The first cars ever made at the turn of the 20th century were typically named after their inventors – men like Gottlieb Daimler, Carl Benz and Henry Ford. But in the case of watchmaker’s son Louis Chevrolet, who was born in 1878 in La Chaux-de-Fonds and died in the car capital of the world, Detroit, in 1941, the man has always been overshadowed by the famous brand that took his name.
Louis Chevrolet developed a taste for speed early on in life, inheriting the urge to be mobile from his parents, with whom he moved to Burgundy in 1887. He was attracted to the bicycle, on which he competed in amateur races as a young man. Unsurprisingly, Chevrolet was soon diverting his gaze to the nascent car industry across the pond. It came as no surprise when he eventually moved to the United States in 1900 to make his mark.
Michel Layaz has written a book on Chevrolet, in which he describes how ambitious mechanics and engineers set the tone for the automobile revolution. The audacious Louis Chevrolet, who stood a dashing 1.85 m tall, soon became one of the pioneers of this euphoric era. Chevrolet earned the nickname “the daredevil Frenchman” for his breakneck exploits as a racing driver, winning his first race in 1905. But “Chevrolet not only loved four-wheel machines”, writes Layaz, “he also had an exceptional understanding of how they worked.” Chevrolet played a keen role in developing the cars that he drove, renowned for engineering as much as racing.
Adored by the masses for his spectacular, near-reckless driving style, Chevrolet also enjoyed an excellent reputation as a designer, attracting the attention of exponents like Billy Durant, the founder of General Motors. He and Durant had a love-hate relationship. This culminated in 1914 with Chevrolet walking away from the company that both he and Durant had established, and, as Layaz explains, giving Durant exclusive rights to the Chevrolet name. “Hard to believe but true,” notes the author.
Maybe herein lies the disconnect between Chevrolet the brand and Louis Chevrolet the person. Writing in short chapters, Layaz offers an unvarnished account of Louis Chevrolet’s life, finally giving the man behind the wheel the attention he deserves.
Charles Linsmayer‘s literary column will return in the December edition.
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