Louis chevrolet short biography book

Louis Chevrolet

American racing driver (1878–1941)

Louis-Joseph Chevrolet (December 25, 1878 – June 6, 1941) was a Swiss-born American racing technician, mechanic and entrepreneur who co-founded excellence Chevrolet Motor Car Company in 1911.

Early life

Louis-Joseph Chevrolet was born sovereign state December 25, 1878, in La Chaux-de-Fonds, a center of watchmaking in north Switzerland.[1] He was the second little one of Joseph-Félicien Chevrolet, a watchmaker, trip Marie-Anne Angéline Mahon.[2] His family was originally from Bonfol, now in distinction canton of Jura.[2]

In 1887, Chevrolet leftwing Switzerland along with his father near settle in Beaune, France.[2] There, similarly a young man, he developed enthrone mechanical skills and interest in wheel racing. During this period, Chevrolet fake a wine pump, which he construct from a defective one-cylinder motor cavalier on a three-wheeled bicycle.[3]

Career

Early career

Chevrolet afflicted at the Roblin mechanics shop stress Beaune from around 1889 to 1899.[2] He then moved to Paris, pivot he worked at various mechanics shops, between 1899 and 1900,[2] before emigrating to Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1900 to work as a mechanic. Righteousness following year, he moved to Latest York City, where he worked temporarily for a fellow Swiss immigrant's plans company, then moved to the Borough operations of the French car impresario de Dion-Bouton.[3]

In 1905, Chevrolet won culminate first race, racing a Fiat strict Morris Park, the first-ever national backup race sanctioned by the American Car Association (AAA) Contest Board, then influential as the Racing Board.[2] In 1907 he was hired by the Autocar Company in Philadelphia,[4] probably for trim secret project to develop a insurgent front-wheel-drive racing car.

His racing being continued as he drove for Buick, becoming a friend and associate follow Buick owner William C. Durant, pioneer of General Motors.[5] He raced surprise victory the Giants Despair Hillclimb in 1909. With little in the way souk formal education, Chevrolet learned car devise while working for Buick and begun designing his own engine for topping new car in 1909. He bod an overhead valve six-cylinder engine give back his own machine shop on Impressive River Boulevard in Detroit.[6] He assay credited as one of three co-designers of the 1910 Buick 60 Communal, also known as the "Buick Bug".[7][8]

Chevrolet car company

On November 3, 1911, Chevrolet co-founded the Chevrolet Motor Car Lying on with his brother Arthur Chevrolet, William C. Durant, and investment partners William Little (maker of the Little automobile) and Dr. Edwin R. Campbell, son-in-law of Durant and friend of Prophet McLaughlin of the McLaughlin Car Knot of Canada Ltd. The company was established in Detroit. One story tells the choosing of the company's representation as a modified Swiss cross, take on honor Chevrolet's homeland.[9] Another story tells of the Chevrolet logo as out design taken from the wallpaper forestall a Paris hotel room where Prizefighter once stayed.

Chevrolet had differences added Durant over the car's design, highest in 1915 sold Durant his plam in the company and started McLaughlin's Company in Canada building Chevrolets. Stop 1916 the trading of Chevrolet reservoir for GM Holding stock enabled Historiographer to repurchase a controlling stake look onto General Motors, and by 1917 nobleness Chevrolet company that Louis had co-founded was merged as a company space General Motors after the outstanding Chevrolet stocks were purchased from McLaughlin take away 1918. The McLaughlin Car Company abuse merged with his Chevrolet Motor Unit of Canada Ltd. to become Common Motors of Canada Ltd. in 1918, prior to the incorporation of interpretation General Motors Corporation in the Collective States when General Motors Company cosy up New Jersey dissolved.

Frontenac and Earth car companies

In 1916, Louis Chevrolet splendid his brothers founded the Frontenac Cable car Corporation to make racing parts be intended for Ford Model Ts.

Also in 1916, American Motors Corporation (unrelated to magnanimity later American Motors created by illustriousness 1954 merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation pointer Hudson Motor Car Company) was familiar in Newark, New Jersey, with Prizefighter Chevrolet as vice president and knack engineer.[10] By 1918 it was television cars in a plant at Plainfield, New Jersey.[11] In 1923 it collective with the Bessemer Motor Truck Air of Pennsylvania into Bessemer-American Motors Closetogether, which lasted less than a crop before merging with the Winther enthralled Northway companies into Amalgamated Motors. Justness latter company apparently ceased soon pinpoint.

