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CAR SHOW / STAGE SHOWSeveral members of the Southeastern Michigan chapter and the Buicktown

Chapter got their Buicks out early for an enjoyable combination event. Many of theparticipants met at one of the best known Pizza Houses for the famous deep pansquare pizza before caravanning to Oakland University. At the campus the staff ofvolunteers from the school and the Meadow Brook Theatre greeted the membersfrom the Buick Club and several other car clubs for a Car Show to be enjoyed by the

car owners and patrons of the theatre. Asdarkness began to surround the classic carshow area everyone entered thewonderful Meadow BrookTheatre to view the Musicalperformance “Breaking Up IsHard To Do”.

Neil Sedaka was a tran-sitional figure in rock 'n' roll,churning out a string of hits inthe years between its American

genesis and the British invasion. In the spirit of that era, and as a spe-cial treat for the Motor City crowd, Friday nights are Classic CarNights for the run of the show; vintage cars will be displayed in the

parking lot acrossfrom the theatrebeginning at 6:30p.m.

All the castare excellent sing-ers and having somany good voicesworks out nicely,since there are 19songs to be sunghere (some twice)

and a nice variety of voices to do the job. Most of Sedaka's biggies are presented: the ones he sang himself, like thetitle song, Calendar Girl, Oh Carol, King of Clowns and Laughter in the Rain, and songs he wrote for others, like Stu-

pid Cupid, Solitaireand Love Will KeepUs Together.

It’s saccha-rine. It’s silly. It’ssappy. We loved it.

Thank you,Cheryl Marshall forinviting us.

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BUICK CLUB OF AMERICA

www.buickclub.org

Inside This IssueAGNES AND BOB GARDNER’S

1990 REATTA CONVERTIBLE 1MEADOWBROOK THEATRE CAR SHOW 2OFFICERS & CHAIRPERSONS 4DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE 5COMING EVENTS 6-13ASSISTANT DIRECTOR’S NOTE 11COVER STORY 1990 REATTA 14-15THE EDITOR SAYS 16JUNE BIRTHDAYS 18JUNE ANNIVERSARIES 19ASS’T EDITOR’S SPARE PARTS 20SOCIAL COMMITTEE 21THE ORIGINAL HOT RODDER 22BUICK, FACTORY WHISTLE & ME 22DAVID BUICK BOOK 22MANUSCRIPTS / WILLIAM C. DURANT 22MCC AUTO BODY LAB TOUR 23MARCH MEETING 24-25ECHOES / WHEEL ROOM 30PUZZLE 31SLOAN MUSEUM AUTO FAIR 32CINDY ORNSTEIN 34-35BURMA SHAVE 36MEMBERSHIP UPDATE 37CLASSIFIED 38BACK TO THE BRICKS 39DO YOU REMEMBER? 42ADVERTISER SUSKI BUICK 43CHAMPIONS / AUTOMOBILE DESIGN 44-45BUICK NEWS 47BUICK DEALERS 47

2010 Officers & ChairpersonsDirector

ROBERTA VASILOW buickracer@comcast.net 810-655-8277

Assistant DirectorMARGIE MCQUIGG emquigg@juno.com 810-655-4824

SecretarySUZANNE SHERMAN lnssherman@sbcglobal.net 810-695-4026

TreasurerDAN EMERTON danemert@aol.com 810-732-0565

Member-at-LargeJERRY WALKER jercwalk44@sbcglobal.net 248-634-2755

Past DirectorsBRIAN E KITCHEN brainekit@aol.com 810-732-5011

ROGER TYYSKA RTyys@aol.com 810-636-8450

MembershipJIM MACLEAN maclean5672@aol.com 810-736-1578

Activities and AwardsDAVID BOTHAMLY dbinmich@netzero.net 810-513-0377

HOWARD ZIMMERMAN 810-732-7806

EditorBOB GORSKI rjgorski@msn.com 810-239-9324

Assistant EditorBOB GARDNER rfg8@comcast.net 810-659-8557

SocialGARY & DEBBIE MINCH dminchrdh@charter.net 810-653-1967

HistorianTo be determined / looking for volunteers

Sloan Auto Fair RepresentativesJOHN DAILY esyrdr7@aol,com 810-658-0126

BRIAN E KITCHEN brainekit@aol.com 810-732-5011DAVE LANGDON davesmail@centurytel.net 810-636-2676

Student Program LiaisonMott Community College

LARRY SHERMAN lnssherman@sbcglobal.net 810-695-4026JIM BEAL jamestwojays@aol.com 810-695-3063

U M - FlintSUZANNE SHERMAN lnssherman@sbcglobal.net 810-695-4026

50 / 50 SalesJIM AND JACKIE BEAL jamestwojays@aol.com 810-695-3063

Swap MeetJAMES DRURY 989-770-4541

CHARLIE JONES 810-845-4779 cell 810-266-4833

Technical AdvisorJOE TAUBITZ BuickJOET@comcast.net 810-655-8988

PhotographerROBERTA VASILOW buickracer@comcast.net 810-655-8277

NORB BURWELL nrbrwll@sbcglobal.net 810-659-3682KEN MCCLELLAN KCBuicks@aol.com 810-875-4606

Web MasterROBERTA VASILOW buickracer@comcast.net 810-655-8277

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DIRECTOR’S MESSAGEHello Buicktown Folks,Looks like spring has sprung and we’ll be in full swing of car events and fun things to do!!!Hopefully our Spring Tour was a joy to all, thanks to all who participated and to our hostsin Millington. They already want us to visit again next year!!! It’s not too early to be think-ing about the Fall Color Tour, or for that matter a Summer Tour, even if it’s just to get icecream!!! Anybody can do it, just say where and when, we’ll be there!With the month of May upon us, time for some of us to go racing, so that’s the plan for me,you are always welcome to attend.Ladies Night on May 26th looks to be a great time for all, plan to be there or be square!!Next after that is the BDE National Meet in Maggie Valley, NC. Please have a safe trip and say hi to everyonefrom Buicktown! Happy Memorial Day to All!June brings us our first outdoor meeting, at Elms Park in Swartz Creek, and many of us will be missing! We willbe traveling the Lincoln Highway from Lima, Ohio to New York City, touting Back to the Bricks all along theway!! Watch ABC12TV for live remotes and follow the journey, starting June 19, 2010!The Sloan Museum Auto Fair is the following weekend, always a good time, please plan on attending and volun-teering if you can.We had over 60 members at the April Meeting at Weekdays, the food was great, the fellowship was even better,so great to see everyone have an enjoyable evening with their friends! See you at Ladies Night!Be safe and drive those Buicks!!!

