HowStuffWorks "How Chevrolet Works"

[http://www.howstuffworks.com/] SUBSCRIBE Adventure Animals Auto Culture Entertainment Health Home & Garden Lifestyle Money Science Tech Video Shows Quizzes Auto Basics Tech and Transport Auto Parts & Systems Auto Racing Buying & Selling Car Models Driving & Safety Fuel Efficiency Motorcycles Trucks Under the Hood Home / Auto / Car Models / Modern Cars / Chevrolet More Stuff Like This Top 5 Reasons Your Car Is Vibrating 10 Fastest Cars in the World Puzzle: Shanghai Roundabout How Chevrolet Works by the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide Page 1 Chevrolet Origins 2 Chevrolets of the 1930s 3 Chevrolet's Royal Clipper Styling 4 Management Changes at Chevrolet By the time this 1931 Chevrolet station wagon was introduced, Chevy was GM's largest volume division. William C. Durant founded General Motors in 1908 but was ousted two years later, so he formed Chevrolet in 1911, intending to make it a powerful lever for regaining control. He did. By 1915, Chevrolet was a force to be reckoned with; by 1918 it was part of General Motors; by the mid-'20s, it was GM's largest volume division -- and has been ever since. Early Chevys were largish, medium-price cars with six-cylinder and even V-8 power. The make's historic turn to the low-price field came with the four-cylinder "490" of 1915, named for its advertised list price. It was a big success, outflanking Ford's Model T with more attractive styling and more features. Its closely related successors were Chevy's mainstay products into the late '20s. However, Chevy didn't pass Ford in production until 1927, the year Dearborn stopped building the aged T to retool for the Model A. Then, in 1929, Chevrolet introduced its new "Stovebolt Six," also known as the "Cast-Iron Wonder." The nicknames stemmed from the engine's cast-iron pistons and numerous 1/4-inch slotted bolts -- hardly esoteric, but wonderfully effective and reliable as Old Faithful. ­ The Stovebolt was engineered by Ormond E. Hunt from an earlier design by Henry M. Crane that had evolved into the 1926 Pontiac engine. By 1930, it produced an even 50 brake horsepower from 194 cubic inches. With various improvements, this solid, overhead-valve engine would remain Chevrolet's only powerpla­nt for nearly three decades. For 1934, ne­w combustion chambers prompted the name "Blue Flame," and two versions would be offered through 1935: 60-bhp, 181 cid and 80-bhp, 206.8 cid. The six was then redesigned for 1937 to be shorter and lighter. It also gained nearly "square" cylinder dimensions as well as four (versus three) main bearings. The result was 85 bhp from 216.5 cid. It was with this engine in 1940 that a young Juan Manuel Fangio won the car-breaking 5900-mile round-trip road race between Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Lima, Peru, at an average speed of 53.6 mph. Fangio continued to race Chevrolets after World War II, but eventually switched to Grand Prix cars and became a legend as the first five-time world champion driver. More Chevrolet Information Created by the founder of General Motors, Chevrolet started as a competitor to GM and eventually became a part of the dominant automaker. For more info on the perennial Chevy, check out these sites. Chevrolet New Car Reviews and Prices Chevrolet Used Car Reviews and Prices Print Cite This! Close Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks article: the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide. "How Chevrolet Works" 14 June 2007. HowStuffWorks.com. 30 June 2014. Citation & Date Feedback Page 1 Chevrolet Origins 2 Chevrolets of the 1930s 3 Chevrolet's Royal Clipper Styling 4 Management Changes at Chevrolet 5 Chevrolet Bel Air 6 1955, 1956, 1957 Chevrolets 7 Chevrolet Impala 8 Chevrolets of the 1960s More To Explore More Great Links Top 10 Green Driving Tips 5 Scariest Stunt Car Feats The Ultimate CarStuff Fan Quiz 5 Warning Signs You Need New Tires 10 Most Expensive Classic Cars Watch American Chopper videos >> You Might Also Like 1987-1990 BMW M3 Although its collectibility is questionable now the 1987-1990 BMW M3 -- which was designed for the racetrack -- may be more valuable in the future due to low production numbers. Learn more about the 1987-1990 BMW M3. How Oldsmobile Cars Work Oldsmobile earned the reputation of being GM''s ''experimental'' division in the 1930s. Learn how Oldsmobile and Olds Motor Vehicle Company became the only American carmaker founded in the 19th century to survive to the 21st. 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