Chevrolet is one of the best brands in the automotive industry. The company's sales per year are more than 3.5 million units of cars in more than a hundred countries around the world. In world statistics, Chevrolet ranks fourth in terms of sales and leads in terms of growth. The company is distinguished by its advanced specifications machines. The history of Chevrolet introduced the world to creations that have best quality and cost.
Louis Chevrolet
Founded by Louis Chevrolet. An immigrant from Switzerland founded the firm in 1911. Then it was practiced to call cars by their proper names. Louis was a master rider and mechanic, but in his life he never had time to benefit from a company with his name.
The racer was a great success, so many manufacturers began to pay attention to him. William Durant was one of those people. During his Buick tenure, Durant went bankrupt due to a failed capital investment. To regain his influence in the American market, he decided to found new company. For these purposes, he invited the driver Louis for cooperation, which in itself became a good PR. His name became the name of the brand - then the history of the Chevrolet company was born.
Success logo
In 1914, the company acquired its symbol. According to company representatives, William Duran once stayed at a hotel in Paris, where he saw unusual drawing on the wallpaper. Having saved it, the businessman decided to make the drawing a brand logo.
First car
Soon the company was able to Classic Six. This is a classic four-seater flagship with an engine of 30 Horse power. For an ordinary buyer, the cost of $ 2,500 did not justify itself, so the model did not receive popularity.
Later it was decided to change the strategy from representativeness to simplicity and accessibility. Thus, three models were created: the sports L Light Six, the Royal Mail, and the open Baby.
The Classic Six is Chevrolet's first car worthy representative
The first serious popularity came to the brand in 1916 with the release of the Chevrolet-490. The popularity of the model was similar to the leader of that time, Ford. She had the following characteristics:
- 4-cylinder engine with a volume of 2.8 liters;
- three-speed gearbox;
- starter (which was rare);
As the history of the brand has shown, the flagship was such a success that it was produced inclusively until 1922. After that, it was replaced by the new company Superior. She also had an active issue until 1927.
Big step and fall
After successful sale Durant saved up enough money to buy stock from the General Motors venture. He added it to his assets in order to produce his brand on a new scale.
Louis Chevrolet couldn't get along with Duran. Thus, a big quarrel broke out in 1914 when the founders were planning the positioning of the company. During Chevrolet's stay on vacation, his partner changed the direction of production towards budget and high-quality models. Louis reacted sharply to this, because he was guided by fast and unique cars. After this incident, Chevrolet gave all rights to the company to his colleague.
Louis tried himself in new endeavors for a long time. He and his brother created the Frontenac Motor Corporation, which developed new products for the automotive industry. It also closed due to a quarrel between the owners. This was followed by several more projects like the Chevrolair 333 or Chevrolet Air Car Company, but they were also closed. The racer managed to create a 10-cylinder engine, but did not manage to get benefits from it. He died in 1941 from a brain disease.
difficult time
The history of the company was not cloudless. So, in the 20s, the brand's shares fell sharply in price, so Duran decided to step down as head. He was replaced by William S. Knudsen. The man was a Ford employee, which created suspicion. But he announced that he had no plans to employ former employees from a rival company.
New movement
In 1923, a model was produced that had an air-cooled engine. A year later, the company acquired test site, and the production of vans was also organized. The firm made a new growth spurt when its Ford competitor stopped publishing the famous Ford T. During this time, a million cars were sold.
In 1926, a new investment of 10 million was announced to expand the company's capacity. This was impressively reflected in sales, significantly increasing them. In 1926 alone, 692,000 cars were sold. At the same time, the brand continued to break its own records, thanks to which it was able to break into the first lines of the sales ratings among the market leaders in America.
Introduction of comfort
Because Chevrolet is a company that caters to the broader class, great attention occupied by the convenience of the average user. Already in 1924, a radio was introduced in the cabin, and in 1929 the brand acquired a car with a six-cylinder engine. After that, an independent front suspension was introduced - this happened in 1934.
The history of the creation of the Chevrolet brand introduced the emergence of multi-seat transport. In 1935, the flagship came out with 8 seats. Also, the entire line of cars received. They thought about the exterior design of the body in 1937, then the Standard and enlarged Master models were produced. In the 40s, the production of Royal Clipper cars began, equipped with advanced lamps, as well as a well-thought-out hood. After that, all elements made of wood were processed - they were replaced with metal.