Roberta

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May6 Buick Salaried Retirees Luncheon Gateway Center

Doc Watson “50 years and still shifting gears”8 Spring Tour hosted by Ed & Marge McQuigg9 Mother’s Day21-23 20th Annual Buick Race Day at Norwalk26 Buicktown Monthly Meeting, Ladies Night, Holy

Redeemer Family Life Center31 Emannuel B C Memorial Day Hot Dog Car Show

June19 Jim Heiser Cancer Benefit Durand Eagles13 Home Depot Car Show Pierson Rd20 Father’s Day20 Shriners Car Show Circus Park, Clio23 Buicktown Potluck Meeting Elms Park Swartz

Creek26 Clio Colossal Car Show Joe’s Garage26-27 Sloan Museum Auto Fair, Flint Cultural Center

July4 Independence Day9-10 28th Annual Arthritis Foundation Auto Show

Dublin, OH10 Humane Society Car Show11 United Way Cruise and Car Show22 Buick Engineering Retiree Lunch Holiday Inn

Gateway Center27-31 2010 BCA National Meet Ames, IA28 Buicktown Potluck Meeting Vintner’s Winery30-1 Buick Performance Group National Meet,

Hebron, OH

August17-21 Back to the Bricks, Flint, MI25 Buicktown Potluck Meeting, TBD26-28 The 2010 Great Lakes Regional Meet hosted by

Central Ohio Chapter in Dublin, OH28 Abbey Park Car Show

September5 Emannuel B C Labor Day Pancake Car Show11 Michigan Buick Bash Turkeyville22 Buicktown Monthly Meeting, Buick Gallery

October?? 15th Annual Swap Meet, Patsy Lou Buick-GMC27 Buicktown Monthly Meeting, Fuddrucker’s

November17 Buicktown Monthly Meeting, TBD25 Thanksgiving

Coming EventsDecember

5 Buicktown Monthly Meeting, Christmas Party,Zehnder’s Frankenmuth

25 Merry Christmas

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING

MAY 26, 2010

LADIESNIGHT

Holy Redeemer

Family LifeCenter

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MAY 26, 2010

LADIES NIGHTHoly Redeemer

Family Life Center1227 Bristol Rd Burton, MI

6:00 pm Social Hour7:00 pm Dinner

BYOB $17 BYOBCatered by Italia Gardens

8:00 pm MeetingFashion Show

Please RSVPcall Marge at (810) 655-4824

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SPRING TOURPLANS

Buicktown has been in-vited by the Millington-AbelaHistorical Society to visit theirnew museum and quaint town.Mel and Pam Conway alongwith Clayton and Linda Betzingwill be our hosts in the village.They promise us fun, shoppingand a few surprises! And a greatlunch (order off the menu)!

Our first stop will be atthe museum with coffee anddonuts. They will give us a mapof the village. The stores includea florist, homemade candyshop, quilt shop and a numberof antique shops. There is also adiscount store with a dollar cor-ner. If the guys get bored, theMillington Inn (this is where wewill have lunch) has a pool tableand refreshments. This prom-ises to be a fun day with a finishat the Curly Cone for ice cream.

The date is May 8th start-ing out at Flag City Diner. Bethere early if you want break-fast (8:00AM). Be sure to lookaround the restaurant. We willleave at 9:00 AM sharp!

So, please join Roberta,Ed and I for the touring part,and we will try not to get youlost! Don’t forget the CB ra-dios!!!!!

Please contactRoberta (810-655-8277)

orMarge or Ed (810-655-4824)

Memorial Day Free Car ShowEmmanuel Baptist Church

6434 Richfield RdMonday May 31 11am-2 pm Rain or Shine

Goodie bags FREE Lunch in Pavilion 12 pm-1 pmTrophies at 2 pm

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Assistant Director’s NoteOur May 26th Ladies Night is at Holy Redeemer Family Life Center on Bristol Rd and I-475. It will cost $17 each. Please make your reservations by May 21st.Italia Gardens is catering our buffet dinner. They will be serving roast chicken and beef,garlic mashed potatoes, pasta Alfredo, mixed vegetables, salad and rolls. Cake will bedessert. This is a BYOB party and we will have ice available.This is our fourth annual wearing of the hats (optional). The bachelors will judge. Therewill be a prize for the prettiest, most unique and funniest.There also will be a photographer to capture the moment of Ladies Night, one comple-mentary picture per couple. More available for a charge, so dress up and have fun!Ladies, we are having a fun filled fashion show that the men will also enjoy. We willhave one special model. So make plans for Ladies Night. We will have fun and loads oflaughs.June 23rd we will be at Elms Park for our first picnic of the summer. The Zimmermans and the McQuiggs are host-ing this picnic. So bring your folding chairs and relax in the park. Don’t forget a dish to pass!

Your Assistant Director, Marge McQuigg

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Points & Condenser Preservation Society Spring TourThe Points & Condenser Preservation Society is back for some fun, and it’s a double-header. On Saturday, May 15,we’re headed for a private tour of GM’s Heritage Center, followed by lunch at Brian Joseph’s Classic & Exotic Ser-vice restoration shop. Participation is limited to the first 125 people to register.

The Heritage Center (www.gmheritagecenter.com), which is not open to the general public, is in Sterling Heights. It’sa football-stadium-sized complex that houses 200 unique and historic GM vehicles, as well as priceless artifacts andcompany archives dating back to General Motor’s earliest days.

Pre-war Bentleys, Bugattis and Duesenbergs are common fare at Classic & Exotic Service’s 20-year old shop(www.classicandexotic.com), located in Troy. We will enjoy a catered lunch and a chance to tour both their restora-tion and maintenance departments.

Advance registration is $60/person if received by May 1; this includes the Heritage Center’s admission charge, theseated luncheon & a chance for door prizes. The cost is $70/person if received after May 1. On-site registration inSterling Heights is $80/person.

The day begins with a 10:00 a.m. rendezvous at the Heritage Center in Sterling Heights (6400 Center Drive, SterlingHeights, MI). It is just east of Mound Road, between 15 Mile and 16 Mile Road. Ann Arbor-area drivers are invitedfor a cup of coffee at 8:00 at the Park & Ride lot (Plymouth Road and US-23), after which Dave Wexall will lead anauto caravan to Sterling Heights. Ann Arbor Departure is 9:00 a.m.

Following the morning Heritage tour, you will receive directions to Classic & Exotic. The field trip will conclude withthe luncheon.

Please mail your check, payable to PCPS, to 100 Huronview Blvd., Ann Arbor 48103.

Questions? Call Mary LeDuc (734) 476-3540, or Bill Milliken (734) 821-4321.

