Chevrolet is an automobile brand of the United States automaker General Motors Company (GM). Chevrolet is among the world’s most popular and widely recognized car brands. Chevrolet models have included a wide variety of sedans, sport utility vehicles (SUV’s), sports cars, trucks, and vans, among them some commercial and electric vehicles. The well-known Camaro and Corvette sports cars were introduced in the mid-1900’s.
In 1911, the Swiss mechanic and race car driver Louis Chevrolet became a cofounder of the Chevrolet Motor Company with the American automaker William C. Durant. In 1908, Durant had organized Buick, Cadillac, and several other car companies into GM. However, GM soon faced financial troubles, and banking interests took control of the company. In 1910, the banks forced Durant out as president. In 1911, Durant helped create Chevrolet—also known as Chevy—in part to repair his reputation in the automobile industry.
Chevrolet’s first car, the Classic Six, cost more than $2,000. It was expensive for its time. In 1914, Chevrolet began producing lower-priced models with the special Chevrolet “bow tie” emblem. Louis Chevrolet sold his interest in the company in 1915. By 1916, Chevrolet’s growing success allowed Durant to purchase a majority of GM stock and return as president. In 1918, Durant made Chevrolet part of GM. That same year, Chevrolet introduced its first pickup trucks. In 1923, the first Chevrolet manufactured outside North America rolled out of a GM assembly plant in Copenhagen, Denmark. In 1927, Chevrolet outsold all other car companies in the United States for the first time.
Chevrolet introduced its first six-cylinder engine in 1929. The “straight six” engine outperformed earlier four-cylinder engines without a significant increase in price. The 1935 Chevrolet Suburban Carryall truck, with seating for eight people, was an early version of the modern SUV.
During World War II (1939-1945), the U.S. government halted automobile production to focus on wartime needs. From early 1942 to August 1945, Chevrolet factories manufactured aircraft engines, artillery shells, and military vehicles. They made thousands of guns, armored cars, and other wartime products. They also produced airplane parts for the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation.
In 1950, Chevrolet introduced the “Powerglide” automatic transmission. It was the first automatic transmission offered in a low-priced automobile. An automatic transmission, unlike a manual transmission, does not require a driver to operate a gearshift and clutch to change gears (see Transmission). One of Chevrolet’s most famous models, the Bel Air, was introduced in 1950. The Corvette, the first mass-produced sports car, debuted in 1953. Powerful eight-cylinder engines first appeared in 1955 Chevrolet trucks. The sporty Camaro came out in 1967.
In response to fuel crises in the 1970’s, Chevrolet started a line of more fuel-efficient cars that included the Chevette and Citation. The Chevrolet S-10 EV, an electric pickup truck, was introduced in 1997. Later Chevrolet models have included a number of electric and hybrid cars.
