Brothers Louis, Arthur and Gaston Chevrolet
migrated to the US from their native Switzerland
as young men. Having worked for Mors, Louis was
able to find plenty of work in the automotive
industry, at the same time garnering a reputation
as one of the countries leading race drivers.
Building his own racer based on Buick running
gear, the car would catch the attention of William
Durant, founder (but no longer owner) of General
Motors. The two quickly formed a partnership,
which led to the development of the Classic Six
in 1911.
Some 3000 had been manufactured by 1912,
their popularity encouraging Chevrolet and Durant
to expand their line-up, the Little Four based
on Durant’s own Little Runabout, the first
to carry the now familiar blue-and-white badge,
while a single seat version was aptly called
the Royal Mail.
Forming the Chevrolet Aircraft
Corporation with brother Arthur, Louis would
have little to do with the company that bore
his name, apart from a brief spell in the 1930’s,
and would die in almost total obscurity in 1941.
In the meantime the Chevrolet company had gone
from strength to strength, first acquiring the
Maxwell Motor Company factory in New York in
1914, then releasing the incredibly popular 490 – with
a for the time bargain basement price of, you
guessed it, $490.
By 1916 the company had manufactured
70,000 vehicles, and was quickly becoming a real
challenger for Ford. In 1919 the company was
absorbed by General Motors, who helped bolster
production to almost 150,000. The depression
would take its toll on the company, Chevrolet
boss Pierre S. DuPont ignoring a consultants
report to close the company, and helping it emerge
from the depression in better financial shape
than most.
The post-war Bel Air was responsible
for the company’s dominance of the US highways
through the 1950’s, while the Corvette
was every bit the match for the Ford Thunderbird.
The one bump in the road came courtesy of investigative
journalist Ralph Nader, his book Unsafe at Any
Speed bringing about the demise of the Corvair,
but being merely a blip on the radar of the now
global giant.
1953 - 1954
Sports car sales got off to a shakey start in the US after World War 2. Understandably, many had postponed family plans, and so the resultant baby-boom made the family car a top seller, and the sports car remained a mere whimsy for the wealthy. More
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1955 - 1957
By the end of 1956 only 3,467 Corvette's had been manufactured, in comparison with over 15,000 Ford Thunderbirds. But the direction of the Thunderbird was about to change, the decision to make it a "personal car", somewhere between a sports car and a family car, would make it easier for the Corvette to wrest the mantle of being America's favourite sports car. More
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1954 - 1957
The 1950's are synonymous with young Americans enjoying
rock 'n' roll, drive-in movies and cars that were fast
and affordable. The Chevrolet Bel Air became one of the
most popular American cars ever because of its unique
style, engine modifications and affordable price. More
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1959 - 1969
Controversy surrounded early Corvairs culminating in
Ralph Nader to publish a book entitled "Unsafe at any Speed"
which resulted in a change in government regulations
and safety that continues even today. More>>
1959 - 1973
Many consider it unfair that the El Camino is so readily
associated with ethnic and class stereotypes. Australia
may be the birth place of the utility, but for the US
market it was the Ford Ranchero and Chevy El Camino that
introduced the notion of a vehicle offering car like comfort
combined with truck like carrying capabilities. More
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1961 - 1964
Most noticeable on the 61 Impala was the lack of tail
fins, however the options fitted to the SS and the enormous
size of the 6704cc V8 were what really put the car ahead
of its time. More>>
1963 - 1967
The Corvette Stingray was introduced in 1963 and like
its predecessors had a fibreglass body but with styling
that was all new with a mixture of muscled haunches and
chiselled edges that resulted in unique appeal. More>>
1967 - 1969
The Ford Mustang can be credited with forcing other US
car manufacturers to design and manufacture cars with
personality and design flair. The AMC Javelin, Plymouth
Barracuda and the now infamous Chevy Camaro were all created
in response to the incredible popularity of the Mustang!
More>>
1967 - 1969
Today, even the most ill-informed know the Z-28 designation referred to an engine option, a 302.4 cu. in., 290-hp V8, the heart of a sedan racing package. The option added US$437.10 to the Camaro's $2572.00 base price, but additional mandatory options, such as power disc brakes (front) and a four-speed close-ratio Muncie transmission, brought the sticker price up to a minimum of $3314.60. More>>
1970 - 1972
Equipped with all the creature comforts possible at the
time, and finished with a Walnut dashboard to enhance
its classy image, the car was most at home when cruising
the highways. More>>
1980 - 1985
In order to contain the threat General Motors invested the unprecedented sum of 2.7 billion dollars in their 'X-Car' project. It was rated a worthwhile investment as it was estimated the new-generation cars would ultimately represent 60 per cent of the US market. More>>