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Buick Product EngineeringRetiree Luncheon

Thursday July 22, 2010 11:00 AMFlint Holiday Inn Gateway Centre – see Bob Gardner

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Agnes & Bob Gardner's1990 Reatta Convertible

Growing up in Flint meant a heavy duty exposure to theautomobile business and with a father and uncle both working atBuick the automotive influence started at an early age for Bob. Aneighborhood friend named Fred Hammer had a 1928 Star Car andhis parents (Uncle Norm and Aunt Grace) had a huge garage wherethey kept a 1921 Durant and a 1917 Cadillac. Working on the Cadil-lac and attending Veteran Motor Car Club of America (VMCCA)meets with them whetted Bob's appetite for the vintage and classiccar hobby.

Bob's first car was a 1953 MG-TDC which taught Bob aboutBritish Engineering such as the value of cross drilled crankshaftsand Lucas Electrical systems which Bob came to know as the“Prince of Darkness”. Nearing High School Graduation and havingbeen accepted at GMI (now Kettering) and approved as a co-op atBuick, Bob sat down with his Dad and told him he really wanted toget out of Flint. Bob had been accepted at the Michigan College ofMining and Technology (MCMT) now Michigan TechnologicalUniversity (MTU) and so it was decided that Bob would venture to the far reaches of Michigan's Upper Peninsula topursue his Engineering education. There was never any question that Bob would go into engineering, after all the Sovi-ets had already put a man in space and America needed engineers and scientists.

After losing a fight with a Fire-stone tire on South Saginaw street inFlint in the fall of 1962 Bob woke up inHurley Hospital with a student Nursenamed Agnes taking care of him. Aftermarrying Agnes in 1964 and graduatingin 1965, Bob Started his career at BuickProduct Engineering at the corner ofHamilton and St. John in Flint. Manywork assignments and lots of travelbrought Bob to retirement in 2001.After 35+ years of GM employment,three children and four grandchildrenBob got his first hobby car which was a1984 turbo Regal T-Type. This was anappropriate car since it had the directignition system that Bob developed forthe 3.8 liter turbo that marked the de-mise of the distributor on most internalcombustion engines (this story was pub-lished in the March 2008 Buick Bugle).

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Digressing back to 1990 Bob was part of the GM PEP (Product Evalua-tion Program) drive and buy initiative which meant he got to drive new GM cars.This program was the envy of many non GM people because all they saw was thenew cars. What they didn't see was the employee had to buy a new car every year.In 1990 Bob bought a new Reatta Convertible which he sold to friend who keptthe carin SanDiegowherehe hada

warehouse and office which was near hismanufacturing facility in Mexico. In 2006 thefriend called Bob and asked if he wanted theReatta back? Bob jumped at the chance andre bought the Reatta which now had threeowners and Bob was two of them. It didn'ttake long for Agnes to figure out that twoclassic cars was one too many so the Regalwas sold.

Since then Agnes and Bob have en-joyed cruising with the Reatta and enjoyingthe Buicktown Chapter and the Reatta Divi-sion of the BCA.

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the editor saysPlans are in the mill to publish the 2010 membership ros-

ter, so now is the time to make sure all the information in the filesare up to date. It might also be a good time to get with your fellowcar hobbyists that have let their membership in Buicktown lapsebecause the 40th anniversary reunion is not far away.

Although our Chapter is almost 40 years old, a large major-ity of the membership have been part of the club for less than 10years. And this is in spite of the fact that most of the members notrenewing each year are the newer members. It is probably moreimportant to retain the current members than replace them withnew members that drop out after a relatively short time.

We all need to assess this situation thoughtfully and try todevelop some strategies to strengthen our Chapter for the longhaul. Think about it.

Have fun driving safe

Editor,Bob Gorski

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Trying to figure out what kind of paint is on your car?

It’s sometimes hard to tell what kind of paint is on your car. Almost everything thesedays is base coat/clear coat. However, some people are still shooting single stage enam-els and occasionally you see a lacquer job as well. So how do you tell the difference?

Well firstly…Only lacquer “checks” when it gets old. Whereas enamels tend to getmore orange peely and show more surface contaminations. Enamels can shine nicely ifwell sanded and wheeled but they do appear to have a very deep reflection (compared toa well buffed lacquer job) and are not nearly as deep in reflection as a base coat/clearcoat respray. Enamels are most often seen on cheap, inexpensive “quickie” jobs.

A piece of white, super fine sandpaper will help you eliminate the base coat/clearcoat option from the list. If you sand a small spot, do it where it won’t really be noticed. Ifno color comes off on the paper, then it has clear coat. If color comes off on the paper,then you know you have single stage of some sort.

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3. James Brayton3. Rita Collie4. Steve Freiheit4. Charles Miller5. Mary Ann Hadley7. James MacLean8. Bob Stemm9. Renee Calhoun10. Dean Michael11. Linda Cook11. Betty Taft12. Gloria DeHart13. Charles Anderson13. Dick Strickhouser19. Daniel McLaughlin19. Bob Neumann19. Susan Specht20. Loyd Gatica21. Coral Black23. Barbara Deska25. Stephen Baich25. Jean Finney28. Robert Bowen29. Eydie Michael29. Marshall Callard

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1. Richard & Betty Taft3. William & Ellen Stellard4. Jerry & Fran Anderson6. John & Annette Lucky9. Brian & Cristine Heil11. David & Kathi Waite15. William & Janet Ewing16. Loyd & Sue Gatica18. James & Ruth Drury18. Dennis & Barbara Meyer19. Howard & Jan Scott20. Bob & Cloie Hamilton25. Richard & Marian Bozung26. John & Benne Hawker26. Gary & Kathy Kantrud27. James & Norma Wells28. Bill & Barb Phillion28. Howard & Carol Zimmerman

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SpareParts

Change is the only thing that is constantthese days. I read recently in the FlintJournal that Cindy Ornstein, currentlypresident and CEO of the Flint CulturalCenter Corporation (FCCC), is resigningto take a position in Mesa, Arizona. TheFCCC governs the Sloan*Longway(including the Buick Gallery) and theWhiting. It also owns and manages the Flint Cultural Center properties and facilitates activities on the cultural cen-ter properties. I am sure we all wish Cindy success in her new endeavor. I hope she is familiar with the LDS influ-ence in the Valley of the Sun, and we will look forward to learning who will be Cindy's replacement.

There is now a car sharing service in Austin, Texas named Car2go. Starting May 21 this service will be available citywide. The vehicles in their fleet are Smart Fortwos and they rent for $0.35 per minute. Somehow renting these tinySmart cars in Texas by the minute doesn't sound like the brightest idea to come along. It seems like you could tri-ple the cost of the rental by getting caught in traffic. Maybe it will cause an increase the demand for stop watchesso you could keep track of your rental car bill.

