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Share ThisWhen the two headstrong founders of the company, Durant and Chevrolet, aimed at positioning their company in 1914, an argument developed. During a vacation taken by Chevrolet, Durant had restructured the company to focus on more affordable cars which would compete with those manufactured by Ford. Chevrolet considered this an insult, as he himself had always been interested in building “high-powered speed cars” and other exclusive models.
If we are to believe the declarations made by Durant’s widow and Chevrolet’s sister decades after the argument, it was a laconic comment made by Durant which caused the break-up of the partnership. Durant had suggested that Chevrolet, now an executive in the automotive industry, should change from smoking his cheap “blue collar” cigarettes to more exclusive cigars.
Catherine Durant later said that her husband did not so much dislike the brand of the cigarettes, but the way in which Chevrolet stuck them in the corner of his mouth. In any case, this suggestion must have hurt Louis Chevrolet so much that he countered: “I sold you my automobile, I sold you my name, but I shall not sell my personality to you.” He then packed up his cigarettes and left the company.
Durant had made a fundamental decision which has influenced the Chevrolet brand to this day. He institutionalized the brand as a synonym for good quality yet affordable automobiles.
While the Chevrolet brand developed quickly along the lines established by Durant, Louis Chevrolet returned to his passion.
His motto was to design modern automobiles and participate in races. In fulfillment of this goal he founded the “Frontenac Motor Corporation” in 1914. His motto was to design modern automobiles and participate in races. In fulfillment of this goal he founded the “Frontenac Motor Corporation” in 1914. In a difficult economic environment he manufactured the first serially produced Frontenac - the showpiece of the American automobile industry in the 1920s. In 1926, he and his brother Arthur established a new company, “Chevrolair 333“,
and began developing a light aircraft engine. The company was liquidated after a fight between the two brothers.
Without further ado, Louis then founded the “Chevrolet Air Car Company” in Indianapolis, which had to close shortly thereafter as a result of the ensuing economic crisis. His last major engineering coup took place in 1932 when he developed a 10-cylinder star engine. Chevrolet applied for a patent for the engine, but by the time the patent registration came through in 1935, Louis Chevrolet no longer had the strength to build up another company. Instead, he again worked as a mechanic, just as he did at the beginning of his career, in the Chevrolet production plant in Detroit.
He died on June 6, 1941, at the age of 63 at his home in Lakewood, east of Detroit – years after he had fallen seriously ill with a brain hemorrhage.
