The Automotive Dream “One man and his dream had not simply left the world with an engine and four wheels; Henry Ford and his Model T had influenced people's everyday lives - where they lived, how they spent their leisure time, even how they viewed themselves.” - Gary...
Chevrolet: How Did It All Start?
Written by Irina
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From Drama to Success
“A car for every purse and every purpose” – Chevrolet motto
You might wonder why bother to talk about Chevrolet on an antique car blog? We see them everyday, they’re not that special. Actually, Chevrolet is a brand that has been around for a very long time, and who’s founding story is worth retelling; it is full of plot twists and vengeance, but it is also a story of men that had dreams for the automobile industry.
For many years, Chevrolet was the world’s biggest seller of automobiles with some of the cars it produced becoming icons on their own. (Have you heard of the Corvette, anyone?) Chevrolet’s cultural impact is also undeniable, it has been immortalized in songs like “American Pie” by Don McLean, and movies like Drive, starring Ryan Gosling. So here’s how it all started:
The Men that Started it All
The beginning of the Chevrolet story actually starts at General Motors. In 1910, William C. Durant was fired from the company he helped create in 1908 due to financial issues. Immediately, he started plotting his return to the automobile industry. Partnering with Louis Chevrolet, a Swiss-born mechanic and charismatic race car driver that immigrated to the United States, he created the Chevrolet Motor Car Company in 1911.
Durant believed that using the Chevrolet name would give the new brand a leg up as Louis had an existing reputation for his racing. In 1912, the new Chevrolet Motor Car Company introduced its first car, inspired by Durant but designed by Chevrolet.
The partnership didn’t last long though, as Durant had an eye on Ford and the mass market while Chevrolet wanted to produce higher end, race-inspired cars. Chevrolet sold his shares and his name to Durant in 1913. He would go on with his life without meeting much commercial success and would die in poverty in 1941. On the other hand, Durant leveraged the Chevrolet brand and produced more and more cars.
The Bow Tie
Interestingly, the origin of Chevrolet’s logo, introduced in 1914, is as chaotic as the rest of the story. Chaotic, because it is unclear where exactly it comes from and many competing stories are told. Some sources claim that the motif of the bow tie has always fascinated Durant since he first saw it on the wallpaper of a Paris hotel room. His wife has been reported to say that Durant actually saw it in a Virginia News paper. Others claim that it was Louis Chevrolet that saw it on the wallpaper in Paris, or that it is a stretched out Swiss cross to commemorate his heritage. No matter the origin, it is one of the most recognizable logos today.
Plots Twists
While the Chevrolet brand was becoming successful, Durant did not forget GM. In 1917 he regained his position as president of GM by buying GM stock. Although a simplification of the facts, it is Chevrolet that acquired GM, not the other way around. Durant’s victory lap was short lived as he was kicked out once more in 1919. Although unable to maintain his position at GM and Chevrolet, Durant persevered in the automotive field. The Chevrolet and GM brands grew to immense proportions without the help of William Durant or Louis Chevrolet.
Chevrolet’s Rise to the Top
Durant wanted to position Chevrolet as the main rival to Ford, and this ambition continued after Durant’s exit. An incredible race between Chevrolet’s early models and Ford’s famous Model T would ensue. For a while, Chevrolet was catching up to Ford and the two rivals alternated being the top producer with Ford winning one year and Chevrolet the next, until Chevrolet decisively took over the lead in the American market.
Chevrolet’s rate of growth was spectacular, by 1927, it sold over a million cars. Seven years later, in 1934, it sold its ten millionth car, and it took only 5 years to sell its fifteen millionth car in 1939. By the 1950s, it was offering an extensive catalog of models from trucks, to everyday utilitarians to their own sports car (the Corvette). True to its motto: Chevrolet offered all kinds of cars at all prices.
From 1936 to 1976, Chevrolet was the biggest seller on the American market, and for many years, it was the largest car producer in the world. Chevrolet’s fifty millionth car was a Bel Air Sport that left the line in 1954 and the 1960s were characterized by Chevrolet regularly having two-million-a-year production years. In 2007, one in every 16 cars in the world was a Chevrolet.
What Now?
Chevrolet is no longer the number one producer in the world, but its impact on popular culture is undeniable. We hope that you find the Chevrolet saga as fascinating as we do! It is easy to forget how huge corporations like Chevrolet and GM started from the dreams and ambitions of ordinary men, fruits of their talents and their limitations. Don’t miss next week’s blog on one of Chevrolet’s most iconic contributions to the automotive industry: the Corvette.
