Who Founded Chevrolet?
The Swiss-French bicycle mechanic and auto racer Louis Chevrolet and William Durant, an American entrepreneur and founder of General Motors, founded the Chevrolet automobile in 1911. While a superb engineer, Chevrolet possessed marginal business sense and lost considerable money in his venture. Yet, when Chevrolet was acquired by General Motors in 1917, it became one of America's most successful automobile companies of the 20th century.
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History
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Chevrolet grew up in the Burgundy region of France and worked at several auto manufacturing companies before moving to New York to enter road-racing competitions. By teaming with Durant, who was forced out of GM in 1910 and wanted to rebuild his reputation, Chevrolet found a businessman knowledgeable in the mechanics of setting up production.
Significance
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The Chevrolet automobile became the signature marque of General Motors, the largest automaker in the world for nearly 100 years.
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Function
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The Chevrolet is still marketed as a mid-size and compact passenger vehicle priced to attract the middle-class consumer.
Types
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Chevy offered in its history the pickup truck, the truck-based Suburban passenger vehicle, the mid-size Bel Air, Impala and Malibu, the compact Corvair and Vega, the Camaro and panel vans.
Features
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Chevrolet's first car in 1912 was the $2,150, six-cylinder tourer that featured a counterbalanced crankshaft, a floor-mounted gearshift and an emergency brake placed under the dashboard.
Effects
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Louis Chevrolet never capitalized on his company's success after leaving the company in 1914 in a disagreement with Durant, yet Durant reaped the benefits of Chevrolet's engineering prowess.
Fun Fact
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To honor its namesake founder, the son of a watchmaker, Chevrolet launched in 2007 the "Frontenac" watch collection, named after the race car company founded by Louis Chevrolet.
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Resources
- Photo Credit General Motors
Comments
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Chevrolet Motor Company of Canada started in 1915 in Oshawa and today builds Chevrolet Camaro , McLaughlin Car Company purchased shares in Chevrolet in 1912 and merged both companies in 1918 to become General Motors of Canada Limited.
