Am I the only one on this forum who didn't know...?

I knew that Buick has always used overhead valves, but I didn't know that Buick invented the overhead valve engine. The patent was applied for in 1902 and granted in 1904.

 

Makes two of us!

Devon

 

Not sure I had heard of that before, either…pretty cool!

 

I didn't know the overhead was Buick's invention either!
Thanks for sharing.

Bob H.

 

From Larrys link:

"Buick and cutting-edge design aren't exactly synonymous..."

Ouch.

 

I knew that!

"David Dunbar Buick:

History. In automotive engineering, an overhead valve internal combustion engine is one in which the intake and exhaust valves and ports are contained in the cylinder head. The original overhead valve or OHV piston engine was developed by the Scottish-American David Dunbar Buick." (not true, but, it was one of his engineers)

Walter Marr , Buick engineer, takes credit for it but it was really developed by another Buick engineer who left the company early. Walter Marr also had an overhead cam engine running in Buick's shop about 1900. (See Marr Car Auto engine SOHC below).
Without overhead valves, the over head cam would not be possible, they go hand -in-hand.


1900–1914[edit]
Among the first overhead camshaft engines were the 1902 Maudslay SOHC engine built in the United Kingdom[18]: 210 [15]: 906 [29] and the 1903 Marr Auto Car SOHC engine built in the United States.[30][31] The first DOHC engine was a Peugeot inline-four racing engine which powered the car that won the 1912 French Grand Prix. Another Peugeot with a DOHC engine won the 1913 French Grand Prix, followed by the Mercedes-Benz 18/100 GP with an SOHC engine winning the 1914 French Grand Prix.

The Isotta Fraschini Tipo KM— built in Italy from 1910–1914— was one of the first production cars to use an SOHC engine.[32]

 

That's true, and the Buick Model B in 1904 was fitted with an OHV engine. This was the birth of what Buick called "Valve in Head" engines. We have all seen those stickers.

I recall as a young boy seeing that on a Buick Straight 8 valve cover on some kind of display of 40-50's cars at one of the local malls.. this is in the mid 70's. Just starting to read the car magazines, I was unfamiliar with side or flat head valve in block engines, and I recall asking my Dad "don't all engines have the valves in the head".

JW

 

I also did not know they were the first. I guess this explains why they were so darn proud of it and put it on everything for so many years. It's hard to find anything from Buick before the 1950s that doesn't have it mentioned.

 

Add me to "learned something new today" list, as I wasn't aware either.

 

I wonder if they get paid a royalty for every OHV engine. Maybe thats why Buick is still in business.

 

Yep. I don't understand the love for the Flathead V8.

 

Lol me neither, flat head Briggs and Stratton and Tecumseh lawnmower engines remind me of the flat head Ford

 

Patents are good for 20 years.

 

Wow, interesting. So Chevy, Ford , and the rest of the bunch copied Buick.

 

A lot of the auto makers copied Buick, and Buick was at the forefront in performance, especially the Turbo Regals in ‘86/‘87, but does Buick get any credit for rekindling the performance market with a Turbo V6, sequential injection, distributorless ignition, inter cooling……NOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

The US car industry doesn't get the credit it deserves. Example: An Australian car journalist giving BMW the credit for the first production turbo. Though they were late to the party on halogens and disc brakes.

 

Are the hands of the German soldier all bloody?