Who Owns Chevrolet And How Long Has It Been Around?

In the annals of the American automobile history, there are few names quite as revered as that of Chevrolet. There's good reason for that, as the automaker has produced as solid a stream of cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles as any Stateside manufacturer. There have even been a few legitimate automotive icons in the company's lineup, with names like Impala, Corvette, Silverado, and Suburban fronting the pack of Chevrolet's most successful models. 

Given the Chevrolet Silverado's 2023 ranking as the second best-selling vehicle in America, and the continued loyalty bestowed upon the Chevy brand by consumers, there's little reason to think its standing will fade anytime in the foreseeable future. But even as vehicles bearing the iconic Chevy bowtie logo continue to rate among the best-loved American-made automobiles, there's one fact about the manufacturer that even brand enthusiasts may not realize, which is that Chevrolet is not a standalone company. In fact, for most of Chevrolet's history, the company has been owned by General Motors, which also owns several other car brands, and over the years has been home to dozens of others.

General Motors has owned Chevrolet since the early days of its existence, taking control of the automaker in 1918, just seven years after its founding. Yes, that means that Chevrolet has existed since 1911, which ranks Chevy among the oldest American auto brands still in existence, with only Buick, Ford, and Cadillac preceding it. 

Chevrolet was spawned from a partnership between Louis Chevrolet, a Swiss race car driver and engineer, and William C. Durant, a co-founder of GM and head of the Buick Motor Company. As the story goes, Durant had previously hired Chevrolet to drive Buicks in promotional races, with the driver's successes inspiring the Durant to form a new automobile company. With Louis Chevrolet's help, Durant produced the company's first vehicle, dubbed the Series C Classic Six, in 1911. 

Chevrolet was incorporated in Michigan that year, with the Classic Six serving as its first production car. In 1914, Chevrolet's mysterious bowtie logo would make its debut, and four years later, the company produced its first truck . That truck rolled off the line the same year GM acquired Chevy, and over the ensuing century-plus, the brand become as legit an American icon as you'll find on the roadway.