It might not be totally unfair to say that the early rallying cry of Chevrolet could have been “I’ll show you, you bastards!”. Let me explain.
We Don’t Need You No More!
William Durant, founder of General Motors, had been ousted from the young GM by his financial backers in 1910, just two years after its founding. He was going to take GM back, and he founded Chevrolet to do just that.
Durant envisioned the manufacture and marketing of a light, ‘French type’ car, and he partnered with Louis Chevrolet toward this end. Louis was a known name, being an early designer and auto racer. It’s not clear just how much Chevrolet was valued for his expertise or for his name.
Durant founded the Little Motor Car Company in 1911 to manufacture small cars, with the intent of creating a more immediate cash flow. In the summer of 1912 the $650 Little arrived, but there was not yet a Chevrolet. Louis Chevrolet was taking his time developing his car, and when it arrived it was not the light ‘French type’ car originally desired. He would have to price this car at $2,250, well away from his target price range, and the car was described as ‘sturdy’ and ‘ponderous’. It didn’t sell well. The 299 cubic inch engine would be Chevrolet’s largest engine until the 348 came along!
Durant pulled all of his companies under the umbrella of Chevrolet and returned to Flint, where he was still held in high esteem. Louis Chevrolet sensed he wasn’t wanted and became a key player with Frontenac in Indianapolis. This venture (1921 – ’25) resulted in very few cars manufactured, and the inevitable bankruptcy.
The First Successful Chevrolets
1916 saw the introduction of the Chevrolet 490, with a price of $490. This was also the price of the current Ford Model T. Henry Ford wouldn’t stand for that and lowered the price of the ‘T’. He could bury Chevrolet with his more efficient manufacturing processes. Regardless, Chevrolet sold an admirable number of cars.
Durant was quietly buying blocks of General Motors stock and by September 16, 1915 Durant was again in control of GM. This was the seventh anniversary of his founding of GM.
Durant’s Final Chapter
Billy Durant, ever the optimist, went on a buying spree, something for which he was well known. The post-WWI depression made this an unwise move, and Durant once and forever lost GM to his investors. He went on to found Durant Motors, with production from 1921 to 1932. Intense competition, poor market conditions and the Great Depression ended Durant Motors. William Durant would die in 1947, with his final business venture being a hair tonic!
