William C. Durant
| William C. Durant | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
William Crapo Durant December 8, 1861 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | March 18, 1947 (aged 85) New York, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Business |
| Spouse(s) |
Clara Miller Pitt (div.) Catherine Lederer (1886-1947) |
| Children |
Margery Pitt Durant (1887-1969) Russell Clifford Durant (1890-1937) |
| Parent(s) | William Clark and Rebecca Folger (née Crapo) Durant |
William Crapo "Billy" Durant (December 8, 1861 – March 18, 1947) was a leading pioneer of the United States automobile industry, who created the system of multi-brand holding companies with different lines of cars; and the co-founder of General Motors with Frederic L. Smith, and of Chevrolet with Louis Chevrolet. He also founded Frigidaire.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Durant was the son of William Clark Durant and Rebecca Folger Crapo, who was born to a wealthy Massachusetts family of French descent, she being the daughter of Michigan governor Henry H. Crapo. William dropped out of high school to work in his grandfather's lumberyard, but by 1885, he had partnered with Josiah Dort to create the Coldwater Road Cart Company. He started out as a cigar salesman in Flint, Michigan, and eventually moved to selling carriages. He founded the Flint Road Cart Company in 1886, eventually transforming $2,000 in start-up capital into a $2-million business with sales around the world. By 1890, the Durant-Dort Carriage Company, based in Flint, had become a leading manufacturer of horse-drawn vehicles, which ultimately became number one in the world. Durant also conceived the modern system of automobile dealer franchises. When approached to become general manager of Buick in 1904, he made a similar success and was soon president of this horseless-vehicle company. In 1908, he arranged the incorporation by proxies of General Motors and quickly thereafter sold stock, and with the proceeds acquired Oldsmobile. The acquisitions of Oakland, Cadillac, and parts companies followed in a short order.
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