Turns out, doctors don’t just drive Buicks.
For a long time, Buick was described as the “doctor’s car.” Were that true, it was a good choice. Buick’s were possessed of some status, as well as luxury, but weren’t overly flashy or expensive. I would have guessed that most doctors drove a Lexus crossover of some sort, for the same reasons that people once ascribed Buicks to physicians.
What Doctors Drive
But according to a 2021 study conducted by Medscape, these are the vehicle brands most commonly owned by America’s healers:
While I’m sort of surprised by the mainstream brands at the top of this list, I’m also a little impressed. I think I’d like to know that my doctor is the practical and fiscally conservative type. Collected here are eight car ads from different eras featuring/celebrating doctors. The range from the truly practical (Hyundai) to the truly opulent (Imperial). Sadly, we couldn’t find a Buick ad featuring a physician. Maybe next time.
1906 Maxwell
Fun Fact: Money
Even a well-paid physician might balk at the price of this Maxwell. The advertised price of $1350 comes to more than $50,000 today. And that’s for a car with just two seats, and very little protection from the environment.
1942 Mobilgas
Fun Fact: Maintenance
while spark plugs generally last more than 100,000 miles today, they needed to be “regapped” every 5000 miles or so back in the Forties. Oil changes came sooner, too. Most cars required new oil every 1000-2000 miles.
1944 DeSoto
Fun Fact: World War II
Note that this ad doesn’t actually depict a car, and includes a line encouraging readers to purchase war bonds. American auto production ceased in February of 1942, and resumed in October of 1945. Most U.S. auto factories were put to use producing war materiel.
1948 Ford
Fun Fact: Post-War Boom
After the war, demand for new cars was so great, automakers had no time to redesign their productions. This ’48 Ford is nearly identical to the 1942 model. Ford would update its cars for the 1949 model year.
1957 Ford
Fun Fact: Sales
While the 1957 Chevrolet gets all the nostalgia love, the 1957 Ford actually racked up sales. The sales race was close, however, 1,522,406 to 1,515,177.
1962 Imperial
Fun Fact: Luxury
Imperial was alternately a stand-alone brand and a Chrysler model. 1n 1962 it was its own brand, and size and priced to compete directly with
2025 Hyundai Creta N Line
Fun Fact: Doctor Day
National Doctors’ Day in India is celebrated annually on July 1 to honor the contributions of doctors, and all healthcare professionals. We suspect it is more common to buy a doctor lunch that day than to make a gift of an automobile.
2025 Volkswagen Tiguan
Fun Fact: Money
Because of the rupee’s relative low unit value, major purchases in India are often conducted in “lakhs.” There are 100,000 rupees to the lakh. At current exchange rates a lakh comes in at about $1100, putting the Tiguan in the ad above at a little under $55,000.
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Doctors in Classic Car Ads Pictures
Click below for enlarged images