Chevrolet Diecast Model Cars

Fondly known as the Chevy, GM's best known brand took an early lead in American car production. The company was started in 19 13 by immigrant Louis Chevrolet, a former French racing car driver, and William C. Durant. Just five years later, General Motors purchased Chevrolet and has guided its fate ever since.

One of GM's earliest innovations was to take the Chevy to an international audience. In 1923, General Motors International was established in Copenhagen. The plan was to market the popular appeal of Chevys to drivers in Scandinavia, Germany and Eastern European countries, including Russia.

Chevy consistently offered a diversity of products and looks -- many built on similar chasises but sporting a variety of panels and embellishments. The company also kept improving mechanics and performance and, in 1929 introduced a six-cylinder engine for commercial vehicles. Chevy showed its early adeptness at producing trucks in 1935 with the launch of the « ton Suburban Carryall that could accommodate eight passengers. In 1950, Chevy achieved another first by offering a low-priced model with automatic shifting.

Chevy kept pace with America offering subcompact cars, many mid-sized cars and one of the nation's top large models -- the Silverado Pickup with its impressive styling that symbolizes power under the hood. Chevy did, however, have its somewhat embarrassing moment in history when it introduced the Covair in 1960: a squat car with rear-engine drive whose appearance and poor performance became fodder for jokes. By 1969 it was discontinued and now fondly collected by countless die cast fans and proudly driven by owners of the few remaining on the road.

Chevy remains a mainstream American favorite and fans still recall 1963 when one of every ten cars sold in the U.S. was a Chevrolet