I read recently that the only known wild wolverine in the State of Michigan was found dead this past March some-where in the thumb area. A necropsy (the animal version of an autopsy) was performed by the state Departmentof Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) indicated that the wolverine was only nine years old and died ofcongestive heart failure (CHF). Now I cannot dispute the validity of the DNRE report but CHF is ranked as one of themajor causes of death among the human race and is mainly attributed to poor diet, lack of exercise and the overallcondition of not taking care of ourselves. Now a wild wolverine surely was getting enough exercise living in thewoods and swamps of Sanilac County so the question that comes to mind is what would cause CHF in a wild wol-verine. The only logical answer is that the wolverine has been sneaking into the drive through line at the local fastfood restaurants. This probably needs to be brought to the attention of the Michigan State Legislatures so they canpass a law prohibiting the sale of fatty foods to wild wolverines just in case there is ever another wild wolverinefound in the State of Michigan.

OK. For all of you going to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby this year you have an opportunity to purchase aspecial mint julep made specifically for this occasion. This special libation comes in a silver cup and the ice the drinkis made with comes from a glacier in the Pacific Ocean that is 10,000 years old. All this for only $1,000.00 per drink.Now that sounds like a real bargain. I wonder if they provide the name of the winner of the race prior to poll timeso you could afford to pay your bar bill?

That's all for now.

Bob and Bentley Assistant Editors

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SOCIAL COMMITTEEGet Well Cards were sent toJim Heiser, Bill Salisbury,

John Welby

Sympathy cards were sent toJim and Gail LuketichDeath of Gail’s mother

Bonnie Foster

Terry and Sarah HansenDeath of Sarah’s mother

Alice Taylor

Don and Patsy Lou WilliamsonDeath of Patsy Lou ’s sister

Sandra S Middleditch

Sympathy cards, Get well cards, Glad you’re wellcards, etc. are sent to members and families

for the well being of the Chapter.

Please notify the Social Committee if you are awareof any situation needing our consideration.

Gary and Debbie MinchSocial Committee Chairpersons

(810) 653 1967

B&B BOATCOMPANY3472 N. GENESEE RD.

FLINT, MI 485061/4 MILE N. OF RICHFIELD RD.

810 736-4110

OPEN 6 DAYSMON-FRI 9:30 - 5:30

SAT 9:30 - 12:30

SALESSERVICE

PARTSPOWER BOATSHEATED SHOWROOM

MARINE ACCESSORIES

ARCTICCAT

MerCruiser

EVINRUDE

RINKER

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The Original Hot Rodderwritten by Kathy A. Ridley

250-page soft cover book about Bill Waddill and theGenesee Gear Grinders with over 550 photographs inblack and white and color of vintage and early hot rod-ding in Michigan and the Flint area

A signed copy of the book is available from the author byemailing krandart@comcast.net or calling 810-635-3168.

The book is also availablefrom Art Ridley at the

Patsy Lou Buick-GMC5111 Corunna Road Flint.

The book may also bepurchased at the

Sloan Museumbook store.

The cost of the book isonly $29 if purchased

directly or $34 ifpurchased by mail.

Bill LambVeteran broadcaster DJ spins

story of Flint,Buick and factory workers

Bill Lamb hosted a radio show dedicated to Buickfactory workers called"The Factory Whistle" for26 years. His children con-vinced him to share thestories he collected duringhis career in a book. Hisbook "Buick, The FactoryWhistle & Me!" is avail-able at area Buick dealers,the book store at the SloanMuseum, or by calling Billat (810) 694-1421 for anautographed copy.

David Buick’sMarvelous Motor Car

written by

Lawrence R.Gustinpublished by

the Buick Galleryand Research Center

Alfred P. Sloan Museum

The book is availablefrom the Sloan Museum

(810) 237-3450www.sloanmuseum.org

(regular edition $30,leather bound $55

Incl. postage & handling)

manuscripts ofWilliam C. Durant

Richard P. Scharchburg was instrumental in the establish-ment of The Kettering/GMI Alumni Foundation Collectionof Industrial History in 1974. Upon his death in 2000, thecollection was renamed in his honor. Scharchburg dedi-cated his life's work to automotive history.

In recognition of General Motor's 100th Anniversary theScharchurg Archives has published the previously unpub-lished and unedited manuscripts of William C. Durant,founder of General Motors from our collection. These writ-ings cover Durant's experiences in the vehicle industrystarting with the Flint RoadCart Company in 1886 and in-cludes photos from the DurantCollection.

The book may be obtained atthe Archives with a donation of$20.00 during normal businesshours. It may be obtainedthrough the mail by sending acheck for $22.00 which in-cludes shipping and handling( payable to Kettering Univer-sity ) to: Kettering UniversityArchives, 1700 W. Third Ave,Flint, MI 48504.

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Mott Community CollegeAutobody Laboratory

Southern Lakes Branch CampusOn a cool Spring Saturday morning in April a group of Buicktown mem-

bers accepted an invitation from the Mott Community College (MCC) SouthernLakes Branch Campus on Thompson Road in Fenton, Michigan to tour their facility.This campus was built as a training facility for the Consumers Power Company andpurchased by MCC in January 1992.

Jerry Whitney, the Autobody Training In-structor, started with this facility and has written

the coursecurriculumsand taughtthe classessince then. Jerry is not only very knowl-edgeable in these subjects but thoroughlyand obviously enjoys what he does. Jerryhas been sure to not only place the Buick-

town logo on tools that have been purchased with money that has been con-tributed by Buicktown but credit has also been given to Buicktown on the op-erating instruction manuals that are supplied to thestudents. Jerry and the students are very apprecia-tive to the BuickTown Chapter of the BCA for every-thing that we have provided to make the learningexperiences at MCC more beneficial.

Brandon Bisbey, the current Buicktown spon-sored intern, and Jerry took the Buicktown group on a tour of the MCC facility andexplained what the students were working on and how the tools that have beenprovided help in the completion of the auto body restorations. There was a highdegree of activity going on this particular Saturday because it was an extra lab that is provided to help thestudents complete their projects before the end of the semester.

Larry Sherman and Jim Beal who are the BuicktownStudent Liaisons are doing an excellent job of coordinatingthe activities of the students from Mott and the Universityof Michigan – Flint with the Sloan*Longway Museum andthe BuickTown Chapter of the BCA. Be sure to thank themthe next time you see them tell them what a good job theyare doing.

