GENERAL MOTOR’S PREMIER DIVISION BEARS HIS NAME, BUT WHO WAS LOUIS CHEVROLET? Louis Chevrolet, the General Motors Company, which he man who gave his founded in 1908. name to the world’s Durant hired Louis and his brother most popular and Arthur to join the staff at Buick. Buick famous American had a reliable, overhead valve en- car was a self-taught gine and Mr. Durant wanted to enter engineer and famous Buick’s in motor racing to demon- racecar driver. Every- strate their power and durability, and body knows about the gain publicity for the company. Du- Chevrolet Company, rant hired the Chevrolet’s to design but the story of the and build Buick racecars. Working performance. Later, overhead cam versions first Chevrolet’s with Buick engineers they developed the “Buick of the head were built as well. By 1917 he had designer and Chevrolet’s namesake is not so Bugs” which they and Buick driver Bob Burman a new and very advanced racing machine, well known. raced successfully for several years. complete with an aluminum engine block, but he lacked the resources to build it. Louis-Joseph Chevrolet was born on Christmas Durant lost control of GM to the banks in 1910 day, 1878, in the Swiss town La Chauz-de- and in order to capitalize on the famous driver- Seeking a regular paycheck, Chevrolet signed Fonds. He was the second son of Joseph- engineers name, Durant hired Chevrolet and on as vice-president and chief engineer for Felicien Chevrolet who worked as a watch- formed the Chevrolet Motor Company. Durant a new company called the American Motors maker and farmer. Louis Chevrolet showed wanted Chevrolet to design and build him a car Corporation. He helped develop their American mechanical talent at an early age. He worked from the ground up. Beauty but when development got under way on and raced motorcycles successfully until he his services were deemed expendable and his discovered cars. He became a mechanic in the Durant had planned a small lightweight car services no longer needed. pioneering French auto industry and jumped to compete with the Model “T” Ford but when He was then hired by the Monroe Company to from job to job gaining valuable experience until the new car was finished in 1911 and went to build a racecar for Indianapolis. He updated he decided to leave Switzerland and seek his production in 1912 it was much heavier and his Frontenac racer and with his brother Gaston fortune. more expensive than he had planned. Louis at the controls, won the 1920 Indianapolis 500. had designed and built the Chevrolet Six Type C Even with the prestige of the Indianapolis win In 1900, at age 22, Chevrolet moved to Montreal Classic with a 120 inch wheelbase, a 299 cubic Chevrolet was unable to secure backing for and took a job as a chauffer, which in those inch engine and a price tag of $2150.00 which in Frontenac Motors and the company went bank- days meant being a mechanic as well as a those days was out of the reach of anyone but rupt with many cars still on the design table. driver. He worked as a chauffer for six months the truly wealthy. Chevrolet felt that his name before going to New York, his ultimate destina- did not belong on a car for the masses but only Chevrolet turned to boat racing and won the tion. When he arrived he took a job with the on a big impressive automobile. Durant was Miami Regatta in 1925. In 1929 Louis and American Headquarters of Dedion in Brooklyn. less than pleased as he realized he needed to Arthur left the auto business altogether to form He went to work for Fiat shortly thereafter and produce cheaper cars they could sell at high the Chevrolet Brothers Aircraft Company with became involved with auto racing. volume to be truly successful. Chevrolet felt a new engine of their design but they lost the his talents would be wasted on such a car and business to Glenn L. Martin. Finally, in 1934, Mr. Chevrolet won his first race on a cinder track resigned in October of 1913. He was so upset out of charity and moral obligation towards the in Morris Park, New York on May 20th, 1905. he sold off all the stocks and securities he got man who gave their best-selling car it’s name, This Muscular young Frenchman was well from forming the company with Durant as well. General Motors put Louis on the payroll. Louis suited to driving the rough-riding race cars of retired in 1938 due to illness and died in 1941 the day and Chevrolet demonstrated a fearless Durant continued to put the Chevrolet name after complications from a leg operation forced talent on the track. His fame began to spread on many of his cars and developed his desired a complete amputation. Louis was 63. when he beat the legendary Barry Oldfield three light car from Mason Motor Company and Little times that 1905 season. Motor Car Company designs, two companies he Louis is buried in Indianapolis, not Detroit. There had acquired while Chevrolet was developing is a bronze bust of him that greets you as you In addition to his driving skills Chevrolet was de- the Six Type C. Durant re-organized General climb the steps to enter the Speedway Museum veloping into a respected self-taught engineer. Motors in 1933 with Chevrolet as it’s leading at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A tribute He left Fiat in 1906 to work with Walter Christie, division. Louis Chevrolet would have become to his mechanical genius and his contributions the American front wheel drive pioneer, on a a millionaire many times over had he kept his to early motor Christie passenger car as well as a Durralq-En- stock. sports. gined land speed car which Chevrolet drove to a record 119 MPH. After he resigned from the Chevrolet Motor *Special Thanks Company, Louis formed the Frontenac Motor to Jerry Powell In 1907, Chevrolet’s success as an innovator, Corporation and began producing cylinder of Conyers, GA designer, mechanic and driver attracted the heads that converted the Model T Ford four- for sending us attention of W.C. Durant, a millionaire carriage cylinder engine to overhead valves. These the idea for this maker from Flint Michigan who had acquired “Fronty” heads were successful on the road story!! control of the Buick Motor Company in 1904. and track and thousands were sold to Model T Story written by He would use Buick as the cornerstone of the owners eager to give the old Tin Lizzy some real Bill Roche Danchuk . “There’s No Comparison” 5.