William C. Durant
1861–1947
William Crapo Durant
Founder of General Motors · Co-founder of Chevrolet · Carriage maker
American businessman who took over Buick in 1904, founded General Motors in 1908 and co-founded Chevrolet, losing control of GM in 1910 and 1920.
- Born
- 8 December 1861Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Died
- 18 March 1947New York City, United States
- Nationality
- American
Biography
William Crapo Durant was born in Boston on 8 December 1861. In 1886 he and Josiah Dallas Dort founded the Flint Road Cart Company. By 1890 their Durant-Dort Carriage Company of Flint, Michigan, was one of the leading makers of horse-drawn vehicles.
On 1 November 1904 Durant took control of the struggling Buick Motor Company, and on 16 September 1908 he founded General Motors as a holding company. GM bought Olds Motor Works that November and added Cadillac and the Oakland Motor Car company, later replaced by Pontiac, in 1909. In 1910 bankers took control of GM and forced him out. In 1911 he started Chevrolet with the racing driver Louis Chevrolet, whom he bought out in 1914.
Durant regained control of General Motors in 1916 and became its president, but lost it for good in 1920 to the du Pont and McLaughlin shareholders. He founded Durant Motors in 1921; after the 1929 crash that company failed in 1933, and Durant was bankrupt by 1936. In his last years he ran a bowling alley and restaurant in Flint. He died in New York City on 18 March 1947, and in 1968 his name joined the Automotive Hall of Fame.
Timeline
- 1886Co-founds the Flint Road Cart Company[1]
- 1904Takes control of Buick[1]
- 1908Founds General Motors; buys Olds Motor Works[1]
- 1909GM adds Cadillac and Oakland[1]
- 1910Forced out of GM[1]
- 1911Starts Chevrolet with Louis Chevrolet[1]
- 1916Regains control of GM as president[1]
- 1920Loses control of GM[1]
- 1921Founds Durant Motors[1]
- 1968Honoured by the Automotive Hall of Fame[1]
William C. Durant in 1CARS stories
- Nash — The Kenosha Company That Made Small Cars Respectable
- GMC — General Motors' Truck Brand From Pontiac to the Hummer EV
- Chevrolet 490 — the Four-Ninety That Took On the Model T
- Pontiac History: From Oakland's Companion to GM's Performance Brand
- The History of General Motors: How Durant's Holding Company Became GM
- Chevrolet History: How a Racer's Name Became GM's Biggest Brand
- The History of Buick: The Brand That Built General Motors
Related people
Sources
- William C. Durant — Wikipedia · accessed 20 October 2026