Boband Bentley

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MARCH BUICKTOWN CHAPTER MEETINGMARCH 24, 2010 AT FENTON FARMS

The meeting was called to order at 8:03 p.m. by Director Roberta Vasilow, at Fenton Farms.Larry and Suzanne Sherman introduced Rachel McNinch,our intern this semester from UM-Flint and Brandon Bisbey,our intern from Mott. Both interns thanked the Club for theinternship program and told how much they appreciate beingselected.New members Dean and Eydie Michael were introduced byJerry Walker, Member @ Large. Birthdays were announced

and “HappyB i r t h d a y ”sung, led by Jim Beal.Anniversaries werecongratulated. Twopeople had forgottentheir name tags.Suzanne Sherman,Secretary, read a con-densed version of Feb-ruary, 2010 minutes. .Dan Emerton, Treas-urer, presented the club financial status. .Jim MacLean, Membership Chairperson, reported that there

were one hundred ninety-five (195) paid memberships in 2009. One hundred fifty-eight (158) have renewed.That leaves thirty-seven (37) who have not paid for 2010.Marge McQuigg, Assistant Director, had sign-up sheets for the open house at Mott, the April meeting at theSkill Center, and the concert/car show at Meadowbrook. She also said the Spring Tour in May will be to Mil-lington. We will meet in Davison for breakfast then proceed to a new museum. Roberta, Marge and Ed areplanning the Spring Tour, Pam and Mel Conway are planning the entertainment. Marge announced that afterthis meeting we could stay and play cards. Twelve (12) people did.Debbie and Gary Minch, Social Committee, announced that fifty-four (54) members and two (2) guests (the in-terns) were present. Four (4) cards have been sent (see “Crier”).Dan Emerton reported we have all the paperworkready for filing our taxes. We are just waiting forBCA authorization.Roger Tyyska explained that the Skill Center had anOpen House February 24, 2010, 5 – 8 P.M. to intro-duce their facility to new students and their parents.Members of the Buicktown Chapter were invited tosee the tools and tool box that our Chapter donated.Those who attended spoke to instructors who arevery appreciative of the gift.Roger Tyyska reported that the Michigan BCAChapters Meeting at the Gallery, Saturday, March13, came about because there has been so much con-versation about the BCA dues being raised to $50.

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We asked other Michigan Chapters to send representa-tives and they did. All Chapters present felt that themeeting was worthwhile and would like to meet again.John Hart from the Detroit Chapter said that he wouldbe the host. We coordinated calendars so events will notoverlap. The next Michigan Bash will be in Turkeyvillein September hosted by Central Michigan. Buicktownwill be host in 2012. The consensus was that there will beno more National meets in Michigan because the BCAwants 400 point judging and the Michigan Chapters donot. Regional meets were also discussed. On the subjectof communication, the Chapters agreed that it is woefully

lacking from the BCA, especially as it relates to the tax issue. All agreed that the “Bugle” is a fine magazine butthink the Chapters deserve more than that. The impact of the $50 dues is a deterrent to attracting new mem-bers. Buicktown explained the internship program and encouraged the other Chapters to look into it.Mott Community College Autobody Program Open HouseAPRIL 10, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. South Lakes Campus onThompson Road. Lunch TBDBuicktown BOD meeting April 14, 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. Patsy LouBuick, 2nd Floor Conference Room. Roberta explained that anymember may attend. “Back to the Bricks” will be first on theagenda. Representatives of that group will inform us of our re-sponsibilities for the “Mega Site” on the corner of Saginaw andHemphill.Meadowbrook Theater is hosting a classic car show on Friday,April 23, 2010 in conjunction with the 1960’s musical “Breakingup is Hard to do” with music by Neil Sedaka. 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.A special spot will be available to show cars and there will besecurity. Come and watch the show free. To sign-up, callMarge. The following weekend may also be available if enough people are interested.

Buicktown monthly meeting April 28 at “Weekdays”,Genesee Area Skill Center, 5081 Torrey Road, Flint.Social hour 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. Cost $15.50Ladies Night May 26 at Holy Redeemer, 127 East BristolRoad, Burton. Social Hour 6 p.m., Dinner at 7 P.m.Cost $17.00Dave Gladd thanked our Chapter for cards sent whenhis wife was ill and thanked all those who participated inthe SEMBCA Chapter swap meet last Sunday. BobbieCutter asked if there were any women golfers presentand gave the new member, Eydie Michael, a sleeve ofLeSabre golf balls. Jeff Anderson brought flyers for a

swap meet at Suski’s on April 18, 2010.Jim and Jackie Beal, 50/50 chairpersons presented cash prizes to Jenny Burgess, Bob Gorski, and LarrySherman. Bobbie Cutter won a GM mouse pad. Jim Burgess won a GM Building paperweight. Bob Gorski wonan apron that Jackie had appliquéd with a Buick, Frank DeNicolo and Jerry Johnston won windbreakers, DeanMichael and Lois Jensen won Hot Wheels.Meeting Adjourned at 8:45 p.m.

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The following is a letter we received from our Mott intern, Brandon Bisbey. Not only did he work at the Gallery, heconducted our tour of the facility on Thompson Road for the Open House in April. He is a very impressive youngman.

“…I would like to thank …the Buick Club for sponsoring me andletting me intern at the Buick Gallery. It was an enjoyable andmemorable experience. I enjoyed meeting and talking to mem-bers of the club. Hopefully, I can stay in touch with you as I fin-ish my studies at Mott and pursue a career in auto restoration. Ifyou need any help from me at the gallery or at your events, pleaselet me know. Also, if you hear of any opportunities in my field,could you please let me know. Thanks, again, Brandon Bisbey”

Brandon also introduced his Father to the Wednesday volunteers. Astime permits, they both will volunteering.

Larry Sherman, Student Liaison

1902 is on the same shelf with the rest of the Buick material!

When I first started volunteering at the Sloan Gallery, the Buick information was behind a door, way back in a corner,in the dark. I had to use a flashlight to find the box of information I needed to enter into the computer. Because ofour interns, Shannon and Rachel, the Gallery staff has been able to move around the available material and put the

Buick in a most accessible location, just inside the door and there is even alight overhead! When the material was first moved, there wasn’t room on theshelf for 1902 and it had to sit on a file cabinet. Now, everything has a home,together, with room to add more material.

Working on the archives is fascinating. Did you know that Buick built atracked vehicle for the British army in 1917? It looked like a tank except thepeople sat out in the open. Also, the first warranties were for 90 days fromthe day it left the factory.

Our most recent intern, Rachel McNinch, wrote the following letter, thankingus for sponsoring her. She wrote:

“ this experience has been amazing! I have learned so much. I planto volunteer just for fun this summer. I have entered more than 350 docu-ments into the computer and learned some amazing things, many thatwill be helpful in my career choice. I have learned the value of archives(my emphasis) and when I have my own classroom, I will make sure mystudents know what an archive is and how to use them for research.”Rachel went on to write,“This is an amazing program and I thank you for letting me be a part ofit. It has been a great experience”.

