Buick, GMs low-key semi-luxury brand, is suddenly hot | [Video]

(CNN) — In its earliest days Buick had a reputation for engineering innovation and raw speed. Swiss-born race driver Louis Chevrolet made his name, in part, driving Buicks on race tracks around the country.

In the 21st Century, though, Buick, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, has been a quiet spot in GM’s North American brand strategy. It’s long been popular in China where, despite increasing competition, it still sells far more vehicles than in the US. Not quite a luxury brand but not quite mainstream either, Buick offers luxury style at bargain prices. Recently, with some fresh designs, car shoppers have started noticing and sales have rocketed upward.

Last year, Buick sales rose more than 60% in the US compared to 2022. Things cooled off somewhat this year compared to a white-hot 2023, but sales were up again in the first quarter of 2024. Buick is one of the fast …