The day of 3rd of November 2011 marked the 100th birthday of one of the most important car brands in history.The following article shows some of the highlights in the history of a legendary car maker.

The company named Chevrolet was founded on the 3rd of November 1911 as a collaboration between Louis Chevrolet and William C. Durant.
Louis Chevrolet was born in Switzerland but he moved to France when he just a child and in 1900 he emigrated to the United States of America where he started his career in motorsport.In 1909 he joined the Buick Racing Team, owned by the business man William C. Durant that until the 1910 recession was part of the General Motors shareholders.
In 1911,Louis Chevrolet started to work at the prototype of a production car and William C. Durant proposed a collaboration between the two in order to create a car company named Chevrolet.Therefore in 1912 the first production car made by Chevrolet named Classic Six was launched.It was luxurious being powered by a six cylinders engine and had a price of 2.150 Dollars.
Later in 1913 Louis Chevrolet dedicated himself to the motorsport world making waves at the Indianapolis races especially at Indy 500.In 1916 Louis Chevrolet drove at this race a Fontenac car modified by him.Four years later, his brother Gaston Chevrolet won the Indy 500 driving this car but sadly he later died in the same car in a tragic crash.

Louis Chevrolet gave Durant the right to manufacture and sell cars with the name Chevrolet and in 1914 the brands logo was changed getting the shape that we know today.In 1915 Chevy became the rival of the Ford Model T having a price of 490 dollars, Chevrolet 490 became a success very fast.
In 1918 the grandpa of today’s trucks was launched with the chassis derived from the Chevy 490 and in was available with all kinds of body styles it could transport up to a ton which was great considering the price it was sold at.In the same year Chevrolet was bought by General Motors and William C. Durant became president of the company until 1920 when he started his own company named Durant Motors that went bankrupt in 1933 because of the recession.

In the 20′s Chevrolet consolidated its position but not only on the North American market but also in European countries like Denmark and Poland and even in Asia being popular in India and Japan.By 1925 Chevrolet has already sold more 500.000 vehicles all over the world and in 1927 it managed to pass Ford at sales already selling a total of 1 million cars.

In 1929 Chevrolet Six was considered the car that offers a six cylinder engine for the price of a four cylinder.This was the decade Chevrolet became a popular brand all over the world being extremely competitive for the price quality ratio.

During full economic crisis in 1932 Chevrolet managed to sell one of the most popular cars created at the time both in coupe and roadster version,Chevrolet Deluxe was an automobile that combined practicality with sportiness.
In 1934,Chevrolet introduced on the cheaper cars a technical solution used until then only on the luxury cars, the “Knee Action” independent front suspension.

In 1935 Chevy build its first manufacturing plant in Mexico becoming one of the most loved car brand by the Mexican people.In the same year Chevrolet Master became the first model with full Turret Top metallic body.In ’36 Chevrolet started a new segment in the automotive industry with the first generation of the Chevrolet Suburban (that was arguably the first SUV in the world). The Suburban had the rows of seats which was premiere then.The 40′s remain an age in which Chevrolet won its reputation between the small entrepreneurs thanks to the new range of utility trucks named: Advance Design Trucks.Chevrolet Pick-Up became in 1948 synonymous with the American economic boom and contributed decisively to the making of a new life style and transformed the truck in what they are today in America.

The half of the 20th century proved to be extremely important for Chevrolet.First of all in 1953 they launched their emblematic car the Corvette.The “Vette” along the great styling was an engineering premiere with its fiberglass body that meant light weight and great performance.
Later the Chevrolet Bel Air became extremely popular especially since in 1950 is was the first car to be available with an automatic gearbox named Powerglide.A golden Bel Air was the 50th million car sold by General Motors, fact that was celebrated in 1954 with a parade on national television.The star named Dinah Shore made a song named “See the USA in your Chevrolet” song that was later used on Chevy’s add campaigns.

In 1955 the legendary “small block” V8 makes its first appearance being a creation of the engineer Edward N. Cole.This type of engine powered most of the winning cars in diverse competitions and became one of the most significant technological innovations in Chevrolet’s history. In ’57 Chevrolet introduced as a world premiere the mechanic injection Ramjet system and the world first AWD system “Power Pack” with NAPCO origin for their Pick-Up Truck range.

Talking about trucks in 1955 a new family of light trucks made its appearance.Chevrolet Cameo with a special version named”gentleman’s pickup”, Cameo Carrier with a luxurious interior and special leather.The half truck El Camino was named “passenger car pickup”  and that at the same time became one of the most popular cars in South America.

1958 was remarkable for Chevy in many ways, it was the year the put into production a full-size sedan with rear wheel drive, the Chevrolet Impala.

Having very generous dimensions and an extravagant look is was very successful but mostly because of the low price.The Impala later became a legend build for decades in more than 20 million copies.

The sixth decade of the 20th century made its debut with an interesting premier for Chevrolet.The Corvair was the first and only American car to an air cooled engine placed in the back.Motortrend magazine named it “Car of the year” in 1960.Based on the Corvair two more models were launched that were very successful the Corvair 95 Panel Van and the Greenbrier Sports Wagon, both models being designed for camping amateurs.

In 1962 the Chevy II range of vehicles was launched which had a price even lower than the Corvair even for a convertible version,Chevy II Nova 400.In the same year the band The Beach Boys launched the hit song “409″ which is an homage to the Chevrolet cars that were powered by the famous 409 Cubic Inch engine that was winning any kind of 1/4 mile race both legal and illegal.
In 1963 the Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray was launched.The special design of this car made it famous.This was a car that all the celebrities of the time had to own it almost like the Prius in our times.Now the Corvette Sting Ray which was manufactured only in 1963 is one of the most rare cars searched worldwide by collectors.

In 1964 the intermediary car range was launched with models like the Chevrolet Chevelle which derived in the sport Chevelle SS version but also in the luxury version Malibu Sport Coupe or Convertible.
Later in 1969 Chevrolet launched a range of models for the upper class.There were big size luxury coupes with huge engines mounted on them.One of the most famous of these models was the Chevrolet Caprice.

The first generation of Chevrolet Camaro was launched in 1966.This was at first a more accessible version of the Corvette and it quickly became one of the most popular muscle cars.In 1967 a Camaro SS Convertible was used as a pace-car in the Indianapolis 500 race.

This was repeated in 1969( that model went instantly in Chevy’s museum).From 1948 onward Chevrolet had no less than 22 Pace Cars in the Indy 500 Race, more than any other car manufacturer in the world.

In 1967 was also launched the new generation of the Suburban, a three door version which had only one door on the drivers side and two on the right side.This feature made this model popular as an ambulance and firefighting vehicle.
1967 was  a rich year in new car launches for Chevrolet.

The third gen of the Corvette was launched in ’67, being the first ever sports car with a detachable roof named “T-Top”. Three special Corvette models were offered to the astronauts of the Apollo 12 mission before they took of in 14 November 1969.

In 1970 Chevrolet launched on the market the most powerful street-legal muscle car ever sold:Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454.This Chevy had the biggest engine ever mounted on a coupe.It was a 7.2(454 Cubic Inch) V8 engine named RPO LS-6 V8, this engine produced 450 HP.In the same year the new generation of Camaro was launched which was available with a Z28 version which could be ordered with an RS package.At the beginning of this decade Chevrolet launched the Monte Carlo,the car with the longest hood in history, more than six feet.In contradiction in 1971 Chevrolet launched the Chevrolet Vega, a subcompact model equipped with a four cylinder engine.The main attraction of this car model was the price which was extremely low.In 1974 it became one of the best selling American cars entering the top ten.

Chevrolet launched later in 1976 its first global selling model: the Chevette.The Chevette was the most fuel efficient car of its time and it’s very fuel efficient even by today standards.In 1977 the downsizing trend hit the market and the Impala and the Caprice had their length reduced by almost 1 feet.The weight was also reduced drastically in most models with an average reduction of 500 lbs.Motortrend named the Caprice “Car of the Year 1977″.

Moving on to 1980 Chevrolet introduced the new Citation.This was a front wheel drive car that was already awarded in the past with the “Motortrend car of the Year” title.The downsizing trend continued through 1982 Chevrolet launching the subcompact models Cavalier and Celebrity.Also in 1982 was launched the third generation of Camaro.This model was almost six inches shorter than the previous generation and its engine produced only between 90 and 165 HP.

The Z28 version was chosen to be pace car at the Indy 500 race in 1982.In 1985 Chevy launched the IROC-Z version of the Camaro.This was a tribute in honor of the International Race of Champions Championship.

During 1983 Chevrolet launched the new Blazer that created a new segment in the SUV category and soon it has become the most important and appreciated SUV in America.During the same year the forth gen of Corvette was launched, the C4.The sales of the Corvette C4 started in 1984 because of some problems in the production system.

In 1986 the Corvette became the first Chevrolet sold with ABS as standard equipment.In the next two following years Chevy launched a new range of pick-up trucks with features like Extended-Cab offered for the first time.Chevrolet won the Indianapolis 500 race in 1988 as a result of equipping its race car with a new V8 engine.They’ve repeated this performance six more times until 2002.

In 1989 Chevrolet began to sell models like the Geo Metro and Lumina realized in collaboration with the specialist in small cars Suzuki.
By the end of the 20th century Chevrolet was one of the most important car brands in the world and was the most important brand owned by General Motors.As a consequence of this success Chevy launched in 1991 the Caprice, a full-size luxury sedan which got the title “Motortrend Car of the Year 1991″.

In the same year Chevrolet launched the marketing campaign named “Like a Rock”. This marketing campaign that was dedicated to Chevy trucks got to be so successful that it lasted until 2004.In 1992 Chevrolet became the car manufacturer with the biggest range of models sold with ABS as standard, so they took a class leading spot in car safety also.

’92 Was also the year when the Corvette with the number one million was sold and later the fifth gen of the Corvette was launched in 1997 introducing a new family of small-block V8 engines named LS1.The forth generation of the Camaro was launched in 1993 and once again it was chosen as a pace car at the Indy 500 race.

In ’94 the last generation of the full-size Impala sedans was launched with an SS version also available.

Chevrolet started very successfully in the new millennium unveiling in 2005 the sixth generation of Corvette with a V8 engine that made more than 400 HP and that according to the tradition was pace car at Indy 500 in 2005 being driven by the ex-secretary of state Colin Powell.

The true revolution for Chevrolet began only in 2007 when Chevrolet presented the revolutionary Volt Concept that used a new alternative propulsion system.In the same the year the blockbuster movie “Transformers” introduced us to the most beautiful woman in the world Megan Fox and with one of the most beautiful cars ever made the future generation of Chevrolet Camaro that was launched officially in 2009.

After the Camaro became available on the market in 2009 Chevrolet launched the ZR-1 version of the Corvette producing 638 HP was the most powerful car ever made by both Chevrolet and General Motors.By the end of the decade Chevrolet introduced new full-size SUV models like the Traverse and Equinox which became quickly the best selling cars in their segment.

In 2010 Chevrolet invaded the whole world with their new gen cars.The first model sold of this “new age” current was the Cruze which in less than two years since its launch was sold in more than 1 million units sold all over the world.In the USA, Cruze has become the first high safety standard car with its 10 standard airbags.

Probably one of the most crucial models sold in 2011 is the Chevrolet Volt an electric powered car that uses a range-extender system to get an autonomy of 310 Miles;2011 was also the year when in instant collectible Chevy was launched, the limited edition:Chevrolet Corvette Centennial Special Edition.This car is bound to become a collectors piece with its blistering fast performance that embarrasses any supercar and its surprisingly low price tag its now one of the most wanted cars in the world.

Last but not least we need to talk about Chevy’s success in motorsport in the past two years.Chevrolet won both in 2010 and 2011 the World Touring Car Championship, both at the best pilots and best manufacturer category, one of their pilots being Jason Plato, the famous presenter at the TV show Fifth Gear.The Chevy Cruze is becoming one of the most feared car models in the auto industry, all its rivals having to do substantial improvements to beat it.At the same time the Corvette won the GTE Pro Class during the 24h LeMans race, this being the seventh victory of the American model at this race from 2001 onwards.

Starting 1912 Chevrolet produced more than 200 million cars and in this moment Chevrolet was over 40.000 employees in 30 manufacturing plants worldwide.Chevrolet cars are sold in over 120 countries on all of the seven continents and in Europe the companies officials have the objective to become the best selling non-european car brand.Just in 2011 Chevrolet launched seven brand new models that cover most of the markets segments.This makes Chevrolet the fastest growing car brand in the world.

To be honest I’ve always been a huge fan of American cars but Chevy will always be close to my heart since I’ve learned to drive on one.God bless Chevy !