim