Durant, William Crapo (1861-1947), was an American automobile manufacturer and the founder of General Motors. He developed the idea that success in the auto industry lay in bringing together a combination of car manufacturers who offered a variety of models.
Durant was born on Dec. 8, 1861, in Boston. In 1886, he became a carriage manufacturer in Flint, Michigan. Durant purchased the Buick Motor Car Company in 1904. His skills as an administrator and promoter helped him make Buick the largest automobile manufacturer in the United States. Durant organized the General Motors Company in 1908, and the company grew rapidly. It soon included the firms that made Buick, Cadillac, Oakland, Oldsmobile, and eight other makes of cars. But Durant had overexpanded and he was forced to give up control in 1910. In 1911, he created the Chevrolet Motor Car Company. Its success enabled Durant to regain control of General Motors in 1916, and the company was incorporated as General Motors Corporation. He was forced out again in 1920 because of another financial crisis. In 1921, he formed another company, Durant Motors, which went bankrupt in 1933. Durant died on March 18, 1947.
See also Chevrolet.
