I thought it would be interesting to tell the story behind some of our country’s most famous car brands. It’s always cool to know where your products are coming from — especially the big ticket items like cars! So I did some research and found some fascinating things about the history of brands like Hyundai, Chevrolet, Toyota and more.
First up: Chevrolet! Read on to learn more about this brand that is more than 100 years old!
Chevrolet: an American brand
Swiss immigrant, auto engineer and road racer Louis Chevrolet founded Chevrolet with Billy Durant (General Motors founder) in Detroit, Michigan in November 1911.
Durant had been around the block in the automotive world, and had also previously worked with Buick Motor Company, where he’d hired Louis Chevrolet to drive Buicks in promotional races. Chevrolet’s reputation as a racer was what launched Chevrolet Motors to success.
Moving into production
Louis Chevrolet designed the first model for the brand, the Series C Classic Six. In 1913, the car finally went into production and was introduced at the New York Auto show that year.
However, the famous bow-tie Chevrolet logo didn’t show up until the 1914 models went into production. It’s argued that the emblem is designed after some French wallpaper, the Swiss cross or the “Coalettes” brand logo. Nobody knows, to this day!
The company grows
Durant sold his share in the company in 1915, but the company continued to flourish and they began competing with other famous American brands like Ford.
The Corvette model was wildly successful in the 1950s, and remains so to this day!
In 2011, Chevrolet hit a global sales record by selling 4.76 million vehicles worldwide. It’s consistently one of the top three automotive brands in the United States, bringing us models we have all come to know and love, like the Tahoe, Silverado, Camaro, and good ol’ family Suburban.
Chevrolet is coming up with innovative technology for cars in the modern age…I can’t wait to see what they come up with next!
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