22 hp, 159 cu. in. horizontally-opposed twin-cylinder engine, two-speed planetary transmission, solid front axle with three-quarter elliptic leaf springs, live rear axle with full-elliptic leaf springs and single chain drive, and two-wheel mechanical drum brakes. Wheelbase: 92 in.

• Offered from the collection of George Grew

• Popular and reliable early Buick

• Mechanically renovated

• Excellent for Brass and Gas tours

Introduced in 1906, the Model F phaeton and its Model G roadster-bodied companion were the most successful Buicks of their time, with nearly 17,000 built through 1910. In 1906, the Chicago American and Examiner staged a 1,000-mile relay run from Chicago to New York. A Buick Model F was the only entrant to complete the event. A contemporary account notes that “stretches of bad road [were] rendered well nigh impassable by rainstorms…through all this struggle of a thousand miles, the Buick never failed to move forward.” The Model F earned the nickname “Old Faithful,” soon touted in a company brochure.

Purchased from Lee and Ellie Harrison, then of Michigan, in the early-1990s, this Model F Buick had been restored during their ownership. Following an appearance at the Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance, the car was invited to the 1989 Detroit Auto Show, where it was photographed with Robert Stempel, then vice-president in charge of the Buick-Olds-Cadillac group and later GM CEO, together with the head of GM in Japan. George Grew had G&G Restorations, of Proctorsville, Vermont, undertake some mechanical renovations in 1994, including the replacement of the axle shafts and associated bearings and seals and the rebuilding of the planetary transmission.

The Grews often toured in this Buick, as, despite its age, it performs very well and is able to keep up with modern traffic. Although an older restoration, it presents very well and proudly wears the AACA National First badge it won in 1972. The black buttoned leather seating shows its age, but it is very serviceable, as is the black canvas top. The car has been updated for touring with a 12-volt electrical system with a starter and alternator. Model F and G Buicks were well respected in their day. They remain among the best of the survivors from the first decade of the automobile century.