Profile change
During the Second World War, the Chevrolet brand began to produce everything necessary for the front: trailers, as well as trucks and shells. Such an instruction was given by the government to create the release of 75 mm shells and anti-aircraft guns. At the same time, the production of Pratt & Whitney engines continued. After that, the manager of Chevrolet was appointed chairman of the Department of Defense.
The brand has been discontinued military equipment January 30, 1942. Some models have since been abandoned, but upgraded to meet the needs of the average user. In 1949, new items were introduced - the branded Deluxe and the special Special, but they were equipped with engines of the past model.
Second wind
The unusual Bel Air model of 1950 differed from the rest of the convertibles with a strong top, as well as a pontoon body. It quickly gained popularity and sold 6 million cars.
In the 1950s, the economy picked up again. Since that time, the main trends for the development of the automotive industry began to stand out - the buyer demanded a new design, as well as the enjoyment of the trip. Thomas Keating decided to embed in the Powerglide models - automatic box gears. It was available for the cheapest flagships.
1953 was marked for Chevrolet release Corvette with increased speed. The design meant to get a vehicle with a low weight, which was achieved by using fiberglass in the body. In 1957, a reinforced 283 hp engine was introduced. With. It created the Rochester fuel injection design.
One of the best
1958 became famous thanks to release of the Impala. This brand combines Chevrolet cost And Cadillac dimensions. A year later, the world saw the El Camino pickup. Further, the company diligently changes the design of its products. Chevrolet products shocked the world in 1959. They had an unusual design, with footnotes in the form of wings. Also, the windows and seats received an electric drive. Thus, Suburban had the final form, which is known today.
Success Series
Chevrolet in 1958 stepped up the production of new cars that were very different in body design. These include Impala, Biscayne and Bel Air. In 1960, the Corvair was released - an attractive and comfortable vehicle with independent wheel suspension. Another shift appearance arrived exactly one year later. Then the lineup received smooth lines, which were fully realized in the Impala SS.
The company decided to attract the attention of fans of small cars. So, in 1962, Chevy ll Nova started. A year later, it complements the Corvette Stingray. IN soon new releases are replenished Malibu models and Chevrolet Caprice.
fresh line
The company released the Camaro model, which quickly took a leading position in the market. In 1967, she took 10% of all brand models sold. A year later, the car was updated to the Camaro SS, which became small model with great speed.
Updates also affected the security system. It included:
- seat belts;
- energy-suppressing mechanism;
- softened instrument panel;
- brake twin cylinder.
At this time, the history of the creation of the Chevrolet brand also affected design. In 1968, the firm removed all extra details, since the installation of all innovations did not add demand, because there was no practical need for them. It was decided to return to the classic interior design with space savings.
All-wheel drive hit and new competitors
1969 was remembered for the release of the first all-wheel drive car of its kind. It was much larger and more spacious than its counterparts. Chevrolet Blazer had good maneuverability and power, while remaining roomy. Serious modernization caught the car in 1973, when its dimensions were increased, and disc brakes were introduced into the front wheels.
In the late 70s, the mass sale of Japanese vehicles began. They flooded the market, so the company was unable to increase sales. GM director John DeLorean decided to bet on the Vega series and Monte Carlo.
Pickup support
Chevrolet released new model light pickup. In the same year, 10 million Impalas were sold. In 1973, the Monte Carlo model was produced. She received the "Car of the Year" award according to Motor Trend.
76th year was for the firm Chevrolet time release Chevette - she was the answer for imported cars. This was followed by a downsizing of the classic Caprice, greatly increasing sales.
Market conquest
In the early 1980s, the country was in an acute political situation. Prior to this, the market was actively filled Japanese cars, which at this time received recognition from users of America. Chevrolet responded to this with the release of the subcompact Citation. It implemented front-wheel drive. Already in 1981, the new creation of Cavalier challenged all foreign cars and was able to emerge victorious.
Motor Trend magazine named the Camaro the best vehicle of 1982. A year later, one could observe the Blazer S-10 pickup truck, which became the best among competitors. At the same time, several other new products came out with two sizes - 4.3 and 4.7 meters. The differences concerned both the size and the design itself. Soon they were distributed to Blazer and Chevrolet Tahoe.