Suzanne Sherman, Student Liaison

INTERNS - HAPPENINGS AT THE GALLERY

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ECHOESFROM THE WHEEL ROOM AT THE HOTEL DURANT

· A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoyenough people to make it worthwhile.

· Life is like a grindstone. Whether it grinds you down or polishes you up isfor you to decide.

· The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but we wait so long to enjoy it.

· The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

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Automotive art in its many forms reflects the interest and passion for the dynamic automotive world.We seek to further this excitement by commissioning original works, offering exclusive products and provid-ing high-quality reproductions. Motorcities Dreamakers presents a dynamic and constantly evolving envi-ronment featuring an extensive collection of some of the most creative, innovative, and collectible automo-tive artists and their works. These works are available in a number of various editions - from limited-editionoffset lithography prints to the most current digital process reproductions. Let us fill your corporate board-room, office, lobby or personal workspace with a custom work that will enhance your prestige for years.

Whether you're a racing team member, a shade tree mechanic, or an automotive enthusiast, wehave the finest in automotive and racing memorabilia in a convenient and secure online shopping environ-ment. We represent the most creative, innovative and collectible artists and product lines in the automotiveart industry and the Motorcities Dreamakers e-commerce website is an important aspect towards our con-tinued efforts. A truly versatile site, www.Motorcities Dreamakers.com allows customers to browse our gal-lery and features online shopping, membership benefits and special promotions; additionally, each monthwe highlight an artist or selected works in our collection.

The gallery's main hall, an ideal setting for a variety of events and private and select viewings, is lo-cated on S. Saginaw St. in Grand Blanc, Michigan. We're here to make your experience enjoyable and ef-fortless; if there is anything we can do to serve you better, please contact us by calling (810) 695-9200.

The Motorcities Dreamakers Team

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the cars featured are 1948 Allard K-1, Shelby Cobra racecar, Pantera Detomaso, Jaguar and more.

The goal of the Sloan Museum Auto Fair, our rea-son for being, is to raise funds to support the restorationand maintenance of the Sloan Museum’s important col-lection of vehicles and automobile archives. Among thevehicles restored and maintained are the WWII HellcatTank Destroyer, the Flint Built circa 1950 Palace Coach,the 1954 Buick Wildcat, and 1955 Chevrolet Bel-Air. Allthese and more, are on display during the Sloan MuseumAuto Fair at NO ADDITIONAL COST to the participants andvisitors.

If you would like to join our committee, to helpplan the 38th Annual Sloan Museum Auto Fair, we meeton the first Wednesday of the month, 6:30 pm, in theBuick Automotive Gallery, located on the corner ofRobert T. Longway Blvd. and Walnut Street on the cam-pus of the Flint Cultural Center. If you would like to volun-teer three hours or more to help at the show, call 810-793-6358 or e-mail Volunteer@SloanAutoFair.com.

We are ready for another great Sloan MuseumAuto Fair, number 38! The event will be in Saturday,June 26 and Sunday, June 27. There are three awards,Best Original Vehicle, Best Original Restored Vehicleand Best Modified Vehicle. Of course, we also will haveawards for the Top 75 vehicles. The Car Cruise will beon Saturday June 26 at 5:00pm from Sloan Museum toThe Hot Dog Stand in Grand Blanc. There are no eventson Friday night. For more information visit SloanAuto-Fair.com or call 810.237.3450. Fundraisers like thishelp to ensure quality programming, and that our his-tory is preserved for, Genesee County residents.

Our committee members and volunteers arecommitted to making the 2010 show the best one yet.Each year we are getting bigger and better thanks toyou, show participants, and visitors alike.

Things have changed since that first show andwe will continue to change to keep the show excitingand fresh. Our Feature Car exhibit, World of SportsCars, will have some really special cars this year. Among

June 26 & 27, 2010

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Flint Cultural Center's Cindy Ornstein leaving for Mesa postExcerpts by Kristin Longley and Chad Swiatecki | Flint Journal

A lot of Cindy Ornstein’s working days involve pushing paper; budg-ets, development proposals, marketing campaigns, things like that.Piles of paper are part of the daily grind of overseeing three Flint artsinstitutions — The Whiting, Sloan Museum and Longway Planetar-ium — that operate with millions of dollars between them and serveclose to half a million people in Genesee County and beyond.

But Ornstein made sure as often as she could to take a few moments,weekly if not daily, to get a look at how the people behind all thatpaper were affecting and helping to improve the greater Flint commu-nity.

“When we moved our offices to Sloan a year ago it put me a lotcloser to the daily happenings, and there was nothing better thanwalking through the gallery when an education session was going onand a class of children were building their own ecosphere or design-ing a city of their own,” said Ornstein, who will leave her role asCEO of the Flint Cultural Center Corp. in June to become the directorof arts and culture for the city of Mesa, Ariz.

“It was great to see that, or to feel the energy in The Whiting whensomeone like (zydeco artist) Cedric Watson was giving an amazingperformance. Memories like that are what this place and this job areall about.”

Ornstein has accrued plenty of memories like those in the 10 yearssince she took over as head of the FCCC, which shares the 33-acreCultural Center campus with the Flint Institute of Arts, the Flint Insti-tute of Music, the main branch of the Flint Public Library and theFlint Schools’ Sarvis Center. As head of the center’s biggest coali-tion, Ornstein helped guide grounds improvements, some infrastructure work and planning, and the overall marketingeffort for the Cultural Center, as well as expanding programming at the FCCC’s facilities.

Ambitious projects like those were what drew the New York state native to Flint from her job as an associate museumdirector in Allentown, Pa. A graduate of Vassar college, Orn-stein said she didn’t have a predetermined time frame for howlong she would stay in Flint but said eight to 12 years seemedlike a reasonable tenure for someone with a marketing andarts agency role.

The job opportunity in Arizona was forwarded to her by afriend and colleague, and while she was hesitant at first — “Iwaited until right up to the deadline to apply” — she said thechance to have a role in government as well as leading an artsorganization was a challenge that was too interesting andchallenging to pass up.

“It gives me a chance to be the main advocate for the arts in a

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community with a lot of assets because it’s so close to the Phoenix area, and I also get to be in charge of an arts agency(the Mesa Arts Center) which I love doing,” she said. “I’ll also be closer to family I have on the West Coast, which isimportant since we have no family in the area now. My sons and husband love hot weather, and my husband is a fan ofsaying you don’t have to shovel sunshine.” Ornstein leaves to head the Arts & Culture Department in Mesa, Ariz., nearPhoenix where she will oversee two museums and Arizona’s largest arts center, featuring visual and performing artsprograms, performances and exhibitions.

Ornstein will stay with the FCCC until June 30 to tend to as many projectsand paper piles as she can, and help the FCCC’s board with its in-progresswork on a three-to-five year strategic plan.

