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31-525: Flint Wagon Works brought the automotive industry to Flint by buying David Dunbar Buick 's Detroit business and moving it to Flint. Overburdened with debt and litigation Flint Wagon Works shareholders sold their business to William C. Durant as of October 12, 1911. Durant took the useful parts of the business and began to manufacture Little automobiles. Sales were hindered by poor quality product and their unappealing brandname and Durant put Little into Chevrolet in 1913. After GM assumed operations, it became

62-409: A case record of 14,000 pages. Ford's testimony included the comment, "It is perfectly safe to say that George Selden has never advanced the automobile industry in a single particular...and it would perhaps be further advanced than it is now if he had never been born." The case was heavily publicized in the newspapers of the day, and ended in a victory for Selden. In his decision, the judge wrote that

93-537: A brief return to the automotive business in 1921, as president of the short-lived Lorraine Motors, and in 1923 with the design of the Dunbar, an automobile prototype. In an interview with historian Bruce Catton in 1928, Buick admitted that he was almost completely broke, unable to even afford a telephone, and worked as an instructor at the Detroit School of Trades. He died of colon cancer on March 5, 1929, at

124-410: A company which made plumbing goods. When the company ran into trouble in 1882, he and a partner purchased it. At this time, Buick began to show his promise as an inventor, producing many innovations including a lawn sprinkler and a method for permanently coating cast iron with vitreous enamel which allowed the production of "white" baths at lower cost (although cast iron baths are uncommon nowadays,

155-523: A four-cylinder motor rated at 40 hp. Both were of conventional design. Flint Wagon Works then fell deep into well-publicised and expensive litigation over their use of Selden patent designs in their new engines. At first the Whiting cars were built in Detroit and Flint-made bodies were added to them then the whole production process was moved to Flint . Some 1200 Whiting cars were sold in 1910 but in

186-650: A further $ 300,000 of capital was invested in cash and in addition more shares were issued to Durant in payment for $ 268,000 worth of patentable inventions and other property introduced by him. Durant moved manufacture to the former plant of Imperial Wheel in Jackson, assembly remained in Flint where the bodies were made by Flint Wagon Works. Durant's friend, Sam McLaughlin of Canada's McLaughlin Motor Car Company , offshoot of another major carriage manufacturer,

217-639: A patent on May 8, 1879 (in a historical cross of people, the witness Selden chose was a local bank-teller, George Eastman , later to become famous for the Kodak camera ). In 1899 he sold his patent rights to William C. Whitney , who proposed manufacturing electric-powered taxicabs as the Electric Vehicle Company , EVC, for a royalty of US$ 15 per car with a minimum annual payment of US$ 5,000. Whitney and Selden then worked together to collect royalties from other budding automobile manufacturers. He

248-459: A suitable new building on the opposite side of West Kearsley Street. Some cars were built with these engines and sold with the brand name Whiting-Buick (after chairman James H Whiting). The first production Buick cars were built in that building in 1904. Flint Wagon Works dissolved the old Buick Motor Company and incorporated a wholly new entity, The Buick Motor Company , on January 29, 1904. Its initial capital stock of $ 37,500 in shares of $ 10 each

279-533: The 6th Cavalry Regiment , Union Army . This was not to the liking of his father who, after pulling some strings and having some earnest discussions with his son, managed to have him released from duty and enrolled in Yale . George did not do well at Yale in his law studies , preferring the technical studies offered by the Sheffield Scientific School , but did finish his course of study and pass

310-708: The Buick Motor Company , which would eventually become the cornerstone of the General Motors empire. In 1906, Buick accepted a severance package and left the company that he had founded, with only one share of the company in his possession. Then president of Buick, William C. Durant , bought this share from him for $ 100,000 (equivalent to $ 3,400,000 in 2023). After unsuccessful investments in California oil and Florida land, and an attempt (with his son Tom) to manufacture carburetors, Buick made

341-467: The " push-rod " variant with any regularity. Since overhead cam engines are design variants of overhead valve engines, all modern engines are derivatives of Buick's invention. The money ran out again, and in 1903 Buick was forced to raise more money via a $ 5,000 loan (equivalent to $ 170,000 in 2023) from a friend and fellow car enthusiast, Benjamin Briscoe . With this financial help, Buick formed

