From the visionary pioneers who sparked the birth of the automobile industry to the modern-day titans steering some of our largest corporations, the automotive world has been shaped by larger-than-life executives.
Daring risk-takers, ingenious innovators, and hard-nosed businessmen – these are the captains of industry who have left an indelible imprint on society’s transportation landscape. Join us as we explore the pivotal leaders and powerhouse personalities who have driven the auto industry from its humble origins in the 19th century through today.
Lee Iacocca
Lee (real name Lido) Iacocca (1924-2019) is best known for developing the Ford Mustang and reviving the Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s. He worked for the Ford Motor Company for many years before being terminated by Henry Ford II due to a clash in personalities. He served as president and CEO of Chrysler from 1978 to 1992, saving it from bankruptcy and turning it into a profitable company.
Alfred P. Sloan Jr.
Alfred P. Sloan Jr. (1875-1966) was a long-time president, chairman, and CEO of General Motors. He is credited with establishing GM’s innovative organizational structure and management techniques, which helped it become the world’s largest and most profitable manufacturing enterprise for much of the 20th century. He encouraged healthy disagreements among employees in meetings, This would allow him to gain the upper hand in creating decisions that needed to be made.
Walter Chrysler
Walter Chrysler (1875-1940) was an automotive industry executive who founded the Chrysler Corporation in 1925. After working in the railroad industry, he quit when he received an offer to become a manager with Buick. He is credited with rescuing the Maxwell Motor Company by absorbing it into his new brand, the Chrysler Corporation. Chrysler would become one of the “Big Three” American automakers.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk (1971-) has made significant contributions to the automotive industry. As the co-founder and CEO of Tesla, Inc., he has been instrumental in popularizing electric vehicles and pushing the boundaries of automotive technology, including autonomous driving features. He is a controversial figure in the auto industry, but we cannot deny the impact he will have on the cars of tomorrow.
Soichiro Honda
Soichiro Honda (1906-1991) was a Japanese engineer and industrialist who founded the Honda Motor Company in 1948. He revolutionized the motorcycle industry and later expanded into automobile production, making Honda one of the world’s largest and most innovative car manufacturers.
Fun fact – as a child Honda would use a rubber bicycle pedal cover to forge a stamp. This stamp would be used on his report card to prove a parent saw it – when they really did not. His passion was not for school, but in helping his dad in his shop!
Nicolaus Otto
Nicolaus Otto (1832-1891) was a German engineer who invented the four-stroke internal combustion engine in 1876, which became the basis for most modern automobile engines. Otto would go on to obtain several patents for his inventions. One patent would later be lost when it was found another engineer, Beau De Rochas, was the first to create the concept of a four-engine cycle. But, he never actually built one like Otto had. This loss allowed Otto’s engines to be sold, without the need to pay Otto any royalties.
Alan Mulally
Alan Roger Mulally (1945-) served as the president and CEO of Ford Motor Company from 2006 to 2014. He is credited with leading Ford’s successful turnaround and transformation during the global financial crisis. He also worked as an engineer for Boeing making many contributions to various projects.
Gottlieb Daimler
The pioneering German inventor Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler (1834-1900) worked with Wilhelm Maybach to contribute to the evolution of the internal combustion engine. Building upon the groundbreaking four-stroke engine design conceived by Nicolaus Otto, Daimler, and Maybach collaboratively engineered an innovative variant that presaged the modern gasoline engine. The V-shaped, dual-cylinder, four-stroke engine developed by the visionary duo continues to serve as a blueprint for contemporary automobile engines. Daimler and Maybach established the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (Daimler Motors Corporation) in 1890, dedicated to the commercial production of engines and, subsequently, motor vehicles.
Louis-Joseph Chevrolet
Louis-Joseph Chevrolet (1878-1941) was a Swiss-born American race car driver and automobile engineer who co-founded the Chevrolet Motor Car Company with William C. Durant in 1911. Chevrolet became one of the most successful American automobile brands of all time.
Ransom E. Olds
Ransom Eli Olds (1864-1950) founded the Olds Motor Vehicle Company (later Oldsmobile). He was the first to establish a system of suppliers, mass-produce automobiles using an assembly line, and extensively advertise and market his cars. This system would become the first of what we know today as an assembly line. The first car to be built using this mass production was the Oldsmobile Curved Dash in 1901.
Walter Owen Bentley
Walter Owen Bentley (1888-1971) was an engineer who founded Bentley Motors Limited in 1919. He already had built a great reputation for his aircraft and auto designs so starting his own firm was the obvious next step. Bentley became known for producing high-performance luxury automobiles and winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans race five times in the 1920s. He would sell his company to Rolls-Royce in 1931.
