The GMC Sierra vs Chevy Silverado debate is a friendly rivalry perpetuated by fans of General Motors trucks. trucks. But what brand made the first truck? The truth is, Grawbowski Motor Vehicle Company was founded for the express purpose of manufacturing professional quality trucks and delivery vehicles. When General Motors bought the brand, its mission remained the same. At the time, Chevrolet only made cars. It was a decade later that GM sold the first Chevy pickup, a chassis cab invented by necessity factor workers.
Which came first, GMC or Chevy?
Brothers Max and Morris Grabowski founded GMC as a trucking company in 1900. Racing driver Louis Chevrolet founded Chevy as an automobile company in 1911.
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GMC and Chevrolet have a fascinating and tangled history. The Grabowsky brothers were very successful selling trucks and delivery vehicles to fleets. His business began as Grabowski Motor Vehicle Company before changing its name to Rapid Motor Vehicle Company.
William C. Durant was the founder of General Motors and envisioned a single corporation with multiple brands for multiple demographics. He began buying Rapid stock in 1908 and incorporated it into GM in 1909.
In 1911, General Motors ousted Durant from his executive position. He teamed up with Swiss-American racing driver Louis Chevrolet to found the Chevrolet Motor Company. Durant was able to grow Chevrolet so quickly that in 1918 he retook control of GM through a reverse merger, including its GMC Truck Division.
What was the first GMC truck?
The Grabowsky brothers founded the Grawbowski Motor Company (GMC) in 1900 and spent two years perfecting their one-ton truck, selling the first to the American Garment Cleaning Company in 1902.
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In 1902, a one-ton truck was actually a vehicle capable of carrying 2,000 pounds. The same year, Max and Morris Grabowsky purchased a plant on Rapid Street in Pontiac, Michigan. The address inspired his new company name: Rapid Motor Vehicle Company, according to GM.
By 1904, the plant was producing 75 work trucks a year. Rapid truck, as well as its Pontiac plant, would eventually become the center of General Motors’ professional-level ventures. GM even resurrected the company’s old GMC badge, this time representing the General Motors Truck Company, in 1912.
What was the first Chevy truck?
Witty chevrolet Factory workers transformed cars into flatbed trucks to move parts around their factory. In 1918, the automaker offered this cab chassis for public sale as the Chevy One-Ton.
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With the General Motors Truck Company fleet of construction vehicles, Chevrolet focused on passenger cars. But Chevy factory workers still needed a way to move heavy parts around the factory. I guess they could have asked for a GMC truck, but maybe the Chevy/GMC rivalry was already growing.
Factory workers took the chassis of a rolling Chevy car and installed a platform and small cab. They then used it to transport car parts around the factory. At some point, the company’s bean counters realized that this design could save them money and put it up for sale.
The 1918 Chevrolet One-Ton had an inline-four engine and an open cab. It was shipped as a chassis, so the customer could build it as needed. Its grille even featured an earlier Chevy bowtie logo finished in midnight blue.
Below, find out which is the best-selling car of all time or see the 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 vs. the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 in the video below:
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