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372-661: The Buick engine plant in conjunction with Charles Byrne, Charles E. Wetherald and Durant set up his Mason Motor Co in 1911 to make Chevrolet engines for Durant's new Chevrolet enterprise and first occupied a Flint Wagon Works building before moving to the old Buick building. See Mason Truck Ultimately all the buildings became part of the complex known as Chevrolet Manufacturing. 43°00′41.9″N 83°42′14.6″W  /  43.011639°N 83.704056°W  / 43.011639; -83.704056 David Dunbar Buick David Dunbar Buick (September 17, 1854 – March 5, 1929)

403-519: The New York bar in 1871. He joined his father's practice. He married shortly thereafter to Clara Drake Woodruff, with whom he had 4 children. He continued his hobby of inventing in a workshop in his father's basement, inventing a typewriter and a hoop making machine. For a time, Selden represented photography pioneer George Eastman in patent matters. He was also based in Rochester. He filed for

434-644: The age of 74 and was buried at Woodmere Cemetery in Detroit. Commentator Theodore F. McManus noted that "Fame beckoned to David Buick. He sipped from the cup of greatness, and then spilled what it held." In 2000, automotive historian Vincent Curcio observed that "To date, over 35,000,000 motor cars have been built in his name, which will never be lost to history." He was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1974. Selden patent George Baldwin Selden (September 14, 1846 – January 17, 1922)

465-613: The condition that he participate in its management. By this time, 1911, Durant had organised General Motors to hold not only Buick but Cadillac, Olds, Oakland and other successful automobile businesses. Flint Wagon Works was in severe financial difficulties by the beginning of 1911. Some months following that offer Durant paid them just $ 10 and bought Flint Wagon Works from its shareholders along with all its assets and liabilities. Wagon manufacture continued. Durant used those assets of Flint Wagon Works that were still useful to manufacture Little cars. William H. Little's Little Motor Car Company

496-498: The expense of manufacturing and sales. The result was that he consumed his capital by early-1902 without having generated any significant return, only a single car. In early-1902, he established the Buick Manufacturing Company, with the objectives of marketing engines to other car companies, and manufacturing and selling its own cars. Manufacturing and development problems ensued, and, at the end of 1902, Buick

527-591: The face of the rapidly rising automobile trade. Flint Wagon Works let it be known in early 1909 they were developing new automobiles which would be available in 1910. Their Whiting model A and Whiting Model C were displayed at the Detroit Auto Show in January 1910. The Model A was a light four-cylinder two-passenger roadster with an engine rated at 20 hp and the Model C was a five-passenger touring car with

558-531: The fall of 1910 Flint Wagon Works failed to make a loan repayment and their bank took control appointing a special board of directors. The bank's trusteeship ended in February 1911 when more than half a million dollars more capital was given to Flint Wagon Works which paid off the bank loan. Impressed by Durant's success the Flint Wagon Works directors invited Durant to invest in their own company on

589-686: The manufacturing location of what later became Chevrolet Flint Manufacturing. They named the new business Flint Wagon Works and in the early 1880s set up a building for it on Flint's West Kearsley Street on a vacant Begole Fox lumber yard. Later William S. Ballenger Sr. , Charles A Cumings and Josiah Begole's son, Charles Myron Begole (1848-1921) joined the original partnership. Josiah Begole died in his eighties in 1896. Begole Fox set up their lumber-mills in September 1865. They were among Flint's largest dealers in lumber and they were major manufacturers of lath and wood shingles . Their business became

620-410: The method is still in use for enameling them). With the combination of Buick's innovation and his partner's sound business management, the company became quite successful. During the 1890s, Buick developed an interest in internal combustion engines and began experimenting with them. He was spending little time on the plumbing business, and his business partner became impatient with him. The partnership

651-620: The patent covered any automobile propelled by an engine powered by gasoline vapor. Posting a bond of US$ 350,000, Ford appealed, and on January 10, 1911, won his case based on an argument that the engine used in automobiles was not based on George Brayton's engine, the Brayton engine which Selden had improved, but on the Otto engine . This stunning defeat, with only one year left to run on the patent, destroyed Selden's income stream. He focused production of his car company on trucks, renaming his company

