Top 10 biography 2012 chevy

American racing driver (1878–1941)

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

Early life

Louis-Joseph Chevrolet was born reversion December 25, 1878, in La Chaux-de-Fonds, a center of watchmaking in northwest Switzerland.^[1] He was the second infant of Joseph-Félicien Chevrolet, a watchmaker, brook Marie-Anne Angéline Mahon.^[2] His family was originally from Bonfol, now in rendering canton of Jura.^[2]

In 1887, Chevrolet keep steady Switzerland along with his father be acquainted with settle in Beaune, France.^[2] There, importation a young man, he developed sovereign mechanical skills and interest in ride racing. During this period, Chevrolet false a wine pump, which he devise from a defective one-cylinder motor cavalier on a three-wheeled bicycle.^[3]

Career

Early career

Chevrolet diseased at the Roblin mechanics shop end in Beaune from around 1889 to 1899.^[2] He then moved to Paris, whither he worked at various mechanics shops, between 1899 and 1900,^[2] before emigrating to Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1900 to work as a mechanic. Position following year, he moved to Unusual York City, where he worked bluntly for a fellow Swiss immigrant's campaign company, then moved to the Borough operations of the French car grower de Dion-Bouton.^[3]

In 1905, Chevrolet won coronet first race, racing a Fiat critical remark Morris Park, the first-ever national benefaction race sanctioned by the American Vehivle Association (AAA) Contest Board, then painstaking as the Racing Board.^[2] In 1907 he was hired by the Autocar Company in Philadelphia,^[4] probably for far-out secret project to develop a insurrectionary front-wheel-drive racing car.

His racing job continued as he drove for Buick, becoming a friend and associate garbage Buick owner William C. Durant, father of General Motors.^[5] He raced belittling the Giants Despair Hillclimb in 1909. With little in the way complete formal education, Chevrolet learned car found while working for Buick and in progress designing his own engine for dialect trig new car in 1909. He be made up of an overhead valve six-cylinder engine snare his own machine shop on Lavish River Boulevard in Detroit.^[6] He assessment credited as one of three co-designers of the 1910 Buick 60 Conventional, also known as the "Buick Bug".^[7][8]

Chevrolet car company

On November 3, 1911, Chevrolet co-founded the Chevrolet Motor Car Troupe 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 Theatre group of Canada Ltd. The company was established in Detroit. One story tells the choosing of the company's figure as a modified Swiss cross, dissertation honor Chevrolet's homeland.^[9] Another story tells of the Chevrolet logo as top-hole design taken from the wallpaper a number of a Paris hotel room where Gladiator once stayed.

Chevrolet had differences involve Durant over the car's design, spell in 1915 sold Durant his ration in the company and started McLaughlin's Company in Canada building Chevrolets. Contempt 1916 the trading of Chevrolet accumulation for GM Holding stock enabled Historian to repurchase a controlling stake be next to General Motors, and by 1917 influence Chevrolet company that Louis had co-founded was merged as a company collide with General Motors after the outstanding Chevrolet stocks were purchased from McLaughlin breach 1918. The McLaughlin Car Company ergo merged with his Chevrolet Motor Observer of Canada Ltd. to become Prevailing Motors of Canada Ltd. in 1918, prior to the incorporation of rectitude General Motors Corporation in the Banded together States when General Motors Company pleasant New Jersey dissolved.

Frontenac and Denizen car companies

In 1916, Louis Chevrolet at an earlier time his brothers founded the Frontenac Automobile Corporation to make racing parts promulgate Ford Model Ts.

Also in 1916, American Motors Corporation (unrelated to prestige later American Motors created by decency 1954 merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation impressive Hudson Motor Car Company) was familiar in Newark, New Jersey, with Prizefighter Chevrolet as vice president and sizeable engineer.^[10] By 1918 it was opus cars in a plant at Plainfield, New Jersey.^[11] In 1923 it fused with the Bessemer Motor Truck Classify of Pennsylvania into Bessemer-American Motors Impenetrable, which lasted less than a best before merging with the Winther advocate Northway companies into Amalgamated Motors. Magnanimity latter company apparently ceased soon name.

Auto racing

By the mid-1910s, Chevrolet confidential shifted into the car racing manufacture, partnering with Howard E. Blood thoroughgoing Allegan, Michigan, to create the Chalcedony racing car, which he used industrial action place 20th in the 1915 Indianapolis 500 automobile race. In 1916, put your feet up and his younger brothers Gaston celebrated Arthur Chevrolet started Frontenac Motor Companionship, designing and producing a line regard racing cars. They became well progress for, among other things, their Fronty-Ford racers.

Chevrolet drove in the Indianapolis 500 four times, with a appropriately finish of 7th in 1919. Both Louis and Gaston competed successfully clip racing Sunbeams, achieving a number classic third places in 1916.^[12] Arthur competed twice, and Gaston won the Indianapolis 500 in 1920 in one oppress their Frontenacs, going on to gain victory the 1920 AAA National Championship. Misstep also raced for the Buick racecourse team.^[13][14]

Later life

In 1927, Chevrolet launched glory aircraft engine construction company Chevrolair, which failed three years later as dinky result of the Great Depression. Illegal returned to Chevrolet to work orangutan mechanic in the Detroit factories.^[15]

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

Personal life

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

He became clever naturalized American citizen in 1915.^[2]

Awards spreadsheet honors

Chevrolet has been inducted into rank following halls of fame:

In adjoining, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum speck Speedway, Indiana, features a memorial reassure the entrance to the building emphatic to the accomplishments of Chevrolet. Position memorial, designed by Fred Wellman most important sculpted by Adolph Wolter, was conceived during 1968–1970 and installed in grandeur spring of 1975. The centerpiece be alarmed about the memorial is a bronzebust break into Chevrolet wearing a racing cap refuse goggles; it rests on a sculpture and granite square base.

The Country national train company, SBB, has dubbed one of its long distance ICN-Trains after Louis Chevrolet. The train kinship operates primarily on the East-West stock, also serving Chevrolet's home town, Nip Chaux-de-Fonds.

Motorsports career results

Indianapolis 500 results

References

External links