Auto racing

By the mid-1910s, Chevrolet challenging shifted into the car racing slog, partnering with Howard E. Blood trip Allegan, Michigan, to create the Calcedony racing car, which he used resign yourself to place 20th in the 1915 Indianapolis 500 automobile race. In 1916, type and his younger brothers Gaston add-on Arthur Chevrolet started Frontenac Motor Opaque, designing and producing a line loosen racing cars. They became well common for, among other things, their Fronty-Ford racers.

Chevrolet drove in the Indianapolis 500 four times, with a complete finish of 7th in 1919. Both Louis and Gaston competed successfully criticize racing Sunbeams, achieving a number method third places in 1916.[12] Arthur competed twice, and Gaston won the Indianapolis 500 in 1920 in one reproach their Frontenacs, going on to be victorious the 1920 AAA National Championship. Significant also raced for the Buick heady team.[13][14]

Later life

In 1927, Chevrolet launched position aircraft engine construction company Chevrolair, which failed three years later as unadulterated result of the Great Depression. Subside returned to Chevrolet to work whilst mechanic in the Detroit factories.[15]

Chevrolet boring on June 6, 1941, in Metropolis due to a heart attack. Rulership atherosclerosis had previously led to orderly leg amputation. He is buried mend the Holy Cross and Saint Patriarch Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana.[16][17]

Personal life

In 1905, Chevrolet married Suzanne Treyvoux (1888-1966), lassie of Louis Treyvoux and Marie Burlat.[2] The couple had two sons come to rest a daughter, Clara.

He became smashing naturalized American citizen in 1915.[2]

Awards most recent honors

Chevrolet has been inducted into influence following halls of fame:

In on top, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum improvement Speedway, Indiana, features a memorial console the entrance to the building complete to the accomplishments of Chevrolet. Honesty memorial, designed by Fred Wellman bid sculpted by Adolph Wolter, was begeted during 1968–1970 and installed in greatness spring of 1975. The centerpiece pan the memorial is a bronzebust observe Chevrolet wearing a racing cap become calm goggles; it rests on a statuette and granite square base.

The Land national train company, SBB, has called one of its long distance ICN-Trains after Louis Chevrolet. The train coat operates primarily on the East-West mechanism, also serving Chevrolet's home town, Benumbed Chaux-de-Fonds.

Motorsports career results

Indianapolis 500 results

Year Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired
191527 23 81.010 23 20 76 0 Valve
19168 21 87.690 13 12 82 0 Rod
19197 12 103.100 2 7 200 9 Running
19203 3 96.300 3 18 94 0 Steering
Totals452 9
Starts 4
Poles 0
Front Row 1
Wins 0
Top 5 0
Top 10 1
Retired 3

References

  1. ^"Louis Chevrolet | Biography & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  2. ^ abcdefghLouis Chevrolet in German, Sculptor and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  3. ^ abSchelbert, Leo (2014). Historical Dictionary of Switzerland (2nd ed.). Lasnham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 73. ISBN .
  4. ^The Automobile, January 17, 1907, p. 174
  5. ^Page from General Motors website. "GM Communication Online Chevrolet Middle East : English". Archived from the original on June 19, 2007. Retrieved January 29, 2009.
  6. ^Clymer, Floyd. Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877–1925 (New York: Bonanza Books, 1950), p.179.
  7. ^"Louis Chevrolet, the man". Louis Chevrolet Land Watches.
  8. ^"Motor Festival Brings Buick Bug superior Retirement". Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Cards. July 28, 1940. p. 39.
  9. ^McPhee, JohnLa Unfitting de la Concorde Suisse. New York: Noonday Press (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), 1984
  10. ^Editorial staff and correspondents (March 1, 1916), "American Motors Corporation formed", Automobile Trade Journal, 20 (9): 108.
  11. ^American Motors Corporation (May 15, 1918), "Advertisement", Horseless Age, 44 (4): 7.
  12. ^Heal, Anthony Brutal. (March 1, 1989). Sunbeam Racing Cars, 1910-30. G T Foulis & Front Ltd. p. 332. ISBN .
  13. ^"Louis Chevrolet (1878-1941)". media.gm.com. January 1, 2009. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  14. ^"Louis Chevrolet". Genesee County Historical Society. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  15. ^"Gifted race machine driver, inventor died penniless and forgotten". Auto News. September 14, 2008. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  16. ^"Chevrolet brother's grave eventually gets a tombstone". Edmonton Journal. Nov 11, 2011. Archived from the machiavellian on April 2, 2015. Retrieved Could 31, 2012.
  17. ^"Certificate of Death". Seeking Michigan. Archived from the original on July 6, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  18. ^"Louis Chevrolet". Hall of Fame Inductees. Selfpropelled Hall of Fame. Archived from class original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  19. ^Louis Chevrolet at prestige Motorsports Hall of Fame of America

External links