In some ways her departure during that process comes at a good time,since the board will hire her eventual replacement with specific objectivesand skills in mind. Some of those may include a facilities backgroundsince Sloan is in need of some sort of expansion or overhaul in the nextfew years and The Whiting’s parking lot needs extensive repaving.

A financial whiz could also be attractive since economic woes locally andacross the state put more pressure on the Cultural Center’s endowments and budgets.

Jeanne Pepper, chairwoman of the FCCC board of directors, said Ornstein will be missed. “We are sorry to see Cindyleave, but wish her well in her new adventure,” Pepper said in a statement. “Cindy leaves the organization on solidground, with a capable team in place to move us forward.”

Jeanne Pepper said a transition committee was formed following Ornstein’s decision to leave earlier this month and areport on how to divide duties and begin the search for a new CEO will be complete at the end of the month. Askedwhether the group would conduct a national search, Pepper said, “It’s hard to imagine it wouldn’t be.”

“I don’t think much changes in the overall vision right now,” she said. “This is a great opportunity to look at what goeswell in what we do and how we can build on that going forward.”

Pepper said Ornstein’s tenure in the Flint area has seen big changessuch as facilities improvements at Longway (including a state-of-the-art projection unit), expansion of collections and exhibits at Sloan andmore diverse programming including Broadway-caliber shows at TheWhiting.

“Just look at Whiting and you see the selection of shows we’ve hadthere that normally aren’t available to a city of our size,” Pepper said.“Cindy brought a lot of energy, commitment and love of communityarts to the job and we’re fortunate to have had her here.”

Looking ahead, Ornstein said she’ll always have a connection to Flinteven after she leaves and will stay a booster and defender of the Flint area to anyone who will listen.

“I kind of had that perception when I first saw the posting for this job, but once I got here I found out it’s a really inter-esting place, the people are wonderful and the assets in the community are wonderful,” she said.

“The reputation was part of the challenge of the job when I first got here, to deny people what they thought they knewand show them that Flint is so much more than they thought it was. There’s been a lot of work done all over the placesince I’ve come here and it is becoming revitalized. I’m going to remain a booster even once I’m not here any longer.”

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Flint community,” Ornstein said. “I know the community will continue torecognize what a jewel it has in the Flint Cultural Center, and will remain committed to preserving, supporting, and en-hancing it.”

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MEMBERSHIPUPDATE

Greetings!I got the Roadmaster back from Dales Auto Service today. The oldbeast rides like a new car again. Dale took a little longer than plannedbut it took some time to pry 50 plus years of road grime off the sus-pension. Dale made it all look like new too. He took the time to painteverything so it is now (temporarily) like new. I am anxious to get itout on the highway with passengers so I can see the difference in thehandling. It can only be better! Membership in BUICKTOWN nowstands at 165 paid memberships with 303 members. I still have 30folks from last year that have not renewed for 2010. I hope to hearfrom some of them. Hey, I'm gonna fire up the "GASMASTER" and gofor a spin. When you are out there remember to Drive Safely!

Jim MacLean,Buicktown Membership Chairman

Thanks for visiting The Hot Dog Stand! Home of the “Original” Red Sauce

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Sloan Museum Car CruiseStarting at 5pm

from the Sloan Museumto the Hot Dog Stand

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1983 Rivieraconvertiblef i r e m i s t ,62k, 307V8,new parts,service re-cords, asking $9,500 (810)629-7062 11990 Reatta red coupe, nice, eve-rything works, $3500 obo (810)869-4148 21991 Reatta coupe, black & tan,sun roof, $3500 complete car orpart out Bob (810)655-4202 (foryour parts needs) ***

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1989-90 Reatta parts, Marshall(810)513-7004 ***

BUICKS FOR SALE1924 Touringe x c e l l e n tcondition,drives andruns great.$25,000 oboTed (810)577-8080 3

1930 40 series 2 dr sedan Noradiator and in pieces. Dave(248) 379-4233 Holley 31941 Sedanett 42k orig cond$20,000 Jim Aseltine (810) 636-7706 31961 Skylark 2 dr HT 215 4bbl en-gine automatic trans Bruce Granger(810)869-4876 ***

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Ads must be to the Editor by the 15th of the month prior to the month in which the ad will run.

Snow Tires 235/75/15 Buickwheels, 5 on 5, painted Black,Good Tread Jim (810)735-1928Linden ***Misc ‘65 401 Riviera parts Ron(810)694-8156 ***Barn full of Buick junk, engineparts, etc Joe (810)655-8988***

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It is just a short three-and-one-half months until the sixth annual ‘Back to the Bricks’ Cruise and Car Show weekkicks off. It just seems like yesterday that the 5th annual event ended. Maybe I am just getting older (and I am) buttime sure does fly!

Our ‘Rolling Cruise’ committee reported that this year’s Wednesday and Thursday nights 13-mile cruise route willfeature two new ‘Mega’ sites; one in Grand Blanc which will be located in the Grand Mall parking lot and the otherone will be located on a 33-acre site located at the GM Great Lakes Technology Center located at the corner ofSaginaw and Hemphill Roads. Both of the ‘Mega’ site will be highly visible with tents, entertainment, food, race cardisplays, manufacturer’s displays and more. Along with the two ‘Mega’ sites, the Burton Chamber of Commerce issetting up their own site which is also located on the ‘Rolling Cruise’ route. Like the two other sites, the Burton C ofC site will have displays, entertainment, and bleachers for the spectators, food and more. Our local ABC affiliate,WJRT Channel 12 will also be broadcasting live from the Burton C of C site which is just a short half-a-block fromthe Flint site at the corner of Hemphill and Saginaw. In downtown Flint, the Genesee Regional Chamber of Com-merce will be once again hosting a tent party for their members. Along with their activities, new for this year, will belive entertainment on the main parking lot in downtown Flint both Wednesday and Thursday evenings. In addition tothe ‘Mega’ sites, there will be an additional twenty-eight ‘host sites’ that will feature their own special offerings andentertainment to the cruisers and spectators. Many of them will be offering free food to the cruisers so be sure to stopin as many of them as the two nights permit.

Now that I am on the subject of the ‘Rolling Cruise’, I have to bring up the subject of ‘burn outs’. Yeah, I know, theyare fun to watch in a controlled environment but that is not the case on public streets that are lined with thousands ofpeople. Your ‘Back to the Bricks’ committee has requested that all local police departments enforce a ‘ZERO TOL-ERANCE’ policy as it relates to burn outs. Safety is our main concern and we don’t want to see anyone get hurt froman out-of-control vehicle. If someone chooses to listen to the crowd cheering them on and you get caught, your carwill be impounded and at that point, the fines and penalties become substantial. Tell your friends, let’s have a goodtime but let’s keep the foot off of the accelerator. From here on out, you’ll hear our constant comments regarding our‘ZERO TOLERANCE’ policy regarding burn outs. Help us out on this and pass the message along.

