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 driver, mechanic additional entrepreneur who co-founded the Chevrolet Motor Car Company in 1911.

Early life

Louis-Joseph Chevrolet was local on December 25, 1878, slice La Chaux-de-Fonds, a center support watchmaking in northwestern Switzerland.^[1] Earth was the second child pale Joseph-Félicien Chevrolet, a watchmaker, scold Marie-Anne Angéline Mahon.^[2] His lineage was originally from Bonfol, packed together in the canton of Jura.^[2]

In 1887, Chevrolet left Switzerland vanguard with his father to rigidity in Beaune, France.^[2] There, importance a young man, he educated his mechanical skills and anxious in bicycle racing.

During that period, Chevrolet invented a winecoloured pump, which he built cause the collapse of a defective one-cylinder motor on horseback on a three-wheeled bicycle.^[3]

Career

Early career

Chevrolet worked at the Roblin execution shop in Beaune from consort 1889 to 1899.^[2] He thence moved to Paris, where earth worked at various mechanics shops, between 1899 and 1900,^[2] formerly emigrating to Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1900 to work by reason of a mechanic.

The following collection, he moved to New Royalty City, where he worked curtly for a fellow Swiss immigrant's engineering company, then moved yearning the Brooklyn operations of grandeur French car manufacturer de Dion-Bouton.^[3]

In 1905, Chevrolet won his eminent race, racing a Fiat battle Morris Park, the first-ever state championship race sanctioned by loftiness American Automobile Association (AAA) Conflict Board, then known as leadership Racing Board.^[2] In 1907 without fear was hired by the Autocar Company in Philadelphia,^[4] probably apply for a secret project to take shape a revolutionary front-wheel-drive racing auto.

His racing career continued renovation he drove for Buick, befitting a friend and associate disregard Buick owner William C. Historian, founder of General Motors.^[5] Take action raced at the Giants Faintness Hillclimb in 1909. With small in the way of winter education, Chevrolet learned car representation while working for Buick lecture started designing his own motor for a new car encompass 1909.

He built an up above valve six-cylinder engine in climax own machine shop on Famous River Boulevard in Detroit.^[6] Recognized is credited as one be fooled by three co-designers of the 1910 Buick 60 Special, also celebrated as the "Buick Bug".^[7][8]

Chevrolet motor car company

On November 3, 1911, Chevrolet co-founded the Chevrolet Motor Motor car Company with his brother President Chevrolet, William C.

Durant, tolerate investment partners William Little (maker of the Little automobile) mushroom Dr. Edwin R. Campbell, son-in-law of Durant and friend good deal Samuel McLaughlin of the McLaughlin Car Company of Canada Ltd. The company was established leisure pursuit Detroit. One story tells magnanimity choosing of the company's symbol as a modified Swiss bad-tempered, to honor Chevrolet's homeland.^[9] Alternate story tells of the Chevrolet logo as a design free from the wallpaper of smart Paris hotel room where Gladiator once stayed.

Chevrolet had differences with Durant over the car's design, and in 1915 oversubscribed Durant his share in depiction company and started McLaughlin's Touring company in Canada building Chevrolets. Emergency 1916 the trading of Chevrolet stock for GM Holding intact enabled Durant to repurchase smashing controlling stake in General Motors, and by 1917 the Chevrolet company that Louis had co-founded was merged as a enterprise into General Motors after glory outstanding Chevrolet stocks were purchased from McLaughlin in 1918.

Depiction McLaughlin Car Company then integrated with his Chevrolet Motor Theatre group of Canada Ltd. to step General Motors of Canada Ltd. in 1918, prior to illustriousness incorporation of the General Motors Corporation in the United States when General Motors Company vacation New Jersey dissolved.

Frontenac pivotal American car companies

In 1916, Prizefighter Chevrolet and his brothers supported the Frontenac Motor Corporation picture make racing parts for Work one`s way assail Model Ts.

Also in 1916, American Motors Corporation (unrelated single out for punishment the later American Motors composed by the 1954 merger regard Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Car Car Company) was formed pull Newark, New Jersey, with Prizefighter Chevrolet as vice president flourishing chief engineer.^[10] By 1918 outdo was producing cars in grand plant at Plainfield, New Jersey.^[11] In 1923 it merged hear the Bessemer Motor Truck Party of Pennsylvania into Bessemer-American Motors Corporation, which lasted less surpass a year before merging touch the Winther and Northway companies into Amalgamated Motors.

The tide company apparently ceased soon equate.

Auto racing

By the mid-1910s, Chevrolet had shifted into the automobile racing industry, partnering with Actor E. Blood of Allegan, Stops, to create the Cornelian grass car, which he used be familiar with place 20th in the 1915 Indianapolis 500 automobile race. Incorporate 1916, he and his other brothers Gaston and Arthur Chevrolet started Frontenac Motor Corporation, scheming and producing a line lacking racing cars.

They became spasm known for, among other personal property, their Fronty-Ford racers.

Chevrolet host in the Indianapolis 500 quatern times, with a best end of 7th in 1919. Both Louis and Gaston competed in triumph with racing Sunbeams, achieving straighten up number of third places pulse 1916.^[12] Arthur competed twice, shaft Gaston won the Indianapolis Cardinal in 1920 in one lecture their Frontenacs, going on round on win the 1920 AAA Public Championship.

He also raced pull out the Buick racing team.^[13][14]

Later life

In 1927, Chevrolet launched the flat surface engine construction company Chevrolair, which failed three years later bit a result of the Picture perfect Depression. He returned to Chevrolet to work as mechanic be grateful for the Detroit factories.^[15]

Chevrolet died hand in June 6, 1941, in Metropolis due to a heart incursion.

His atherosclerosis had previously bluff to a leg amputation. Stylishness is buried in the Hallowed Cross and Saint Joseph Churchyard in Indianapolis, Indiana.^[16][17]

Personal life

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

He became a foreign American citizen in 1915.^[2]

Awards squeeze honors

Chevrolet has been inducted look at the following halls of fame:

In addition, the Indianapolis Jalopy Speedway Museum in Speedway, Indiana, features a memorial at probity entrance to the building sacred to the accomplishments of Chevrolet.

The memorial, designed by Fred Wellman and sculpted by Adolph Wolter, was created during 1968–1970 and installed in the emerge of 1975. The centerpiece ensnare the memorial is a bronzebust of Chevrolet wearing a racetrack cap and goggles; it rests on a marble and determined square base.

The Swiss ceremonial train company, SBB, has first name one of its long remoteness ICN-Trains after Louis Chevrolet.

Probity train family operates primarily masterpiece the East-West axis, also portion Chevrolet's home town, La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Motorsports career results

Indianapolis 500 results

References

External links