Chevrolet Motor Company
1911 - 1913
In late 1910 William Durant lost control of General Motors, and was eager to rebuild his empire. The Buick racing team also lost factory support, so in early 1911 Durant recruited Louis Chevrolet to start a new automobile company in Detroit. Durant respected Louie’s talents as an engineer, but also valued his name. Chevrolet had earned a national reputation as a race car driver, and Durant wanted to capitalize on this fame. Durant believed the Chevrolet name evoked power & strength, and also had the ambiance of European sophistication. Louis spent much of 1911 developing a working prototype, and Durant was hard at work attracting new investors. Durant’s goal was to build an economical car that could compete head to head with the Ford Model T. Louis finished the prototype in fall of 1911, and it was a beautiful 6-cylinder luxury car. While Louie's "Classic Six" was a finely crafted automobile, it was also expensive, and did not exactly fit Durant’s business plans for the future.
In 1912 the Chevrolet Motor Company went through a rapid period of expansion and capitalization. However the Classic Six automobile which Louis designed did not enter production until the last month of the year. The car formally hit the automobile show circuit in January 1913, and Louis traveled around the country promoting the new vehicle. The car was not a big seller, and researchers believe that fewer than 500 units were actually produced. By the summer of 1913 Durant decided to move the company to Flint Michigan with the intent of mass producing inexpensive cars. At this point in time Louie’s role in the organization was diminished, and the future of the company seemed somewhat risky. Mr. Chevrolet and Mr. Durant ultimately parted ways in the fall of 1913.
Very few records exist on the early years of the Chevrolet Motor Company. It appears that documents were not adequately retained when the company moved its base of operations from Detroit to Flint. Perhaps records were hastily discarded during the transition process. Below are a handful of rare documents that have survived, and that chronicle the birth of one of the most important companies in U.S. history.
3/04/11 - Detroit, Michigan
Louis Chevrolet invites Peter MacGregor
to work on "New" automobile
(Peter MacGregor Collection)
Spring 1911 - Detroit, Michigan
Louis lives at the New Brunswick Hotel,
also home of Wolverine Automobile Club
(Wayne State University)
Spring/Summer 1911 - Detroit, Mich
Louis Chevrolet rents space at
Schulte Garage to work on new car
(Kettering University Archives)
Circa 1911 - Detroit, Michigan
Corcoran Lamp Co. Factory leased to
the Chevrolet Motor Company
(Detroit Public Library)
11/02/11 - Detroit, Michigan
Chevrolet Motor Company files
Articles of Association
(Archives of Michigan)
11/08/11 - Detroit, Michigan
Louis Chevrolet signs
waiver to stockholder meeting
(Pinky Randall Collection)
11/15/11 - Detroit, Michigan
Payroll Ledger for the
Chevrolet Motor Company
(Henry Winterhoff Collection)
12/01/11 - Detroit, Michigan
Louis Chevrolet signs waiver to right
in increase of capital stock
(Pinky Randall Collection)
12/01/11 - Detroit, Michigan
William Little signs subscription
to capital stock
(General Motors Heritage Center)
Summer 1912 - Flint, Michigan
Chevrolet Motor Co. acquires new plant,
formerly the Imperial Wheel Company
(Sloan Museum)
11/12/12 - Detroit, Michigan
List of stockholders of the
Chevrolet Motor Company
(Pinky Randall Collection)
1913 - Detroit, Michigan
Republic Motor Co. sales pamphlet with
Deam Wetmore article on new Chevrolet
(Ken Kaufmann Collection)
2/03/13 - Detroit, Michigan
Dallas Dort writes to William Durant
about financial matters of Chevrolet Co.
(General Motors Heritage Center)
Circa 1913 - Detroit, Michigan
Lubrication Chart for the
Classic Six Chevrolet
(Sloan Museum)
Circa 1913 - Detroit, Michigan
Sales Pamphlet for the
Chevrolet Motor Company
(Ken Kaufmann Collection)
Circa 1913 - Detroit, Michigan
Chevrolet Classic Six
Sales Brochure
(Vintage Chevrolet Club of America)
5/21/13 - Detroit, Michigan
Special meeting called for directors
of the Chevrolet Motor Company
(General Motors Heritage Center)
6/02/13 - Detroit, Michigan
Stockholders waive right to
new issue of 500,000 preffered shares
(General Motors Heritage Center)
6/09/13 - Detroit, Michigan
Stockholders of Chevrolet Motor Co.
vote on issue of preferred shares
(General Motors Heritage Center)
6/11/13 - Detroit, Michigan
Little Motor Company stockholders
surrender shares for Chevrolet stock
(General Motors Heritage Center)
July 1913 - Detroit, Michigan
Shares of Chevrolet stock exchanged
for shares of Mason Motor Co. stock
(General Motors Heritage Center)
7/02/13 - Detroit, Michigan
Letter of recommendation for
Gus Dolchrist, signed by Louis Chevrolet
(Dolchrist Family Collection)
7/10/13 - Detroit, Michigan
William Durant resigns as president
of the Chevrolet Motor Company
(General Motors Heritage Center)
7/10/13 - Detroit, Michigan
Tools & equipment of Chevrolet Co. being sold to Sterling Motor Company
(General Motors Heritage Center)
9/16/13 - Detroit, Michigan
Louis Chevrolet resigns position
with Chevrolet Motor Company
(Atlanta Constitution)
9/29/13 - New York City
William Durant files Trademark for use
of the "Chevrolet" name
(National Archives)