That’ it for this month and we will see you in a short three months.

Cordially,

Al Hatch, Chairman, Back to the Bricks Cruise and Car Show

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DO YOU REMEMBER?

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The Champions of American Automobile DesignBy: Margery Krevsky MotorCities Story of the Week

For those of us who have our black belt in shopping we know every season there are changes in fashion design and whatthe stores are showing; there is the Fall Fashion Collection and the Spring Fashion Collection. The change is meant toresurge our wardrobes, and increase the bottom line of designers and stores. The automobile industry has the same con-cept; change the design of the car and people will buy the new model. Due to the American automobile market reachinga saturation point a decision in 1924 to create annual model-year designchanges came about. This meant a new styling development or change in avehicle’s appearance and to some extent the ergonomics. Yes, it was primar-ily changing the looks of a car in a strategy planned to create “classic” carsand create the obsolescence factor in those vehicles with “ho-hum” value inthe looks department. The idea originated with General Motors head, AlfredP. Sloan Jr. He wanted to convince car owners they needed to buy a new re-placement car each year. Although Sloan gets credit for this revolutionaryidea this concept was first introduced in the American bicycle industry. In the1920’s they were introducing new colors and design changes, which waskeeping the cycling business vital. For the auto industry this was an industryaltering plan or a revolution. Because it could only be maintained with anewly created Design Department finding the talent, management and crea-tive leadership was spanning into the almost unknown. Many of the newlyhired designers were experienced only in bicycle design. Smaller players inthe car industry could not maintain the pace and expense of yearly re-stylingand eventually had to close their doors. Henry Ford did not like the concept at first, but had to acquiesce to the competi-tion. He had an engineer’s mind set of simplicity, and a businessman’s sense of economics of style, and a “if it’s notbroken you don’t need to fix it” design integrity philosophy.

1928 LaSalle is the watershed vehicle in cardesign. The success of the LaSalle, designed byHarley Earl, convinced General Motors presi-dent, Alfred P. Sloan, to create the Art andColor Division of General Motors, and to nameEarl as its first director. Prior to the establish-ment of this division auto manufacturers didnot assign a great importance to the appear-ance of auto bodies.

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Car designers have brought some of the most famous and unique concept tomarket creating a visual history and collectability component. The most fa-mous American auto stylist is arguably, Haley Earl. He created the tailfin,wrap around window shields, factory two-tone paint and other aeronauticaldesigns in the 1950’s. Also legendary is Gordon Buehrig responsible for theHupmoible Skylark and the Graham Hollywood. Another notable designerwho had a markedly different style impact was Chrysler groups’ designer,Virgil Exner. He was an early pioneerof Cab forward or the Forward Lookof the mid 1950’s. He is credited withintroducing the pointed tail fins in the1956 Plymouth Belvedere which wasadapted by all the other car compa-

nies following its’ introduction. Americans loved this styling technique and itsold volumes of cars.Most automotive design departments are created into teams. Within the team ef-

fort each designer has an area of expertise:exterior design, interior design, and color and trim design. The aesthetic value every-one creates needs to correspond to ergonomic function and utility features as well.Today’s designer’s have new challenges related to the latest electronic componentslike GPS navigation, satellite radio, mobile TV’s and Smartphone interfaces. All ofthese items the American public cannot live without now need to fit well into a carwhile looking great. Even in our time of high class 3d soft ware and virtual modelson powerwalls the life size actual clay model method of designing a car, originatingfrom the 1920’s in Harley Earl’s GM studio, is still the most important tool to evalu-ate the design of a car.

Margery Krevsky is the author of: Sirens of Chrome:The enduring allure of auto show models, www.sirensofchrome.com,

published by Momentum Publishing, available at amazon.com

1939 Buick Y-Job, arguably the most famous con-cept car in the world was the first car built by amass manufacturer for the sole purpose of deter-mining the public’s reaction to new design ideas.Created under Harley Earl’s instruction the Y-Jobbecame Earl’s daily driver and signature “ride”.

1956 Plymouth Fury, an early example of“The Forward Look” was copied by theentire auto industry. Chrysler Groups’ de-signer Virgil Exner is credited as an earlypioneer of this design

1961 AMC Designers at work. Standingby the clay scale model’s left front fenderis Richard Teague, a famous automobiledesigner at American Motors .

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BUICK NEWSGM to build small new Buick at

Metro Detroit assembly plant

General Motors Co.'s Buick brand will take another step towardattracting younger buyers with a small crossover vehicle to bebuilt at a Michigan factory, a person briefed on the plan said.

Spokeswoman Dayna Hart confirmed that GM is planning a smallcrossover vehicle that will look like a baby version of the BuickEnclave. Crossovers generally have the passenger room and stor-age capacity of a sport utility vehicle but are more efficient andhandle better because they are built on car frames.

Buick executives are scheduled to brief reporters on product plansfor the brand at an event near Detroit. Hart would not confirm thatthe Orion plant will build the new Buick, and would say only thatit would be in showrooms in the next few years. GM has hintedduring auto shows that a small Buick crossover would be coming.

Buick executives have said that brand's new products will haveluxurious interiors to compete with Lexus and nimble handling tocompete with Acura, two successful Japanese luxury brands.

The company also has hinted at a compact Buick built on thesame underpinnings as the Chevrolet Cruze sedan, but has givenfew details. A similar vehicle is already on sale in China, whereBuick is popular.

GM is hoping the smaller Buicks will help pull younger peopleinto the brand, which for years has attracted senior citizens. Untilrecently, many of Buick's models had bench seats and soft, cushyrides.

As a result, the average age of the Buick buyer was 66.2 in 2000,GM said. Last year it dropped to 65 as the company has tried toremake Buick's image as sportier luxury brand that's competitivewith Acura and Lexus. But its average age is still 11 years abovethe industry average of 54 for all cars in the U.S. New products,such as the Enclave large crossover, have helped to bring the agedown, Hart said. The average age of the Enclave buyer is 59.

A new midsize Regal sedan due out sometime this quarter also isexpected to attract younger buyers, in their 40s and 50s.

Buick is one of four brands that GM kept as it emerged frombankruptcy protection last year. The company kept Buick, Chev-rolet, GMC and Cadillac while deciding to sell or close Saturn,Pontiac, Hummer and Saab.

PRESORTEDSTANDARD

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PAIDFLINT MI

PERMIT NO. 172

Buicktown Chapter, B.C.A.Robert John Gorski, Editor

1337 Peachwood DriveFlint, Michigan 48507-5629

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