New movement
In 1984, the world saw the new Corvette, and a year later, the Camaro IROC-Z. In 1986, the company introduced the Bosch ABS II anti-lock design, which was actively used in pickups and sedans. Later, the company replenished sales on the market, and in 1995 Motor Trend magazine singled out the Blazer as "Off-Road Vehicle of the Year". Following this, the implementation of Monte Carlo and New Lumina continues. After that, the Tahoe car received a corresponding prize from the magazine.
To provide increased power, the company began to install Vortec motors. They also allowed saving on fuel consumption. Chevrolet decided to turn to the classics, so in 1996 it launched the Malibu. It was positively acclaimed by critics and received great acclaim from users. The car is perfect for family trips.
Fifth generation
In 1997, the production of a fundamentally new transport started. The year 2000 was remembered for the return to the market of previously famous models. In 2003, Geneva saw the Chevrolet SS Coupe - one of the best of its kind. He is the direct successor of the Camaro. In Detroit, a completely new SSR product was shown, which clearly stood out from the rest of the models.
Protracted negotiations in 2002 allowed Chevrolet to buy the assets of Daewoo Motors. This company was at the stage of bankruptcy, so it was decided to create a new enterprise - GM Daewoo Auto & Technology. The company mainly produces Chevrolet cars, although it also sells its own developments.
Future prospects
In 2005, the production of Matiz cars starts, namely Chevrolet Spark. Designed by Italdesign. This decision attracted new customers. Over time, the company's cooperation with DAT is crowding out their transport. In extension model range Captiva appears - a crossover with a proprietary platform. Later released new minivan Orlando. In 2011, he, as well as Cruze, Aveo, updated Chevrolet Captiva occupied a significant part of the market.
The company continues to create new models that are successfully gaining popularity, not losing their quality even after many years. She has a rich history, in which she moved from an elite lineup to mass production available cars.
When purchasing a vehicle, many people think about buying an expensive car. As experience says, such models should be more reliable and better, but not always. This is confirmed by Chevrolet, which produces affordable products.
November 3, 1911 is considered to be the founding date of Chevrolet, when racing driver Louis Chevrolet and William Durant jointly organized a new automobile manufacturing company, whose cars would later be considered the best-selling cars in the United States.
Despite the fact that the company was named after the race car driver, in fact he never owned a Chevrolet, but was simply a good mechanic and an excellent racer. The owner of the company was W. Durant, who played very important role in the development of the automotive industry in the United States, and then throughout the world.
The first car from Chevrolet
Despite the fact that the owner of the company was another person, Louis personally designed the first car that was released under the Chevrolet brand. This car was released less than a year after the founding of the company and was equipped with a 30 HP engine and a fairly simple three-speed gearbox.
Unfortunately, the Classic Six did not receive distribution, despite the fact that the car was more than successful. Repelled buyers that its cost was extremely high.
Despite the fact that the Chevrolet Classic Six was a fairly good car with good performance at that time and with interesting design, it cost about 2500 dollars. This car was 5 times more expensive than the Ford T, which was very popular at that time, which decided the fate of the popularity of the first car from Chevrolet. 
Cheap and practical cars
Durant realized that he had made a mistake by betting on luxury cars, and almost immediately after the release of the failed "Classic Six" and the even less popular "Little Four", he bet on cheaper and at the same time simple cars.
The four-cylinder open Baby Grand and the sporty Royal Mail were born, on which in 1914 the logo of the world-famous Chevrolet company was first introduced.
These cars were popular enough to help keep the company afloat and continue to work on even more affordable cars.
There are several versions of where this logo came from. Some sources claim that William Durant himself painted it, as he was constantly engaged in inventing an emblem for his cars, but there are other versions.
According to one of the stories, the inspiration for the Chevrolet owner was the ordinary wallpaper on the wall in one of the hotels in Paris where William stayed. This story tells that he liked the drawing so much that he even tore off a piece of wallpaper and took it to the USA and subsequently appeared on the best-selling cars in the world.
However, there is a more trivial version of the origin of the logo. Durant's wife claimed that her husband borrowed the idea for the logo from one of the coal mining companies. 
Chevrolet-490
Two years after the release of their first successful cars, Chevrolet releases its masterpiece. The Chevrolet-490 brought great fame to this company, and owes its name only to the initial price at which this car was offered to customers.
Looking ahead, it is worth saying that this car was so popular that it was produced from 1916 to 1922, but even this did not end its history and the concept of the car was inherited by newer versions of Chevrolet cars.
