Durant also created a racing team that won
500
racing
trophies in 1909 and
1910,
including successes at
Indianapolis two years before the Indy
500
began.
The success of Buick engines was visible not only on
the race track, but in endurance tests across the country
and around the world. Buick was the
only
car to
complete a 1,000-mile Chicago-to-New York race in
1906. And a Buick was the first car to travel across
South America, driven from Buenos Aires, Argentina,
over the Andes to Santiago, Chile in
1914.
Buick drew plenty of attention becausg it coulcl$limb
hills and run through mud like no other car. Buick's
endurance and reliability were world .famous.
..
During World
War
I, Buick built Libirty aircrae. engines
as well as Red Cross ambulances
so
$uccessfully that
one Buick ambulance was awarded the Croix de Guerre
by the French government.
.$:
As
a builder
of
premier automobiles, 'buick was hard hit
by the Great Depression. However, new Gene<d
Manager Harlow
H.
Curtice created p6pular new models
including the Special and the Roadmasier. Buick sales
soon flourished.
.I
,.
.'$
I911
Model
21
louring
Car
on
Buick's
Test
Hill
First
Buick
Factory
V
