Chevrolet celebrates 112 years in the automotive industry

This year in November, Chevrolet celebrated 112 years as one of the largest companies in the automotive market. The brand, owned by General Motors, is the legacy of several generations, says Oswaldo León, Marketing Manager of Chevrolet Ecuador.

León tells historical events of the bow tie brand:

1.- The company was founded in 1911 in Detroit, Michigan, United States, by Louis Chevrolet, a Swiss motorsport fan, together with the American businessman William Durant, with whom he developed cars that quickly gained a reputation for their performance, durability and innovation .

2.- The first Chevrolet car was the C-series Classic Six, designed by Louis Chevrolet and his friend Etienne Planche, in 1911. This car cost $2,150 at launch. One of the reasons for the high price at the time was that it had a very powerful engine.

3.- Chevrolet’s famous “bow tie” first appeared in an advertisement before the end of 1913. Although there is no certainty about its origins, the theory most often mentioned in the brand’s history books is that Durant was inspired by the wallpaper design of a hotel room in Paris where he stayed to create the brand’s emblem.

4.- The famous Argentinian driver Juan Manuel Fangio and Chevrolet maintained a very close and successful relationship. In 1940, Fangio, who would later achieve worldwide fame as a Formula 1 driver, drove his 1940 Chevrolet to victory in a 13-day return race between Buenos Aires and Lima.

5.- Chevrolet was the first American manufacturer of low-cost vehicles to offer automatic transmissions, introducing the Powerglide system, optional on 1950 models.

6-. In 1962, the Beach Boys recorded 409, a tribute to the engines that equipped several of the brand’s models. The band immortalized Chevrolet models with the 409 engine in this issue, highlighting the brand’s heritage in auto racing.

7.- The 2007 blockbuster Transformers featured Bumblebee, a character who transformed into a yellow Camaro prototype. Later, Chevrolet released its Transformers special edition of the new 2010 Camaro.

8.- Chevrolet became one of the first companies to integrate a Wi-Fi hotspot into most of its vehicles in 2015.

9.- The Chevrolet Bolt EV, produced in 2016, was the first affordable car to run on electricity, with a range of over 321 km. It won several awards, including Car of the Year MotorTrend 2017 and the Green Car of the Year Reader’s choice.

10.- In Ecuador, the first vehicle of this emblematic brand arrived in 1926 through E-Maulme, a Chevrolet dealer that continues to operate in Guayaquil today. The first 100% Ecuadorian Chevrolet was a Blazer model, assembled in 1980. From then on, the brand’s great acceptance has revolutionized the automotive industry and has become the favorite of Ecuadorians.

The director says the brand continues to transform mobility today with a diverse and accessible portfolio, committed to leading the present to build a sustainable future in all markets where it operates. (JO)