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The 2004 Buick Rainier is the vehicle the famed golfer touts in
television commercials
One of the more influential styling motifs of the 1950’s and 60’s (which is still with us today in far more than ‘token’ significance), was that of the hardtop convertible. This styling tradition was introduced first by Chrysler in 1947, but popularized on the 1949 Buick Roadmaster Riviera. The Buick Club of America Website gives us a colorful historical perspective on how this styling innovation developed. According to an article by Lawrence R.
Guston, Buick Motor Division: A Brief History, the idea for producing a hardtop convertible was, “attributed to Buick designer Ned
Nickles. However, Edward T. Ragsdale, Buick manufacturing manager and later general manager, helped inspire the hardtop convertible styling. Ragsdale noticed that his wife Sarah always ordered convertibles, but never put the top down. She said she liked the styling but didn't want to muss her hair. The basic styling innovation was to eliminate the center side pillar. Buick built 4,000 hardtop convertibles in 1949, the first of hundreds of thousands it would produce over the next few years.” This innovation had various names from one manufacturer to the next. But the designation, ‘hardtop,’ stuck in the automotive vocabulary in a very fashionable manner. And Buick was ‘lucky’ enough to have picked up the ball Chrysler dropped.
In recent years, Buick produced one of the more dominant stock block racing engines for the Indianapolis 500, powering a third of the field of competitors on two occasions. Buick continues today with a reputation for quality and customer satisfaction that is at or near the very top of the industry. The V-6 engine that emerged in 1962 has been developed into one of the most highly respected power plants in the industry. From a company with a legacy of success based on the ingenuity and power of its engines, Buick has done it again with the V-6. David Buick would be proud, and rightly so.
There is a host of reading material available on Buick automobiles and Buick history. I have compiled a list of recommended reading for your review. References to specific Websites are provided with hot links to the sources.
For those interested in Buick emblems, insignia and mascots, a fine article (with excellent photos) has been written by Lawrence
Gustin, which is published on the Website of the Buick Car Club of Australia. This same Australian club site has a wealth of information. Even though it is slanted toward national Australian interests, it may be the best single source for information on Buick cars, Buick history, and specific Buick perspective.
The Buick Club of America Website is an additional source for information. But its article on Buick History is another of Lawrence Gustin’s efforts, and is copyrighted in 1993. It was published in conjunction with Buick’s 90th anniversary, and is therefore slightly out of date.
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