History of the Big Three American Auto Companies

[Palumboism]

Henry Ford's "Kitchen Sink" Engine, 1893

Henry Ford built his first experimental engine using scrap metal for parts. He tested it on the kitchen sink after supper on 1893. For ignition he ran a wire from the ceiling's light bulb. His wife, Clara, hand fed the gasoline to the intake valve while Henry spun the flywheel.

in 1896 at the age of 32, Ford created his first automobile the Quadriacycle.

Ford sold his first Quadricycle in 1896.  The success of the little vehicle led to the founding of the Detroit Automobile Company in 1899, followed by the Henry Ford Company in 1901 and then later the Ford Motor Company in 1903.  The last company is the one still in business today.

https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/artifact/224715/

[IroNat]

Henry Ford was a true genius.

[Dokey111]

people used to live their entire lives within a few miles radius of their homes.

[Palumboism]

David Dunbar Buick started the Auto-Vim and Power Company, in 1899 to create engines for agricultural use.  Buick soon turned to developing an entire car.

The car he produced had the first OHV two cylinder engine.  OHV engines are still produced by GM to this day in vehicles like the Silverado.

In 1906, Buick accepted a severance package and left the company that he had founded.  He sold the company to William "Bill" Durant.  When David Buick died in 1928 he was unable to even afford a phone call.

[IroNat]

There have been a zillion automakers over the years.

All but a few failed.

[Palumboism]

In 1908 Billy Durant founds General Motors Company and brings Buick into the company as it's first brand.  Oldsmobile is acquired the the same year followed by Cadillac and Oakland in 1909.

By 1910 the bankers force Billy Durant out of the company. 

Billy starts Chevrolet in 1911 and is able to trade shares in Chevrolet for GM shares to once again take controlling interest in GM by 1916.  in 1919 Chevrolet is brought into the General Motors company.  The following year, 1920 Billy Durant is ousted from the company.  That same year Alfred Sloan is made Vice President.  By 1923 Alfred Sloan is promoted to CEO.

[IroNat]

In 1908 Billy Durant founds General Motors Company and brings Buick into the company as it's first brand.  Oldsmobile is acquired the the same year followed by Cadillac and Oakland in 1909.

By 1910 the bankers force Billy Durant out of the company. 

Billy starts Chevrolet in 1911 and is able to trade shares in Chevrolet for GM shares to once again take controlling interest in GM by 1916.  in 1919 Chevrolet is brought into the General Motors company.  The following year, 1920 Billy Durant is ousted from the company.  That same year Alfred Sloan is made Vice President.  By 1923 Alfred Sloan is promoted to CEO.

Wild.

[SOMEPARTS]

OP forgot to login as "Funk51".   

[Palumboism]

What Alfred Sloan did with GM from 1923 till his retirement from the board in 1956 is truly astounding.  First off, he inherited a company that was incredibly difficult to manage with all the companies Billy had lumped together.  Sloan created the stepped system where each higher level brand was aspirational to the lower level customers.  Starting with Chevrolet at the low end followed by Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, and finally Cadillac at the most expensive top. 

Sloan put Harley Earl in charge of the first design department in 1927.  GM would lead the industry in design.

First Harley Earl designed car 1927LaSalle Phaeton.

[Palumboism]

The original Ford Model A is the first car produced by the Henry Ford Company, beginning production in 1903. After a dispute between Henry Ford and his investors, Ford left the company along with several of his key partners in 1902. 

A company called the Cadillac Automobile Company was established on 22 August 1902 using the 1903 model A as the basis for the first Cadillac with Henry Leland as the chief engineer.

The Ford Motor Company was incorporated in 1903 and is still in business. 

Only twelve people were allowed in the workshop where letter series cars were developed.  From 1904 to 1908 the Ford letter cars would go from B to T.

Model B (1904-1905)
Model AC (1904)
Model C (1904-1905)
Model F (1905-1906)
Model K (1906-1908)
Model N (1906-1908)
Model R (1907-1908)
Model S (1907-1908)

[Palumboism]

The Ford Model T would start production in 1908 with 458 produced that year.  Over the next nineteen years the Model T would go on to sell 15 million units.

In 1913 Ford introduced the moving chassis assembly line to the automotive industry.

in 1919 Edsel Ford takes over as president of Ford.  Lincoln is acquired in 1922 and the Model A is launched in 1927. 

The model A is launched with only a four cylinder engine while competition from Chevrolet and Dodge both had standard six cylinder engines.  Ford goes on to launch the flat head V8 in 1932.  The V8 option is only slightly more that the four cylinder and most customers pick this option.

[Palumboism]

In 1908 a locomotive engineer named Walter Chrysler visited a Chicago Auto show and decided to go heavily into debt to buy his first car.  He proceed to dis assemble and re-assemble it eight times before ever driving it.  Chrysler started at Buick in 1911 and would go on to become president of Buick. 

Chrysler resigned from Buick in 1919 and would go on to acquire the Maxwell Motor company in 1921 which he would later rename Chrysler.  Dodge was sold to Chrysler in 1928 and the Plymouth and DeSoto brands were added that year.

The first Plymouth was personally delivered to Henry Ford by Chrysler to let him know what they had created.