Having known some of the history behind American automobiles and their namesakes, I thought it odd recently while watching an episode of NewsRadio on DVD, when the characters were discussing a mythical conversation between Henry Ford and John Chrysler. Of course the characters made fun of the whole thing because surely there was no one named John Chrysler. While a funny sitcom scenario, those who know better probably didn't find it so amusing. For you see there was a Walter Chrysler, who eventually founded Chrysler motors and the Chrysler Corporation, but I'm getting way, way ahead of my story.
Most people know at least part of the story behind people like Henry Ford, but how much do you know about David Dunbar Buick? Yes, there really was a person named Buick and he founded the Buick Motor Company around 1902. Mr. Buick wasn't much of a businessman, he concentrated his efforts on research and development and is credited with coming up with one of the most significant engine designs in history, the overhead valve engine or OHV.
But as I said, he wasn't much of a businessman, so eventually a man named William C. "Billy" Durant was brought in to manage and run the Buick company. Now Billy was a high school dropout, but he was an excellent salesman and eventually worked his way to the top of the carriage market. In no time at all, Buick sales went from 37 cars sold when he signed on to 1,108 orders just from attending a New York auto show!
Billy was also a pretty good businessman, up to a point, but shortly after forming a little corporation called General Motors, he began to buy up other companies like crazy. He first acquired Oldsmobile, (yes there was a guy named Ransom Eli Olds), Oakland, (which later became Pontiac), Cadillac, (named by it's owner Henry Leland after one of his ancestors, Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, the French explorer and founder of Detroit), and by 1908, he had acquired a total of 13 car companies as well as 10 parts and accessories manufacturers!
By 1910, Billy was in over his head and quickly found himself overextended and out of money. The banking interests which had backed him forced him out and assumed control of GM. They brought in people like Walter Chrysler, remember him, to run Buick and proceeded to divest GM of some of the companies which were losing money or competing with GM. At the time, GM was simply too big to let fail, so the more conservative bankers quickly turned GM around and made it profitable once again.
So what happened to Billy Durant? He was not through, nor to be outdone for that matter, no he started another little company along with a new partner named Louis Chevrolet, and by 1914 had made enough money to buy out his partner and assume control. Then just 2 short years later, he had acquired enough GM stock to once again assume control of it. Then from 1916-1920, he once again started adding more companies to GM; Chevrolet, Fisher Body, and Frigidaire, and once again found himself in trouble. This time the forces at DuPont assumed control of GM and Durant was out for good.
Next time I discuss cars, we will talk about the many adventures of Henry Ford.
Did You Know?
Buick is currently the oldest American car company still in operation. Oldsmobile was, until it was discontinued by GM in 2004.
The Ford family still controls the company that Henry Ford founded all those years ago.
The oldest car company still in operation in the world is Mercedes-Benz (Germany), followed by Peugeot (France).
The Curved Dash Oldsmobile was the first high-volume car in the world, 425 were produced in 1901.
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