The car had a 2.8-liter 4-cylinder engine, but the reason for its popularity was not even this, but the fact that the car itself was extremely easy to operate and drive, but at the same time they were equipped with electric headlights and even a starter, which was a rarity in those days. A simple 3-speed gearbox and rigid axles on springs are ideal solutions for a car of that time, so the popularity of the Chevrolet-490 is easily explained.
Durant buys General Motors
Having established itself in the affordable car market in the United States, Chevrolet and its owner in 1918 become the owners of a controlling stake in GM, which includes Chevrolet Motor Cars in the same year. However, even as part of such an auto giant, Chevrolet continues to maintain its basic principles in the production of cars and produces available cars. Over the next 12 years, her cars sold very willingly and Chevrolet can be called the best-selling car brand in the United States. 
This is facilitated by the fact that Chevrolet's main competitor, Ford, is withdrawing its Ford T from sale. Perhaps it is precisely because of this that the number of Chevrolet cars sold begins to number several million.
In 1967, the third generation rolls off the assembly line. Chevrolet Impala, which was produced over the next 10 years and is still popular today. Previous generations of this car were not so successful, but this car can be called a real work of art. Initially, this car was positioned as luxury car, which car lovers with above average incomes could afford, but over time the price fell and the Impala became an affordable family car.
Chevrolet impala modification SS
It is worth adding that this car was produced as two-door coupe or as a sedan and had the following specifications:
- 6.7L Turbo Jet V8 engine
- Power 425 HP
- Gearbox: automatic, four-speed
- Car weight 1500 kg
- Maximum speed up to 200 km/h
- Fuel consumption is about 26 liters. At 100 km.
- Front brake - disc
- Rear brake - drum
This car broke a real record - more than a million copies of the Chevrolet Impala were sold in a year. An interesting fact is also the fact that this car is popular today thanks to the television series "Supernatural".
In addition to these advantages, the car has become safer. The design of the car used three-point harnesses safety, which more effectively restrain the driver and passengers during an accident. In addition, the design of the car uses a deformable steering column which helps reduce damage in the event of an accident.
It is worth mentioning that in 1967 the iconic representative of Chevrolet muscle cars was released. The abbreviation SS at the end means "Super Sport", which shows the purpose of this car. In its starting configuration, this car was simply luxurious: a black convex radiator grille, an interesting streamlined air intake, rounded headlights, planted extremely unusually on the car body. 
In addition, the first changes that occurred to the car affected not only the exterior of the car, but also its filling. A 6.7-liter engine was installed instead of 5.7, which gave an increase in power and the car's harness became 325 HP instead of 255. Considering that Chevrolet at that time was fighting the Ford Mustang for a place in the sun, this was a real breakthrough, at least a clear victory in the fight for the popularity of buyers it did not bring.
The fate of Chevrolet in GM
Chevrolet, after becoming part of GM, has not changed its principles. Until now, it produces affordable cars for a wide variety of markets around the world. Moreover, for emerging markets they produce most often act as mass brands, and for developed markets they rely on the availability of their cars.
Story chevrolet camaro in a short video
Looking ahead? It is worth noting that in 2002, Waewoo also became part of General Motors, which changed its name to GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. With the exception of cars that are assembled at the Uzbek plant Uz-Daewoo, all other models of this brand of cars have been produced since then under Chevrolet brand Dat, which fits perfectly into the Chevrolet concept.
Not everything in Chevrolet's history has been smooth sailing.
Of course, even since Chevrolet became part of General Motors, not everything went according to plan. An interesting fact is the attempt to expand sales of the Chevrolet Nova car in the Mexican market. The fact is that in Spanish the name of this car could be translated as “does not move” and in connection with this, sales failed in the bud. However, it is worth noting that in Latin America such a phrase is never used in relation to cars.
Chevrolet as part of General Motors
There are even versions of this story that say that after such a failure, Chevrolet changed the name to Caribe, after which the car really began to be sold in Mexico, but the story is silent that in fact it was a completely different car that was produced by Volkswagen at all.
The examples of bad titles don't stop there, so let's fast forward to the CIS during the appearance there Daewoo cars Kalos. It is not at all surprising that this name was not used for Russian market and domestic motorists saw the same car with Chevrolet Aveo.
