William Durant
William Crapo "Billy" Durant (born December 8, 1861 in Boston , Massachusetts , † March 18, 1947 in Manhattan , New York City ) was the founder of the major automobile company General Motors and the automobile manufacturer Chevrolet (in partnership with Louis Chevrolet ).
His grandfather was Michigan governor Henry Crapo . After dropping out of high school , he managed to become a leading manufacturer of horse-drawn carriages. In 1904 he entered the automotive sector, became General Manager of Buick and shortly afterwards President. In 1908 he founded General Motors. Through successful stock deals, he managed to acquire Oldsmobile , the Oakland Motor Car Company (later Pontiac ) and Cadillac . After attempting to take over Ford in 1910, General Motors fired him. In 1911 he founded the Chevrolet Motor Car Company in Detroit with Louis Chevrolet . When Chevrolet was taken over by General Motors in 1918, Durant returned to the helm of General Motors.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Durant, William |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Durant, William Crapo "Billy" (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | General Motors founder |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 8, 1861 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Boston |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 18, 1947 |
| Place of death | Manhattan |