Chevrolet is practically a household name as far as the automotive industry goes and for racing enthusiast, the fact that the brand claimed six Indianapolis 500 wins consecutively from 1986 to 1993 and also five consecutive wins of the CART World Series from 86’ to 92’, the name Chevrolet is a representation of prestige. Among the more popular drivers who were instrumental towards Chevrolet wining the races includes Rick Mears, Michael Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Danny Sullivan. The peak of Chevrolet success was when the brand replaced Oldsmobile as for the Indy Car Series between 2002 and 2005 after which had little success with the subsequent races. The races were crucial to the brand and its hiatus from the races had a negative impact on sales until Chevrolet decided to return to Indy Car in 2012 which saw the likes of Team Penske, KV Racing, and others involved and using Chevy engines. Chevrolet won several races including the 2013 and 2015 Indianapolis 500, as well as three drivers’ championships.
Chevrolet History in Brief
Louis Chevrolet along with General Motors founder William C. Durant who was ousted from GM started Chevrolet towards the end of 1911 (Chevrolet Motor Car Company) which Durant strategically used to acquire a stake in General Motors that allowed him control over GM and pull of a reverse merger in the middle of 1918. He found his way back into GM presidency from which he was again ousted less than a year later. However, this did not prevent Alfred Sloan from developing “a car for every purse and purpose” for which the Chevrolet brand became the centrepiece in an effort to compete with the Model T by Henry Ford. Chevrolet eventually (a decade later) overtook Ford as the best-selling car in 1929. Chevrolets progress from then on depended on how well they catered for the automobile market in the US and ultimately the world. The Chevy as it was colloquially referred to as in savvy fashion became an iconic American brand. Today, Chevy’s are found in just about any country that has an automobile industry
Recalls
Chevy’s however did not escape the ‘curse of the millennium recalls’ as some refer to as Chevrolet cars and Chevrolet related brands have seen a large number of recalls over the last decade. The recalls ranged from plain suspension issues, faulty braking systems, to issues related to explosive airbags which resulted in thousands of these cars being recalled. Again, the fault cannot be squared on the Chevrolet brand which has a reputation for maintaining stringent quality control measures. Although, the company accepted the fault as theirs, the actual truth is that most of these defects were 3rd party related and in some very few cases, personnel related, all of which has been resolved by the company amicably keeping owners, staff and reputation in a happy place. Repairs should be undertaken by your local dealership free of charge and not using your Chevrolet factory service manual. Chevrolet is poised to make its mark within the racing circuit again according to rumours and whispers that the company is working on a brand-new model that will make its debut soon enough.