1910 Buick Model 10 Toy Tonneau 🇺🇸

In 1899, David Dunbar Buick organized the Buick Auto-Vim and Power company to produce stationary gasoline engines. By 1902, the company was reorganized as the Buick Manufacturing Company and the primary  investor, Benjamin Briscoe, had high hopes for the prospects. But it wasn’t until 1903 that a prototype car finally appeared and progress on production getting underway was next to none. Briscoe tired of David Buick’s slow pace and unloaded his investment November 1, 1904 to William “Billy” Durant.

Durant, a principal of the Durant-Dort carriage company, was looking to break into the automobile business and Buick was his opening. Durant was a business dynamo and a bit of a hustler. He convinced investors to raise the capital of the company from $75,000 to $1,500,000. Flush with money, he applied his sales talents to  selling cars and the company quickly took-off. By 1907, Buick was the number 2 auto producer behind Ford.  David Buick was ushered out of the company in 1908 when Durant used Buick as the basis for the formation of General Motors. Buick would remain in the number two spot through 1910 when General Motors hit a rough patch.

From 1908 through 1910 the best selling Buick was the model 10. Buick’s excellent engineering and build quality made for reliable cars that performed very well at an attractive price. The Model 10 seemed to hit a sweet spot.  With a starting price of $900 in 1908, including all the lights and horn, the car compared favorably with the newly introduced Ford Model T.  The little Buick was an instant hit and had no trouble outselling the Ford that year. The car came in an off-white shade of grey, called Buick grey, Buick Blue or wine red,  and purchasers could opt for a windshield,  folding top, and even a wicker picnic basket if they chose.

The model 10 accounted for a bit less than half of all Buicks produced in 1910. But, a cash crunch at General Motors that year left the bankers in control of the company.  Charlie Nash was made President of GM, replacing Durant. The bankers wanted Buick producing more upscale cars that sell at higher prices. Buick President, Thomas Neal,  obliged but the move proved disastrous on sales. Buick went from number two in the industry, producing 30,525 cars in 1910, to number five with 13,389 in 1911. It would take until 1916 when Buick, now under the leadership of Walter Chrysler, would rise again to number 3 in the industry.