King Michael of Romania

This is the King of Romania watching a Buick straight eight being tested in factory #11T building #24.

Michael I, King of the Romanians, Prince of Hohenzollern^[1][2][3] (born October 25, 1921), reigned as King of the Romanians (Romanian: Maiestatea Sa Mihai I Regele Românilor, literally "His Majesty Michael I King of the Romanians") from July 20, 1927 to June 8, 1930, and again from September 6, 1940, until forced to abdicate by the Communists on December 30, 1947. A great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria and a third cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, he is one of the last surviving heads of state from World War II^[4][5][6][7], another one being Simeon II of Bulgaria.^[8]

Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University

Original Link.

ROMANIA; ROYAL FAMILY; KING MICHAEL; IN Flint. -AT BUICK PLANT

Celebrities At Buick

Vice President Richard Nixon visits factory #36 in 1955.  The year Buick first offered seat-belts.

Vice President Richard Nixon press release.

1912.

Honeymooners’ stars Jackie Gleason and Audrey Meadows on ‘TV Guide’ cover, week of May 21-27, 1955.

Here's Jackie Gleason on the final line in factory #62. Jackie takes special pride in this particular Buick. "I should." he declared. "I nursed it along from bare frame to the finished product".

Jackie Gleason tightens the wheel on a 1955 Buick. By 1955, Mr. Gleason, who liked to call himself ''the Great One,'' was one of television's biggest stars, and it was reported at the time that the contract for the Honeymooners, which was sponsored by the Buick division of General Motors, called for him to be paid $11 million if the weekly half-hour shows ran for three years. It was said to be the biggest deal in television history.  

Coleman Car Show 2008

This photo shows the fenders being painted in 1949. The description stated "Waterfall in back picks up flying paint while special ventilating system eliminates need for face masks." If you believe that I have a bridge for sale,called the Brooklyn.

This is the Wilmington Delaware plant.

That's Bill Pennington in the striped shirt. He stated this "Roadmaster" was a barn find from twenty years ago. He also said the vin decoded as number 43 off the line in 1949. He stated this was a Flint built Buick.

Pretty much stock interior except the seats.

Matching louvers.

Still sporting the original "Straight Eight" with some dress up goodies.

These hood's opened from either side.

Bill Pennington's 1949 Buick June 14, 2008.

Link: Complete 1949 Buick Magazine.

Buick Aerial View 1930

Looking north across the Buick site.

Division Street 1934

This view looking north up Division st with Hamilton ave in the foreground shows the east wing of factory #01 has now been removed, including the bridge to factory #06 assembly. The factory #40 transmission plant can be seen beyond the guard shack at the right.

My Mother and General Motors Birthplace.

The Durant & Dort factory office on west Water Street during  restoration. My mothers house when she was a child was located where the backhoe is off to the right. This view is facing north-east. 'I was inside here during the restoration and was looking through the books and blueprints down in the basement as I recall'.

This is how my mother remembered the Durant-Dort office when she was a child. This is also the way I remember it in the '60s when we passed it on the way to Kresges.  

This would be 1975. I was in here looking through the workers photos during the reconstruction shortly after this.

After the restoration.

This is young Lorraine Royer at the corner of Water & Lyon she is facing west. You can just see the top of the Industrial Bank building on Saginaw St., above the Conoco gas sign. She would be facing the Durant-Dort office with the main factory across the street. Color photo below is the exact same shot in 2003.

Red dot shows my mothers house.

Link: Original.

I took this photo in 2003 during Buick's 100th celebration. I'm almost in the same location as the original photographer when the picture of my mom (above) on her trike was taken.

The state historic marker in front of the Durant-Dort office. Constructed in 1896 at 315 West Water Street in Flint, the building was the original headquarters of the Durant-Dort Carriage Company and eventually the birthplace of General Motors. After the carriage firm ceased operations in 1917, this building was headquarters of the now defunct Dort Motor Car Company until 1925.

The arrow points to my mothers house. This is the picture she showed me and pointed out the house she grew up in.

This view is looking east up water street from Mason st.

This postcard shows the Durant-Dort office with a flat roof which is what my mother told me it had. This is the way it was for most of the 20th century after a fire destroyed the original roof structure.

This is where my mother Lorraine (Royer) Godin grew up in the late '20s and early thirties. This area is now known as the Historic Carriage Town. In this view we are facing west. The Royer home is now a parking lot. I have a photo of the 1947 flood showing the house converted into a gas station.

This and the following photos from: Kevin Kirbitz

From left: J. Dallas Dort, William C. Durant, Charles H. Bonbright, Bess Rosenswig, Fred A. Aldrich. Probably taken in early 1890s. — in Flint, MI.

Buick Draftsmen

Fisher Body #1 1940

This I believe is an advance showing for the district dealers for the all new 1940 Buick. This is in the old Buick garage #08. This is the #78 engineering area of the building. This is the exact same area where the prototype work for the M-18 HellCat tank would soon take place. The body style shown in the background is the new Super Series Century. This model year was the first Buick without a running board. It did however still show a hint of one. This is not Fisher body.

This photo is from the  Lawrence Journal a Kansas paper. Follow the Lawrence link for story. For a nice story on the 1940 Buick go here, THE OLD CAR MANUAL PROJECT.

Coming down the line after paint on south Saginaw street in Flint.

Grinding the welds for a smooth look.

Another view of the Jig in place, making sure everything is squared up 
correctly.

With the jig in place a Buick C body gets welded.

Genesee County Tanks

The radial engines being readied for installation in a new Hellcat. This is in Flint, Michigan.   Life magazine HellCat ad.

Final inspection in the Flint factory.

Training on the Hellcat in Flint.

This is not Buick in Flint but dose show the Hellcat engine being assembled.   

This is a mock battle at Kearsley park on the east side of Flint. The pavilion at the upper right was recently cleaned up and repainted. This structure appears in the background of early Buick photos when promotion pictures were taken at sites near the Buick plant.

Here is the "General Pershing" heavy tank inside the Grand Blanc factory. These had a Ford engine but Buick still built the transmission. My uncle Lawrence Royer  worked here until he retired in 1976. After tank production ended this became a Buick parts distribution warehouse (link here for 1946 story)  before becoming a part of Cadillac. Further reading on warehouse.

Here you see the "General Sherman" medium tank on a Flint street. The transmission drive was built at Buick but the tank was assembled at the Grand Blanc factory south of Flint. There were 17,213 built before the changeover to the "General Pershing" heavy tank introduced late in world war II. The Pershing lasted through the Korean war. You can see the drive train being produced in the previous post "Buick At It's Battle Stations.

 follow the link

Buick At It's Battle Stations