1908 Buick Model 10

edited by David Barth, 15 March 2009.
Courtesy Antique Car Museum of Iowa at 860 Quarry Road, Coralville, Iowa, 52241 USA.
Photos were taken in March 2009.

The first Buick was sold in 1904, and by 1907 production had been moved from Detroit to Flint, Michigan. By then, a four-cylinder model had been introduced and a longer wheelbase was being used. The 1908 version, shown here, features a 93 inch wheelbase, brass trim, and is painted off-white called "Buick gray." Included with the car were acetylene headlights, oil-fired side and tail lights, and a bulb horn.

Nine hundred dollars was a good asking price, making it a very popular vehicle. The production total for 1908 was 4,002 units.

The model 10 shown here is four cylinders, in-line, mechanical lifters, puts out 22.5 horsepower, and had a planetary transmission. It has two speeds forward and one reverse. There are floor shift and steering controls, a cone clutch, a shaft drive, wooden-spoked wheels, a divided rear axle, and mechanical brakes on two wheels. This is a surrey model with no doors. The tires are 30 x 3 1/2 inches.

Buick was soon acquired by General Motors.