Although fans of the NHRA sometimes refer to funny car driver Dick Harrell as Mr. Chevrolet, ladies and gentleman, there really was a Mr. Chevrolet and his name was Louis Joseph, and he migrated to America with his 3 brothers: Alfred, Arthur, and Gaston Chevrolet.
The great Louis-Joseph Chevrolet was born Christmas Day, December 25, 1878, in the Bernese Jura region of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. During his childhood he spends time in the villages of Bonfol and Beurnevésin, which were close to the French border. Around 1887, when Louis was around nine years old, the Chevrolet family left Switzerland to live in Beaune in the Côte-d'Or region of France. Gaston Chevrolet was born in Deaunt, France, Oct. 26, 1892 followed by Arthur in 1896 born in Bonfol. In Swiss fashion, Louis' father Joseph worked in the watch and clock trade while Louis learned to repair and later race bicycles.
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