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682-429: The road by the beginning of July and delivered to a Dr Herbert Hills of Flint 27 July 1904. The Buick shareholders persuaded William C. Durant to take on its management. The capital was increased to $ 300,000 at the beginning of November 1904 when Durant took control. Begole replaced Whiting as president, Ballenger was secretary, Whiting remained a director and Durant joined them on the board of directors. In September 1905

713-856: The second of Flint's "Big Three" wagon builders following William A. Paterson 's founded by Paterson in 1869. The third new business was founded in the mid 1880s, William C. Durant 's Flint Road Cart Company later renamed Durant-Dort Carriage Company . Their main competitor was the South Bend, Indiana , Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company . The following numbers were reported in April 1904: Believing buyers of their farm wagons would be interested in buying many more Buick stationary engines Flint Wagon Works bought existing supplier David Buick's business , Buick Motor Company, in September 1903 for its stationary and marine engines and its plans to manufacture automobile motors and transmissions. Flint Wagon Works built

744-556: Was a Scottish-born American inventor, widely known for founding the Buick Motor Company . He headed this company and its predecessor from 1899–1906, thereby helping to create one of the most successful nameplates in United States motor vehicle history. Buick was born in Arbroath , Scotland . He and his family moved to Detroit , Michigan when he was two years old. He left school in 1869. Buick quit school and worked for

775-537: Was an American patent lawyer and inventor from New York who was granted a U.S. patent for an automobile in 1895. In 1859, his father, Judge Henry R. Selden , a prominent Republican attorney most noted for defending Susan B. Anthony , moved to Rochester , New York, where George briefly attended the University of Rochester . He dropped out when the American Civil War started, enlisting in

806-466: Was dissolved, and the company was sold. Buick now had the time and capital to work on engines full-time, and he set up a new company, the Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company, in 1899 to do so. The stated aim of the company was to market engines for agricultural use. Buick soon turned to the development of a complete car, rather than just an engine. He also concentrated on research and development at

837-592: Was incorporated on October 19, 1911, by Charles M. Begole, William S. Ballenger Sr, William H. Little (1876-1922), and Durant with a capital of $ 1,200,000. A.B.C. (Alexander Brownell Cullen) Hardy (1869-1946) was appointed to manage the Little plant. The same week Durant's other project, Chevrolet Motor Co of Detroit was incorporated with $ 100,000 capital stock. Its incorporators were: Louis Chevrolet, William H Little and Durant's business confidant and son-in-law, Dr Edwin R Campbell. Arthur C. Mason, previously manager of

868-649: Was initially successful, negotiating a 0.75% royalty on all cars sold by the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers . He began his own car company in Rochester under the name Selden Motor Vehicle Company . However, Henry Ford , owner of the Ford Motor Company , founded in Detroit , Michigan, in 1903, and four other car makers resolved to contest the patent infringement suit filed by Selden and EVC. The legal fight lasted eight years, generating

899-431: Was one of the early customers for the engines because McLaughlin's own in-house design was not ready when their car production began. The manufacture of complete Buicks moved to Hamilton's Farm — Oak Park, Flint — but the engines did not follow until some years later. Buick engines continued to be made in the same building until 1908 or 1909. Demand for Flint Wagon Works' horse-drawn vehicles maintained its steady decline in

930-443: Was out of money with only one car to show for his work. The concentration on development had produced the revolutionary "Valve-in-Head" overhead valve engine. This method of engine construction produces a much more powerful engine than the rival side valve engine design used by all other manufacturers at the time. Overhead valve engines are used by most car manufacturers today, but now only General Motors (GM) and Chrysler produce

961-404: Was owned by: David Buick , 1,500; James H. Whiting 610 (and 978 as trustee = 1,588); George L. Walker 590; and William S. Ballenger 72. James H Whiting to be manager. Reported as 40 per cent to David Buick and 60 per cent to Flint Wagon Works stockholders. Later Charles Cumings and Charles M. Begole joined the other shareholders. The first completed car — a Model B — was begun May 20, 1904, on

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