David Dubar Buick was born in Arbroath, Scotland, in 1854, and brought to Detroit, Michigan, at the age of 2. By the 1880s, he was a successful inventor in the plumbing field, inventing among other things, the lawn sprinkler and a new process for coating metal bath fixtures, tubs and sinks with porcelain. Buick sold the plumbing business in 1899 for $100,000 giving him the seed money to start Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company. Buick was fascinated with the idea that he could replace a team of horses with just one engine. From the very beginning, Buick realized how important the combustion engine would be to the world.
In 1902, he organized the Buick Mfg Co. to make his first motorcar. Buick borrowed $5,000 from a friend, Ben Briscoe, who had no doubts about his ability as a craftsman, but was concerned about his business acumen. By September 1903, the company was already in financial trouble. Buick’s advanced designs invariably left the firm over-spent.
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