Chevrolet, The Co-Founder

The company that would become Chevrolet was co-founded by a Swiss-born immigrant from France, Louis Chevrolet, seen here at the wheel of a Fiat he crashed during a practice run for the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup, which took place on a route throughout Long Island, New York. Chevrolet's love of racing and his mechanical skills would influence his work as a pioneer in America's automotive industry.





American Origins

While piloting a race car for Buick, Chevrolet met owner William C. Durant, the famous founder of General Motors, who had purchased Buick in 1904. When a series of decisions led stockholders to oust him as head of General Motors, Chevrolet and Durant partnered to form a new company, named for the Frenchman. In this picture, Chevrolet (second from left) stands with the company's first automobile, the "Classic Six," in front of the Flint, Michigan factory, in 1911.





Competitive Chevrolet

One of the company's earliest successes was the Chevrolet 490 (seen here in a 1916 photo), introduced to compete directly with Ford's Model T (which originally sold for $490, as did Chevrolet's model). Though Ford responded quickly by slashing prices, the Chevy touring car sold well, receiving 4,661 orders in the first 17 days following its introduction and selling more than 18,000 vehicles in its first year. Durant leveraged Chevrolet's growing popularity to regain his stake in General Motors, incorporating the company into General Motors in 1918. The company would move on to become General Motors' largest producer in the 1920s, a title it would keep through the present day.





The Auto Workers Union

In 1936-37, workers at GM participated in a sit-in strike, which the nascent United Auto Workers Union called for in response to unfair working conditions and low wages as the country began to recover from the Great Depression. The strike, which eventually attracted police presence and involvement from the National Guard, is widely considered to have established the legitimacy of the UAW and the unionization (and improvement in working conditions) of the automobile industry. This photo from February 2, 1937, shows the later stages of the strike in front of Chevrolet Parts Plant No. 9, in Flint, Michigan.





Wartime Success

By the time of Louis Chevrolet's death on June 6, 1941, Chevrolet had climbed to dominance in the auto industry. Its sales topped 1 million cars per year in the early 1940s, before the U.S. government forced a halt on civilian production in order to refocus it on producing weapons and parts for use in the World War II. When the war ended, Chevrolet reintroduced its previous three models, and a late-decade shuffle of management paved the way for the following decade, in which many of Chevrolet's iconic models would be designed and produced. In this photo, taken circa 1945, Chevrolet workers check cars for quality control before they leave the factory.





Postwar Production

By 1949, sales had picked up speed; in this photo, Chevrolet managers stand next to the 22 millionth Chevrolet, with a giant calendar behind the vehicle displaying the company's successes in previous years. The company hit 22 million vehicles ten months after its 21 millionth rolled off the assembly line.





Creating the Corvette

One of Chevy's first post-war icons would prove to be the Corvette. Launched in 1953, the car draws its name from warship terminology, a "Corvette" being one of the lighter, more maneuverable types of ship. The company had been known for boxier, heavier designs that served family purposes, but GM's Chief Designer, Harley Earl, set out to design a car similar to Jaguar's XK-120, a a sleeker, sportier model that he admired. The success of the Corvette (seen here on a race course in 1956) can be linked to an increased interest in European cars among Americans, who had discovered the enjoyable experience of driving a smaller, more dynamic car.





Creating the Corvette

One of Chevy's first post-war icons would prove to be the Corvette. Launched in 1953, the car draws its name from warship terminology, a "Corvette" being one of the lighter, more maneuverable types of ship. The company had been known for boxier, heavier designs that served family purposes, but GM's Chief Designer, Harley Earl, set out to design a car similar to Jaguar's XK-120, a a sleeker, sportier model that he admired. The success of the Corvette (seen here on a race course in 1956) can be linked to an increased interest in European cars among Americans, who had discovered the enjoyable experience of driving a smaller, more dynamic car.





An Experimental Design

The Corvette's sleek design was not the only thing new about it. The car was also groundbreaking in its use of materials. To make the car lighter, the Corvette was built with a fiberglass body, Plexiglas windows, and noticeably lacked door handles; to streamline the body shape, the doors were designed to be opened by reaching through the window. Earl designed the Corvette concept car for a 1953 auto show, which resulted in multiple requests for a production model.





A Focus On Trucks

By 1963, the company had reached its peak; one in every ten cars sold in the United States was made by Chevrolet. Though its iconic cars continued their strong sales, the company notably began to reorient their production of trucks by the late 1960s. The company began introducing the luxury features, as well as a rounder body style, found in its consumer cars into its previously work-oriented pickups in 1967. In 1973, the first year of the new model's introduction, the company broke its sales record from the previous year by selling over one million of the trucks; pictured, a 1974 Chevrolet C/10 Stepside, with custom paint and wheel options.





A Focus On Trucks

By 1963, the company had reached its peak; one in every ten cars sold in the United States was made by Chevrolet. Though its iconic cars continued their strong sales, the company notably began to reorient their production of trucks by the late 1960s. The company began introducing the luxury features, as well as a rounder body style, found in its consumer cars into its previously work-oriented pickups in 1967. In 1973, the first year of the new model's introduction, the company broke its sales record from the previous year by selling over one million of the trucks; pictured, a 1974 Chevrolet C/10 Stepside, with custom paint and wheel options.





Dale Earnhardt and NASCAR

One of NASCAR's most revered drivers, Dale Earnhardt, drove a Chevrolet Monte Carlo was sponsored by GM and Chevrolet, among others. Earnhardt, seen here chatting with members of his pit crew at Martinsville Speedway in 1999 won 76 races and seven championships in his career, which ties him with Richard Petty for the most all-time championship wins. Though his death from a late-race crash in 2001's Daytona 500 was truly tragic, it led to a police investigation and the mandated use of several safety devices, now used by regulation in all NASCAR races.





Financial Challenges

As a subsidiary of the automotive giant, Chevrolet's history was tied to the trajectory of General Motors throughout the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. Multiple recessions took their toll on the parent company, although GM was able to regain market share through SUV sales and production improvements. The effects of the September 11 attacks, along with underfunded pension plans hurt the company's finances; it had hemorrhaged several of its subsidiary companies by the global financial crisis in 2008, during which it received a bailout from the U.S. government. In this photo, Chevrolets sit outside a San Jose, California dealership on May 15, 2009.





The Future, and the Volt

Despite its financial difficulties, Chevrolet has continued planning for the future. In this photo, General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson announces plans for battery manufacture for the Volt, the company's first electric car, in Brownstown Township, Michigan on August 13, 2009. Despite a high retail price, the car is eligible for government incentives because of its environmentally-friendly design, and is one of the first hybrid electric cars available to consumers in the United States.