Louis Joseph Chevrolet, a Swiss-American car racer and founder of the Frontenac Motor Corporation, was a true pioneer in the automotive industry. From a young age, he displayed a natural talent for mechanics, honing his skills by building and racing bicycles. His strength and determination led him to become a champion bicycle racer, and eventually caught the attention of prestigious carmakers. As a driver for the Fiat auto racing team, Chevrolet’s fearless approach to racing made him a celebrity in the industry. It was during this time that he crossed paths with William Durant, a prominent auto executive, and together they formed the Chevrolet Motor Company. Chevrolet’s design abilities proved to be as impressive as his racing skills, as he created a stylish six-cylinder touring car that showcased his immense talent. Despite professional differences with Durant, Chevrolet continued to make a name for himself as an independent designer of racecars. Beyond his love for automobiles, he also enjoyed speedboat racing, trapshooting, and golf. His legacy as a motor racing legend and his significant contributions to the American automotive industry will forever be remembered.
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: Louis-Joseph Chevrolet
- Died At Age: 62
- Family:
- Spouse/Ex-: Suzanne Treyvoux
- Father: Joseph-Félicien
- Mother: Marie-Anne Angéline
- Children: Charles Louis and Alfred Joseph
- Born Country: Switzerland
- Business People
- Race Car Drivers
- Died on: June 6, 1941
- Place of Death: Detroit, Michigan, United States
- Ancestry: French Swiss
- Cause of Death: Heart Attack
Childhood & Early Life
He was born on Christmas Day, December 25, 1878, in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, to Joseph Felician Chevrolet, a watch and clockmaker, and his wife, Angelina Marie Chevrolet. He was the second child of the six children — four sons and two daughters — of his parents.
When he was around six years old, the family moved to Beaune, a small town in the Burgundy region of France. When he was a child, his father taught him basic mechanical skills and stressed the importance of precision in the manufacture of machine parts.
As a teenager, he developed an interest in bicycle racing and became an apprentice in a bicycle shop. He started repairing broken bicycles with the help of repair manuals in his spare time.
Career
In 1898, he got a job with the ‘Mors Auto Company’ and was sent to an auto dealership in Montreal, Canada, the following year. He worked as a chauffeur-mechanic for six months and then moved to Brooklyn, New York.
In the United States, he worked briefly for a fellow Swiss immigrant’s engineering company, and then moved to the Brooklyn operations of the French car manufacturer ‘DeDion Bouton Motorette Company’. There he was given the opportunity to be a substitute racecar driver for ‘Fiat auto racing team’ in New York City.
Soon he established a reputation as a race car mechanic and driver in the United States and became a celebrity after several wins. He left Fiat to work for William C. Durant, dubbed as the father of ‘General Motors’ who gave him the job to design Buick concept cars which later led the ‘Buick Racing Team’ to many victories.
In spite of having little formal education, he learned car design and started designing his own engine for a new car in 1909. He built an overhead valve six-cylinder engine in his own machine shop on Grand River Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan.
On November 3, 1911, he co-founded the prestigious ‘Chevrolet Motor Car Company’ with Durant and two other investment partners, William Little, and Dr. Edwin R. Campbell.
But when differences arose between him and Durant over the car’s design, he sold Durant his share in the company, in 1915, and moved on to found McLaughlin’s Company in Canada for building Chevrolets.
In 1916, he, along with his brothers, founded the ‘Frontenac Motor Corporation’ to make racing parts for Ford Model Ts. But he was not an astute businessman and soon the company failed.
Later on he worked for the Stutz Automobile Company, Indianapolis, and also established an unsuccessful aircraft factory. In 1934, he became a consultant at the Chevrolet division of General Motors, where he remained until he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and was forced to retire in 1938.
Major Works
In 1905, in his first automobile race, he defeated the great American driver Barney Oldfield, and thereafter he set records on every important track in the United States. During his career on the famous brick track he won 10 races and an additional 27 major races elsewhere.
In 1911, he co-founded the Chevrolet Motor Company with Durant, and even with little formal education, he designed and built the first Chevrolet automobile. He also established the ‘Frontenac Motor Corporation’ to build high-performance engine heads.
Awards & Achievements
In 1990, he was inducted into the ‘National Sprint Car Hall of Fame’.
He was named to the ‘International Motorsports Hall of Fame’ in 1992.
In 1995, he was inducted into the ‘Motorsports Hall of Fame of America’.
Personal Life & Legacy
In 1905, he married Suzanne Treyvoux. The couple was blessed with two sons, Charles Louis and Alfred Joseph.
He died on June 6, 1941, in Detroit and was buried in the Holy Cross and Saint Joseph Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana.