The Chevrolet Motor Car Company was founded in 1911 by Louis Chevrolet and William C Durant.  That year, the company released its first vehicle, the Chevrolet Series C Classic Six.  The Classic Six was expensive, but it was large, powerful and highly stylized.  Two years later, the iconic bowtie Chevrolet emblem was released.  Despite the automaker’s early success, Chevrolet would not remain its own company for long.

On this day, May 2nd, in 1918, General Motors purchased the Chevrolet Motor Company.  Co-founder William Durant had sold his stake in the company in 1915 after disagreements regarding vehicle affordability.  Durant purchased a controlling interest in General Motors by 1916.  As president of General Motors, Durant created the Chevrolet merger.  Under the control of General Motors, Chevrolet went on to be one of Ford’s top competitors throughout the early 20th century. Chevrolet became most popular in the 1950s and 1960s with the introduction of the Chevrolet Corvette.

Currently, Corvette nearly has a 37% market share of the American automotive market  with significant international presence as well.  In 2011, Chevrolet sold a record 4.76 million vehicles worldwide.  A modern version of Louis Chevrolet’s bowtie emblem is still used today.