Buick Truck

Inside A.C.

Workers taking time out for a photo.

This is a display case at the Sloan museum in Flint showing the early types of spark plugs A.C. made.

Hard at work at A.C. in Flint, Michigan.

The two photos above show a typical production area at A.C.

The Buick Bug.

Louis Chevrolet and his "Buick Bug".










Bob Burman in his "Buick Bug".










Louis Chevrolet and Bob Burman in their "Buick Bugs". Shown below is the original un-retouched photo showing the grandstands at Indy still under construction.












Louis Chevrolet after an accident in his "Buick Bug".



The Bug at the Howard showroom.






This is in San Francisco during the early '20s after it was rescued from a barn at Bob Burman's widows farm. C.S.Howard had it stored at his San Francisco dealership for some years where it was seen by Buick engineer Charley Chayne who restored it at Buick engineering in Flint, eventually it was turned over for display at the Sloan and Buick Gallery in Flint, Michigan.
Link for story.









The Buick bug in White.










Two midget Buick racers.










An early magazine ad showing Bob Burman in his Bug.










Special "60" specs.










Louis Chevrolet in his Bug. The only surviving Bug is "Wild" Bob Burman's car. It was rescued from his widows barn in the early '20s.










The "Bug" on it's way to a show



Here's a rare shot of the "Buick Bug" painted white.










This is the Buick "Bug" at the Sloan Museum in Flint Michigan.










This view facing north east shows factory #04 body receiving behind the Buick Bug in 1971.





















This photo of the Buick Bug shows A.C. in the background in 1971.This view from the Main Office parking lot is facing southeast.

Tire and Wheel room 1972

This work went on in a building between factory #40 and #04. It was built in 1972 the year I hired in. A rail line plus trucks brought in the tires and wheels. When I was doing the shipping & receiving paperwork at 16 south dock this building was designated #08. When factory #44 was built in 1974 it was situated just north but attached. During Buick City's time it was the main repair area for finished cars.

Buick 1995 Elevator

This is the elevator at the north-end of #40/16. The orange racks were for side body moldings that were shipped in numerical sequence. This view is facing west. 

This view is facing east at the south-end of #40/16 2nd floor. The worker waving was a drinkin' buddy Levon Flickenger who ran the pallet lift. This was the entry point of parts from the first floor.

The worker in coveralls with beard is James (Jim) Doepker and myself with cap re-stacking trunk liners. This is the second floor #40/16 facing south. Those are radiator and condenser racks behind us. This was how we circumvented the pull system so we could make our breaks. Not everyone liked the Japanese system.

Last Full-Size Rear Drive Buick's

The year 1984 was the last year for the Buick "Electra" a top of the line model since 1959.

This photo facing south at the north-end of factory #04 on the first floor, shows the the final slat line with William Harchick driving the car off the line. This is February 8th, 1985. The crowd here is a mix of all sorts, management and Union and assemblers and a few material people. The gentleman at left in sweater with beard was our Union 599 President Fred Myers who died shortly after in a freak accident at his cabin in northern Michigan. He was installing a new dock using an electrical drill while standing in the water when he dropped it,electrocuting himself. I still wonder if he was really that careless or was their fowl play. He was not well liked by some in the union and management due to a recent change in power at the union hall between "Unity" and "U&I". We also had a new upstart called "New Directions". As I recall Unity jackets were blue & gold, U&I were silver & gold with New Directions being Blue & white. I was not much for politics but I thought I knew people and I was usually wrong.

I'm confused by the color of this Buick called the last 1985? I had no other place for it at this time. More research required.

Last Regal 1985

This photo of the last Flint-built, rear drive Regal was taken on the slat line first floor about in the center of factory #40/16. This view is facing south on the final pass line. Most all the workers in this photo were material control #88 except for the woman Helen Jacques driving the car and a few onlookers. I was probably trying to make my escape at this time. I wasn't much for photo op's. I was more of a cold beer type. My boss this day was either the gentleman at left with hand in pocket or the one with the white tie behind the car. We had no time clocks then so I was probably trying to finish some work so I could get down the road.

Weston-Mott Officers

Weston-Mott officers around 1909 from left are, F.A.Bower, Harvey Mallery, Wallace Clark, Kirk Moore, Charles Stewart Mott, Jack Thomas, Harry Bassett and C.J. Ross.

Red arrow shows the direction the photographer was facing and location on Hamilton Avenue. Buick factory #01 is at right with the Buick main office in front. The Oak Park power plant & Buick assembly #06 in the background.

Ruth Nash

This photo of Ruth Nash the daughter of Charles Nash was taken in front of the Buick main office. This overlay shows what the background looked like in a wide shot. In the near foreground is the Buick garage #08 with the body shop #4 in the distance. This is Hamilton Ave. facing southwest.   Charles Nash death notice