David Buick led a team that created gasoline engines for motor cars that were truly remarkable. They were powerful, durable and efficient engines that proved formidable on race tracks and in hill climbs. And, more important, those engines provided the power to negotiate the deeply rutted mud, clay and sand roads that often defeated other cars in the early 20th century.
David Buick created one of two big story lines that connected in Flint, Michigan, in 1904. His theme was about a faltering little company with a great engine, Buick Motor Company. The other big story line was that of the brilliant organizer and promoter, William C. Durant. When Durant was introduced to the Buick automobile, it was almost like an explosion in the business world. That combination, Durant and Buick, formed the beginning of General Motors.
"Gustin's chronicle of the beginnings of General Motors and Buick ... is unsurpassed and is likely to remain so. The original version was highly acclaimed for filling 'a gaping hole in automotive history, ' reflecting Gustin's prodigious effort to blend the early days of GM and Buick with that of the industry itself. The new book features an updated 16-page section of diverse color photos that includes recent depictions of 'Durant-Dort Factory One' dating to 1886 that GM restored and opened to the public in 2017. A bonus is an eight-page "remembrance" of Gustin's conversations with C.S. Mott, deemed last of the industry's pioneer leaders, that took place a half-century ago. --David C. Smith, retired editor-in-chief of Wards Auto World Magazine and former business editor of The Detroit Free Press
"A meticulously researched book written in a popular style that's difficult to put down. By skillfully weaving together the careers of David Buick and his contemporaries and their car, Larry Gustin fills a gaping hole in automotive history." --David L. Lewis, professor of business history, University of Michigan
"A good, succinct history of the early days of one of America's great mainstream automobiles, and the men responsible for it." --Z. Taylor Vinson, The New York Times
"David Buick's Marvelous Motor Car is one of the best-written, most readable, most enjoyable, most insightful pieces of Detroit motor history ever written. I started reading it a few nights ago and did not put it down. Bravo!" --Warren Brown, Washington Post auto editor (in blog)
"If the question is Buick-related, Larry Gustin has the answer. He's also an entertaining story teller and accomplished wordsmith." --Don Sherman, technical editor, Automobile magazine
"Gustin is an award-winning author and one of the world's leading Buick authorities...the ideal person to write this book. He skillfully weaves the eventful story of the man who launched a world-famous automobile marque that became the favorite of royalty, business leaders and movie stars." --Bill Vance, National Post [Canada]
"When it comes to writing Buick history, Larry Gustin is one of the luminaries...Gustin wrote the first, and still the best, biography of Billy Durant and followed it by co-authoring a history of Buick that's now in its sixth edition...it's an energizing read." --Jim Donnelly, Hemmings Classic Car magazine
"Gustin...traces [David] Buick's rise and fall in an entertaining, folksy style with new insights into the man and his machine." --Matt DeLorenzo, editor, Road & Track magazine
