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The 2008 Buick LaCrosse is a lower-priced offering, with a sportier appearance designed to bring younger buyers into Buick showrooms. The Lucerne is Buick's flagship sedan with a starting MSRP of $36,700 for the top-trim CXS model. The Lucerne caters primarily to Buick's traditional, older, financially savvy customers.
Buick has also recently reintroduced classic styling cues to its vehicles, including the "Ventiport" portholes found on the front fenders. Buick shoppers will note the Lucerne features four portholes instead of the typical three, a long-standing tradition of marking Buick's top-of-the-line cars.
Buick's History
David Dunbar Buick -- a Scottish industrialist born in Edinburgh, Scotland -- was a pioneer of the American automobile industry. Buick got his start by inventing the process used to apply porcelain to metal bath fixtures, making Buick quite wealthy before he began exploring the world of automobile engines. Buick's initial interest in automobiles was the design and engineering of gasoline engines, whoever this interest quickly expanded.
Buick and engineer Walter Marr completed their first automobile in 1900, however the Buick Motor Company would not be incorporate until 1903. Shortly after forming, the Buick Motor Company was purchased by the Flint Wagon Works in Flint, Michigan. The year 1904 saw the first production Buick automobiles. Later that same year, the quick succession of ownership ended with William Durant, who purchased Buick to serve as corner stone of his future endeavor, General Motors. In 1908, Buick boasted more than 8,800 vehicles produced and was out-manufacturing the likes of Henry Ford, himself. It was also during 1908 that Buick would leave his company to pursue other goals.
The 1920's would establish Buick as one of the world's leading automobile brands and earn it a long-standing place of honor in the GM family. It was Buick's brisk sales and worldwide reputation for reliability that allowed General Motors to survive the 1920s and go on to be the largest automaker in the world. A testament to Buick popularity would be Buick's one millionth car, produced in 1923. It was also during the 1920's that Buick cars would compete in and win races throughout the world, making Buick one of the most well-known American brands at the time.
By 1937, Buick was producing 220,000 units annually and was still an innovative company. Buick would be the first automaker to add turn signals as standard equipment during the 1939 model year. While the Great Depression hit Buick harder than some competing brands due to the higher price of Buick's products, Buick would live on to introduce noted models such as the LeSabre, Regal, Invicta, Electra, Skylark, Riviera, Roadmaster and Grand National.
Early Buick Leadership
Buick has been associated with a far-reaching array of automotive luminaries, including Charles Nash, Louis Chevrolet, Walter Chrysler, and the previously mentioned Durant. Louis Chevrolet would start as a Buick employee and rise to form the Chevrolet Motor Car Company with Durant. However in 1915, Chevrolet would sell his share and focus on automobile racing. Charles Nash was the general manager of GM between 1910 and 1915. Walter Chrysler be hired on at Buick in 1911, and in 1919 resign from the post of Buick president as one of the wealthiest men in America. Chrysler would form the Chrysler Corporation in 1925.
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