And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Those are all great names of the American auto industry...but Ferdinand Porsche with his 4 cylinder Bugs, Vans and Dual Carb Speedsters won me over in the 60s .
I think the 2nd most interesting creator, after Henry Ford, is William Crapo Durant. He founded GM. He lost it when the DuPonts got mad at him. Founded Maxwell, which Walter Chrysler bought and renamed. Founded several other car companies.
Fantasticly wealthy at one point, he wound up running a bowling alley in Cleveland with visions of making it a nationwide chain.
I've read a couple of biographies. Fabulously interesting from birth to death.
The Jeep Cherokee is named after Cherokee Plantation, near Yemassee, SC. Various ridiculous monies and such lead to such things if you have access to that level of wealth. I of course don't, but have been on Cherokee Plantation, and it is stunningly beautiful.
We are of the 'have nots' of this world.
My apologies to the guys who may happen to belong there if you are here...lol.
Henry Leland sold Cadillac to GM and then went on to found Lincoln Motors which he then sold to Ford. Ransom Eli Olds sold Olds Motor Works and then founded REO, using his initials when threatened with legal action if his new car was sold using the Olds name. Al_in_Ottawa
Actually, William Crapo Durant started at Studebaker as an executive, then bought Buick from David Buick in a stock deal. Bought Cadillac from LeLand and Olds in another stock deal to create General Motors in the early 'teens. Was ousted by the GM board and then put the Cheverolet brothers in business competing with Fords model T and in a mid-teens slow down used Chevy stock to acquire majority interest in GM and fold Chevy into GM. BTW, Fords first auto company is not the Ford of today. Henry was forced out of the first by investors who renamed the company Cadillac. Crapo introduced DuPont (made a killing selling dynamite and tnt to both sides during the WW1) to take the excess profits and buy GM shares. At one point GM was selling at $2000 a share. Crapo had 2,000,000 shares. During the post war recession GM was down to $10 and Crapo lost control of GM again. But he had backers and started Star Motors. Good cars that had a fatal flaw, they were inline sixes that were air cooled with copper fins. As an aside Walter Chrysler was running one of the axle supplier plants and Crapo purchased it just to get Chrysler and his business acumen.
Mr Chevrolet was Swiss, not French. That's what my father told me when I asked him why we bought Chevys. We migrated from there in the 1760s.
ReplyDeleteHe should've used that awesome 'stash for his company logo.
Delete-lg
Those are all great names of the American auto industry...but Ferdinand Porsche with his 4 cylinder Bugs, Vans and Dual Carb Speedsters won me over in the 60s .
DeleteHis nickname was "Louis the Lid". Not sure why.
DeleteWhere are Hector Hyundai, Kermit Kia, and Tommy Toyota?
ReplyDelete...And don't forget Maynard Mazda and Natalie Nisan
DeleteI think the 2nd most interesting creator, after Henry Ford, is William Crapo Durant. He founded GM. He lost it when the DuPonts got mad at him. Founded Maxwell, which Walter Chrysler bought and renamed. Founded several other car companies.
ReplyDeleteFantasticly wealthy at one point, he wound up running a bowling alley in Cleveland with visions of making it a nationwide chain.
I've read a couple of biographies. Fabulously interesting from birth to death.
They'd be dismayed at all the crap hanging on their engines now.
ReplyDeleteTitans of Industry
ReplyDeleteThe Jeep Cherokee is named after Cherokee Plantation, near Yemassee, SC. Various ridiculous monies and such lead to such things if you have access to that level of wealth. I of course don't, but have been on Cherokee Plantation, and it is stunningly beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWe are of the 'have nots' of this world.
My apologies to the guys who may happen to belong there if you are here...lol.
Henry Leland sold Cadillac to GM and then went on to found Lincoln Motors which he then sold to Ford. Ransom Eli Olds sold Olds Motor Works and then founded REO, using his initials when threatened with legal action if his new car was sold using the Olds name.
ReplyDeleteAl_in_Ottawa
Shame on you! "You made it too good Tucker!"
ReplyDeleteActually, William Crapo Durant started at Studebaker as an executive, then bought Buick from David Buick in a stock deal. Bought Cadillac from LeLand and Olds in another stock deal to create General Motors in the early 'teens. Was ousted by the GM board and then put the Cheverolet brothers in business competing with Fords model T and in a mid-teens slow down used Chevy stock to acquire majority interest in GM and fold Chevy into GM. BTW, Fords first auto company is not the Ford of today. Henry was forced out of the first by investors who renamed the company Cadillac. Crapo introduced DuPont (made a killing selling dynamite and tnt to both sides during the WW1) to take the excess profits and buy GM shares. At one point GM was selling at $2000 a share. Crapo had 2,000,000 shares. During the post war recession GM was down to $10 and Crapo lost control of GM again. But he had backers and started Star Motors. Good cars that had a fatal flaw, they were inline sixes that were air cooled with copper fins. As an aside Walter Chrysler was running one of the axle supplier plants and Crapo purchased it just to get Chrysler and his business acumen.
ReplyDeleteSpin