1909 Buick Racer (Cactus Derby/Great American Race Participant)

A 1909 Buick Model 16 Racer arriving at the 2019 Holiday Motor Excursion presented by the Horseless Carriage Club (HCCA) of Southern California. This car was originally owned by brothers Henley and Boyd Ellis who entered it in the 1913 "Cactus Derby" (Los Angeles to Phoenix Road Race), where they finished in seventh place after stopping to help another driver. Currently owned by the Holland family in Orange County, CA, the car was restored in 1983 and has participated numerous times in the Great American Race (a.k.a. Great Race), including at the inaugural event from Los Angeles to Indianapolis in 1983.

Racing has always been in the blood of mankind. Long before cars existed, people were racing with horses, chariots, and pretty much anything that could get you from one point to another. So it's not surprising that even in the very early days of the automobile, people were already building race cars. This car has pretty much nothing in common with anything in today's Buick lineup. It's a raw, brutal open two-seater built for the purpose of getting its occupants across the finish line before anybody else gets there. And over a century later, it still wows crowds. You can't say that about any modern Buick. As America's oldest surviving automaker, the brand certainly has a rich heritage - one which includes several successful performance cars (most notably the popular Grand National). Let's hope that one day it will return to its roots with another car built for racing!

Do you think Buick should return to building race cars? Leave a comment on YouTube and let me know!