It's always interesting to embark on the treasure hunt that is a historic retrospective. You have an idea of what you're seeking, but you never know what else you might find along the way. It's a gold mine for trivia types who can come up with little-known information for use in the next post-race party.
The racing history of General Motors reaches into its next century soon. It would be ludicrous to suggest we can provide a comprehensive history piece on the relatively few pages we can devote to the subject. There will be no such ill-advised move, but in the near future we hope to expand upon some of GM's significant events and people, mostly those who were active in the post-World War II era to today. It's an ambitious project for sure, and it won't be possible without the help of some key people within the GM corporate structure. The groundwork is being laid as we put these words on paper.
The Beginning Actually, General Motors' racing involvement began before there was a General Motors. Its history is traced back to 1903, and historic accounts take us to the Atlantic coast of Florida near Daytona. The beach would be the proving ground. Alexander Winton, a racer whose claim to fame to that point was a defeat at the hands of Henry Ford in 1901, met up with Ransom E. Olds, owner of the Olds Motor Works Company of Michigan. Olds offered up a machine he called "The Pirate" for this contest. The Pirate, with W.T. Thomas at the controls, raced Winton's "Bullet" and the event was called a draw. Later, the Pirate would establish a land speed record of 54.38 mph at Ormond Beach, Florida. The car was taken north to an event produced by the Auto Club of Syracuse, New York. With Dan Wurgis driving, the Pirate established a record land speed mark for a 5-mile distance. It covered the course in 5:49, an average speed of 52 mph, on September 12, 1903. It held the mark for cars weighing less than 1,200 pounds. The car used the symbolic "curved dash" of the Olds production line.
General Motors was organized by Billy Durant, who founded the company despite his perceived aversion to the automobile. He was a carriage man, having made his way in life through the Durant-Dort Carriage Company, producing 150,000 vehicles a year in 1890. In 1904, after the Buick Manufacturing Company had been through numerous struggles, an executive with Buick sought help from Durant. Impressed by the car's ability to climb a hill, Durant became president of Buick.
The Buick name came from Scottish immigrant David Dunbar Buick, who made his fortune in the plumbing business. He was a tinkerer, and his obsession with engines led him to a second career. However, his business acumen was substandard, which opened the door for Durant.
Durant served as president of Buick until 1908. At that time, there was some movement to try to merge the top auto producers. On September 16, 1908, Durant incorporated General Motors of New Jersey with a capital of $2,000 and parlayed the money into $12 million in 12 days. With the monetary backing in place, Durant acquired Buick first. Six weeks later, Oldsmobile was added to the fold. Cadillac, the company started by Henry Leland, came next. Durant also acquired majority interest, then complete interest in the Oakland Company, later named Pontiac. General Motors had several major players in its fold.
Within two years, Durant lost control of GM, but remained in the automotive industry. One of his ventures was the founding of Chevrolet Motor Company with performance enthusiast Louis Chevrolet. He returned to power at General Motors in 1915, bringing the Chevrolet Motor Company with him into the GM fold. Durant was forced out again five years later and never regained power.