Carl Benz
Carl (or Karl) Benz (1844-1929) was a German engineer credited with building the first gasoline-powered automobile in 1885, marking a historic milestone in the automotive industry. His Benz Patent Motorcar was considered the first practical auto and was the first to be put into production. Benz has been referred to as the “father of the automobile industry”.
Kiichiro Toyoda
Kiichiro Toyoda (1894-1952) was a Japanese engineer, businessman, and son of Sakichi Toyoda, founder of Toyoda Loom Works. Kiichiro Toyoda would encourage his dad to expand the business into the automotive world. This led to him creating the Toyota Motor Corporation brand in 1937. He has been a key reason why Japanese automobiles have a position in the industry. Some believe the Japanese auto industry would be much less developed without his influence.
Wilhelm Maybach
Wilhelm Maybach (1846-1929) was a German engineer and close associate of Gottlieb Daimler. Together they developed a high-speed internal combustion that could be used in air, land, and water vehicles. He would later start Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH where he and his son would create Zeppelin engines. In 1919 he would start production on the luxury car called Maybach.
Ferdinand Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1951) is best known as the founder of Porsche AG. Prior to starting his own company, he was best known for the creation of the Volkswagen Beetle, Mercedes Benz SS/SSK and the first gasoline-electric hybrid called the Lohner-Porsche. He also contributed to war efforts by helping to create a variety of advanced tanks.
John DeLorean
John Zachary DeLorean (1925-2005) was an American automotive engineer and executive who founded the DeLorean Motor Company. He is best known for designing the iconic DeLorean DMC-12 sports car, which was featured in the “Back to the Future” film franchise. He also worked at General Motors and managed the production of several top-selling cars like Pontiac Firebird, Pontiac GTO, and others. Sadly, DMC did not make it mainstream due to various problems including a slowing market, production delays, and poor reviews.
Rudolf Diesel
Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel (1858-1913) was a German engineer who invented the diesel engine in 1893. This engine would prove to be much more efficient than steam and gasoline engines at the time. Diesel engines and diesel fuel are both named for him.
Henry Ford
Henry Ford (1863-1947) is undoubtedly one of the most recognized names from the auto industry. He left home for Chicago at age 16 and spent years repairing and constructing engines. He founded the Ford Motor Company in 1903. His Ford Model T, introduced in 1908, made automobiles affordable for the average consumer and transformed the industry. It is still considered one of the big three brands in the automotive industry.
William Durant
William Crapo Durant (1861-1947) was a visionary entrepreneur in the early days of the automobile industry. He started as a high school dropout but became a natural salesman. Durant founded General Motors in 1908, turning it into an automotive empire. He had a knack for acquiring and consolidating car companies. Despite being ousted from GM twice, he bounced back each time. Durant co-founded Chevrolet and used it to regain control of GM. He pioneered the concept of a diverse automotive portfolio, offering cars for different markets and price points. Though he lost his fortune in the 1929 stock market crash, Durant’s impact on the auto industry was lasting. His innovative business model is still used by many successful car companies today
Charles Nash
Charles Williams Nash (1864-1948) served as the 5th president of General Motors and founded Nash Motors. He would bring the company huge growth in production and profits. His first venture into autos was when he was hired by William C. Durant of the Durant-Dort Carriage Company (formerly the Flint Road Cart Company). That job allowed him to grow so much he became vice president and general manager of the company. He would eventually move on and buy the Jeffrey Moto Company in 1916. The best known model was the Rambler. Nash would later rename the company he bought to Nash Motors in 1917 and release the Nash Model 671.
Henry Leland
Henry Martyn Leland (1843-1932) was the founder of both Cadillac and Lincoln. He also invented electric barber clippers and a toy train. The Cadillac brand would form from meeting with the Henry Ford Company. When Leland was asked to appraise the plant and equipment for liquidation, Leland would persuade the company to manufacture a new car with Leland’s single-cylinder engine. This meeting would prevent liquidation and allow Cadillac to be born. General Motors purchased Cadillac in 1909. In 1917, Leland formed the Lincoln brand with a wartime contract that required them to build a V12 aircraft engine. After the war, they would switch to cars. Ford Motor Company would buy the brand in 1922.
Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Anselmo Giuseppe Maria Ferrari (1898-1988) was an accomplished racer and founder of Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947. Ferrari would join the Alfa Romeo racing team as a driver in 1920. He would win his first Grand Prix in 1923. His passion for driving would be lost after the deaths of other drivers and he would move into the organization of races – which is where he found his passion. He would form a team called Scuderia Ferrari which would race with Alfa Romeo cars. Ferrari would leave Alfa in 1939 and take on other racing-inspired opportunities until he formed his own company.
This is just a small list of the many people who made amazing contributions to our automotive history. We will be adding more to the list so check back to learn more! Follow us on MSN to get more content like this!
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