Not many people can boast of owning a car that’s almost 100 years old, but Dennis Bonilla can. He is the proud owner of a 1914 Buick B-25 Touring car that’s probably the oldest car on the island. Buick can
Not many people can boast of owning a car that’s almost 100 years old, but Dennis Bonilla can. He is the proud owner of a 1914 Buick B-25 Touring car that’s probably the oldest car on the island.
Buick can rightfully say it’s the oldest continuous American marque. Scottish-born David Dunbar Buick founded the Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company in 1899, designing and manufacturing engines. The company started producing automobiles in 1903. William “Billy” Crapo Durant was named General Manager in 1904. Durant went on to create General Motors in 1908, which acquired Oldsmobile and Cadillac, and the rest is history. Durant, a high school dropout, started as a cigar salesman and eventually sold carriages before transitioning to the auto industry. In 1906, David Buick accepted a severance package, and due to a series of unsuccessful business ventures, died a near pauper in 1929.
Paperwork indicates Bonilla’s Buick was originally sold in 1913, but after contacting historians at a national Buick club, he learned of two features that were not found on Buick until 1914: left-hand drive and the electric starter. List price for the Buick B-25 Touring car was $1,050, while the same style of Model T Ford sold for only $550. In 1914, average household income was $628, so either vehicle represented a major expenditure for the average family. If you want to purchase a 1914 Buick now, there’s one for sale on the Internet for less than $39,000.
How did a Kaua‘i boy end up owning a car this old? Bonilla gives credit to the “coconut wireless.” The Buick was part of the extensive automobile collection of the late August Souza. A family member was selling off the estate’s collection, and several people had already made offers on the Buick. Bonilla heard about it, contacted the family and struck a deal.
The Buick was apparently a “Mainland car,” because it’s not rusted out like most older island cars. The vehicle’s “patina” is preserved with a healthy coat of auto wax. Bonilla believes the car was restored to nearly original condition, but that was some time ago. There are only three non-original items he has found: the upholstery, originally leather, is now vinyl, and the vehicle has painted wheels and pinstriping on both the body and wheels. Eventually, Bonilla plans to have the car repainted.
Under the hood, there’s a 22-horsepower, four-cylinder engine with an exposed valve mechanism. There’s no valve cover to hide the rocker arms and push rods. The starter is humongous. When Dennis took me for a ride out to Kukui‘ula Boat Harbor, the Buick purred along smoothly at 30 mph, with numerous observers giving a shaka or a thumbs up. After a photo shoot, Bonilla started the car with a hand crank just to show it can be done in an emergency. Despite having brakes on the rear wheels only, the car came to a panic-free stop.
Two very unusual items grace the back of the car. Unscrew the cap on the bottom of the taillight and there’s a wick in a small kerosene tank that provides energy for the light. The spare tire is an original item that has treads that spell out the brand name, NON-SKID.
It doesn’t get any better than this. A General Motors fan finds a “convertible” that fulfills one of his lifelong dreams and joins a GM stable mate — a 1948 Cadillac Sedanette in Bonilla’s ample garage. Oh, yeah — he has a nice 1930 Model A Ford Sedan, too, but as a GM man, he hesitates to bring it up.
• Wheels in Motion is a weekly feature showcasing interesting island vehicles and the unique people who own them. Email wheels@thegardenisland.com to suggest a vehicle to be in the spotlight.