In addition, in those days, Daewoo was fed up domestic motorists and they were very glad to be able to buy a good affordable car, but with the Chevrolet brand instead of the Daewoo brand that bothered many at that time.
Chevrolet Today
This brand of cars does not lose its position in the market. Moreover, it expanded to a huge number of countries and their markets and occupied exactly those niches that designers and engineers were guided by when creating cars. cheap cars for the middle class, executive cars for the government and even rare rare cars Chevrolet brands are very popular today.
For more than 100 years of its existence, this brand has produced a variety of cars. There were ups and downs of the brand, there were interesting and unsuccessful decisions and names of cars, but in any case, these cars are really considered one of the best car manufacturers in the world.
Chevrolet popularity statistics
The sales statistics figures are quite accurate and shocking at the same time. During the existence of these cars, more than 209 million cars have been sold. At the same time, it is believed that every 16th car in the world is produced by this particular company.
In total, cars of this brand were sold in more than 140 countries of the world and statistics say that every 7 seconds someone in the world buys a car from Chevrolet.
What is Switzerland famous for? Mountain landscapes, banks and clocks. It was with watches and their production that the childhood of the future co-founder of one of the famous American automotive companies, which received his own name - Louis Chevrolet(Louis Chevrolet). His life was full of twists and turns and difficult decisions, some of which are still controversial among historians. But they agree on one thing: Louis Chevrolet was a real racer and a great designer.
Louis Chevrolet was born December 25, 1878 in the small Swiss town of La Chaux-de-Fonds (La Chaux-de-Fonds). When Louis was nine years old, his family moved to Beaune, France, where a watch shop was opened. The business was less successful than the head of the family expected, and in order to support his family, eleven-year-old Louis began to work. The craving for technology and speed affected the choice of place of work - it was a bicycle repair shop. It would be strange to deal with bicycles and not ride them. Louis did not just ride, but also participated in bicycle races. His first victory was recorded by the Journal de Beaune on July 16, 1895.
On one of the usual days, he was asked to go to a local hotel and help the guest with some technical problem. This day became one of the most important for Louis Chevrolet. He saw a self-propelled car - a steam tricycle and met its owner - a guest from America. The work was done quickly and efficiently, and the American, who turned out to be multimillionaire Vanderbilt, suggested that Chevrolet's talent could be used in the United States. From that day on, Louis' "American" dream was a new continent and cars.
Approaching the dream was the move to Paris, where he began to work in the workshops Darraka, comprehending the structure of internal combustion engines. There is a version that he also worked for Hotchkiss And Morse- the leading automakers of the early 20th century. During the year in Paris, Chevrolet saved up money for a ticket across the Atlantic and moved to Canada, and from there to New York.
During his first years in America, he changed several employers, most of which were representative offices of European automakers such as De Dion-Bouton and Fiat. The best advertising for cars of those years was considered to be racing. Louis Chevrolet, who had experience in competitions, became a pilot for his employers several times. His career as a racing driver was quite successful. He won the Three Mile race several times and set a world speed record. Together with him, his brothers also participated in the competition, Arthur And Gaston, which eventually formed the "family" Chevrolet team under the leadership of Louis. Chevrolet earned the nickname "The Dare-Devil Frenchman" for its victories. But success in motorsport was given to him at a great cost- he spent a lot of time in hospital beds after accidents, and ended his Chevrolet career after the death of his brother Gaston in 1920.
Vanderbilt Cup race, 1905 Louis Chevrolet lost control and flew off the track. Photo: GM press service
Race wins brought him attention William Duran, founder of General Motors and Buick owner. The financier was attracted to Louis Chevrolet by the sonorous name and his design ideas. Negotiations with the racer led to the fact that on November 3, 1911, the Chevrolet Motor Car Company was founded in Detroit. A year after the formation of the company, the first Classic Six car left the factory gates. It was followed by the four-cylinder Baby Grand and the two-seat Royal Mail and L Light Six. Chevrolet also acted as a designer on their creation.
Louis Chevrolet and William Durant. Photo: GM press service
The fierce competition in the car market, and especially the policy of Ford, led the businessman Duran to decide to make chevrolet cars more accessible to the buyer. Moreover, the re-equipment of production began at the moment when Chevrolet was on vacation. Louie, a fan of cars, believed that cars were primarily about speed and exclusivity, and the very approach to doing business could not forgive a “partner”. There is a legend that the racer's habit of smoking cheap cigarettes, without taking them out of the corner of his mouth, even during conversations, put an end to the conflict. Durant suggested Chevrolet, who was now a big name in automotive industry, switch from cheap blue ring cigarettes to more exclusive cigars. He retorted: “I sold you my cars, I sold you my name, but I will not sell you my personality,” took the cigarettes and left the company forever. It happened in 1913.
