Flint Wagon Works

Flint Wagon Works of Flint, Michigan, manufactured wagons from the early 1880s. One of the world's most successful horse-drawn vehicle makers they formed with their Flint neighbors a core of the American automobile industry. In 1905 Flint was promoting itself as Flint the Vehicle City. The former site is now located in the neighborhood of Flint known as "Carriagetown".

Flint Wagon Works brought the automotive industry to Flint by buying David Dunbar Buick's Detroit business and moving it to Flint.

Overburdened with debt and litigation Flint Wagon Works shareholders sold their business to William C. Durant as of October 12, 1911. Durant took the useful parts of the business and began to manufacture Little automobiles. Sales were hindered by poor quality product and their unappealing brandname and Durant put Little into Chevrolet in 1913. After GM assumed operations, it became the manufacturing location of what later became Chevrolet Flint Manufacturing.

Their business became the second of Flint's "Big Three" wagon builders following William A. Paterson's founded by Paterson in 1869. The third new business was founded in the mid 1880s, William C. Durant's Flint Road Cart Company later renamed Durant-Dort Carriage Company. Their main competitor was the South Bend, Indiana, Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company. The following numbers were reported in April 1904:

Believing buyers of their farm wagons would be interested in buying many more Buick stationary engines Flint Wagon Works bought existing supplier David Buick's business, Buick Motor Company, in September 1903 for its stationary and marine engines and its plans to manufacture automobile motors and transmissions. Flint Wagon Works built a suitable new building on the opposite side of West Kearsley Street. Some cars were built with these engines and sold with the brand name Whiting-Buick (after chairman James H Whiting). The first production Buick cars were built in that building in 1904.

Flint Wagon Works dissolved the old Buick Motor Company and incorporated a wholly new entity, The Buick Motor Company, on January 29, 1904. Its initial capital stock of $37,500 in shares of $10 each was owned by: David Buick, 1,500; James H. Whiting 610 (and 978 as trustee = 1,588); George L. Walker 590; and William S. Ballenger 72. James H Whiting to be manager. Reported as 40 percent to David Buick and 60 percent to Flint Wagon Works stockholders. Later Charles Cumings and Charles M. Begole joined the other shareholders.

The first completed car — a Model B — was begun May 20, 1904, on the road by the beginning of July and delivered to a Dr Herbert Hills of Flint July 27, 1904.

The Buick shareholders persuaded William C. Durant to take on its management. The capital was increased to $300,000 at the beginning of November 1904 when Durant took control. Begole replaced Whiting as president, Ballenger was secretary, Whiting remained a director and Durant joined them on the board of directors. In September 1905 a further $300,000 of capital was invested in cash and in addition more shares were issued to Durant in payment for $268,000 worth of patentable inventions and other property introduced by him. Durant moved manufacture to the former plant of Imperial Wheel in Jackson, assembly remained in Flint where the bodies were made by Flint Wagon Works.