The first car under the name Chevrolet - Classic Six was released in 1911 by Detroit. by Chevrolet motor car company. Photo: GM press service
Chevrolet returned to auto racing and building their own cars. In 1914 he founded his own company, which was named Frontenac Motor Corporation.
The only one released under her name stock car Frontenac, recognized as a masterpiece and won the Indianapolis 500 in 1920 and 1921. But the approaching economic crisis did not allow the business to develop. Another Chevrolair 33 project, founded by Louis and his brother Arthur in 1926, was devoted to the development of engines for light aircraft, but after a quarrel between the brothers, it also fell apart. The development of the flight theme was the Chevrolet Air Car Company, which was also closed under the yoke of the Great Depression.
Louis Chevrolet's last great design achievement dates back to 1932, when he developed the 10-cylinder radial engine. He applied for a patent, but by the time it was registered in 1935, Chevrolet no longer had the strength to organize a new company. He again worked as a mechanic, just like at the beginning of his career. Moreover, he worked at a plant of his own name - at the Chevrolet assembly in Detroit.
Louis Chevrolet died on June 6, 1941, at the age of 63, at his home in Lakewood, east of Detroit, after a long illness.
monument from of stainless steel With mirror polished Louis Chevrolet by sculptor Christian Gonzenbach, installed in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Photo:
Chevrolet cars are known all over the world today. In 2008 it was the best-selling brand in Russia.
Louis Chevrolet was one of the seven children of a watchmaker in the Swiss town of Chaux-de-Fonds. When he was 10 years old, his family moved to France in search of a good life, where the boy graduated from high school.
At that time, France was the world leader in the automotive industry, and almost any smart mechanic tried to build cars in a backyard workshop. To gain experience and knowledge, Chevrolet got a job at the Mors automobile company. Here he became addicted to cars for life and became the official racing driver of this company. Almost none of the sports of that time could do without the participation of "Morsov" in them. One of which was invariably driven by Louis Chevrolet.
In 1909, Mr. Durand, head of General Motors, invited Louis Chevrolet to become Buick's signature racer. After that, the star of Louis Chevrolet shone with unprecedented brightness. In 1909, he won three important victories at once and took an honorable 11th place in the Vanderbilt Cup competition. Prior to the First World War, he was one of the best racing drivers in America.
Louis Chevrolet and William Duran
Enterprising Duran decided to recreate the business in the name of a famous athlete. In 1911, he invited Louis to take up the production of his own car and he accepted the offer. The project of the new car was developed by General Motors specialists, Duran invested a lot of money in the project, and Chevrolet gave the car its name, already well known to most Americans. This was the key to future success. So on November 3, 1911, one of the most famous car brands-Chevrolet.
The brand name appeared at the company later - in 1914. The story goes that the famous "cross" or, as it is also called, "bow tie", was part of the wallpaper of the Parisian hotel in which the young Durand lived back in 1908. Having kept a piece of wallpaper in his wallet as a souvenir, he brought it to America and, showing his friends, explained: “This should be the emblem of a car - it will help him move to infinity.”
Indeed, the emblem Chevrolet became one of the most branded and famous characters in the advertising business. Over the years of its existence, the brand has gained the love of buyers and the recognition of specialists, and its cars have not only gone down in history - they themselves are history, a living symbol of America and the American automotive industry to this day.
Chevrolet in the period 1911-1934
The first Chevrolet Classic-Six was created on October 3, 1911. Some said that William Durant made the first car of the Chevrolet brand almost alone, while others filmed that he only made the general concept of a new car. It was a traditional American four-seater with a 30 horsepower 6-cylinder engine. But the price - $ 2,500 - was exorbitant for the buyer, and therefore the car did not win laurels. The then popular Ford T cost 5 times cheaper.
Duran realized that the key to success lies not in the exclusivity of the car, but in its simplicity and cheapness. He moved away from the production of chic models and began producing inexpensive 4-cylinder cars - an open passenger car Baby and a sporty Royal Mail.
In 1916, on their basis, the Chevrolet-490 was created, which brought the company great fame. These are cheap but reliable machines became as popular as Fords. They were 4-cylinder engines with a volume of 2.8 liters.
The car turned out to be so successful that it was produced until 1922 and gave life to at least famous model Superior, which lasted until 1927.
The Chevrolet-490 had a simple 3-speed gearbox, both rigid axles were suspended on springs. Like the Fords, everything was simplified to the limit, however, these cars had electric headlights and a starter, which was then a rarity even for expensive cars. It was with the 490th model that Chevrolet began specializing in the cheapest and simple cars that brought her worldwide fame.
Chevrolet-490, the first truly popular car of the brand, was very simple, but also cheap, which brought him the well-deserved fame.
Having formed new company and flooding the market with cheap and popular cars brand Chevrolet, Duran made a lot of money and decided, no less, to attach automotive giant General Motors to tiny Chevrolet. And he succeeded. Duran was able to buy out a controlling stake in General Motors and again sat in the chair of the chairman of the board. Chevrolet became part of the concern, and its cars became the main products of the auto giant.
Before joining the General Motors empire in 1917, the company introduced several more models, notably the Little Six and the H series. Well, in the next decade, the division with a cross on the grille became the flagship of GM, selling up to a million cars a year.
In the future, William Durant soon went bankrupt again and was expelled from the General Motors concern he had created. Louis Chevrolet worked in his company for only 2 years and again went into motorsport, and then created a company for the production of racing cars"Frontenak", which he himself rode. He no longer had anything to do with the Chevrolet company, but until the end of his days he was pleased that one of the largest automobile companies in the world bears his name. In his declining years, he fell seriously ill and died in 1941, forgotten by almost everyone.
135 years after the birth of Louis Chevrolet, only the world-famous brand of passenger cars remains as a memory of the designer-racer. They are manufactured by General Motors. These factories located in the USA, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina in 2002 produced 2 million 263 thousand cars, SUVs, sports cars, minivans, pickups and vans.
Chevrolet today
In 1980, the Citation subcompact was released - the first Chevrolet model with front-wheel drive. In 1981, the first Cavalier appeared.
Cavalier was conceived to exceed all customer expectations imported cars. And so it happened. The Cavalier quickly becomes America's best-selling car in 1984 and 1985. In 1982, modified camaro model voted "Car of the Year" by Motor Trend magazine. In the same year, the S-10 pickup was released.
Chevrolet Citation - first front wheel drive car Chevrolet.
In 1983, the Blazer S-10 was born, quickly becoming the market leader in all-wheel drive vehicles. In the mid-80s in the production Chevrolet program there were two three-door SUVs named Blazer: a small Blazer S / T series (length 4.3 meters) and a large Blazer C / K series (length 4.7 meters).
The machines differed not only in size, but also in design. With the Blazer model of the C / K series, the Chevrolet Suburban was unified with a length of 5.57 meters. Some versions of the Blazer S/T series were named Tahoe and Sport. It was only in 1995 that it was decided to separate these cars into different niches: the small Blazer S / T was simply called Blazer, and the large Blazer C / K received a new name Chevrolet Tahoe.
One of the largest and roomy SUVs Chevrolet Suburban.
In 1984 appeared new corvette generations, and in 1985 - camaro car IROC-Z.
"Serious" modification of Camaro - Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z.
In 1986, Corvette was equipped with anti-lock braking system Bosch ABS II. The Corvette convertible opened the Indy 500 race. In 1988, the Corsica and Beretta models were released. There are also new S/K pickups. In 1990, the two-seater Lumina Coupe - sedan and Lumina APV were introduced.
In 1991, the new Caprice Classic LTZ was released, which was named "Car of the Year" in the Motor Trend magazine competition. In 1992, new four-wheel drive cars are introduced - Blazer and Suburban. Together with them comes out completely new pickup S/K. The old V8 was updated and entered the 1990s with the LT1, a second-generation compact unit that won numerous awards.
Along with sports models Chevrolet Corvette and Chevrolet Camaro SUVs Blazer and Trail Blazer are popular, at one time they were even produced in Russia at the Yelabuga automobile plant. And today Chevrolet is made in Tolyatti - this is Chevrolet SUVs Niva. By Russian roads There are already more than 25,000 such vehicles manufactured by General Motors jointly with the Russian company VAZ.
