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With Chevrolet’s 100th birthday quickly approaching, events celebrating the mile-stone anniversary of the brand are not hard to come by. As their part in celebrating Chevrolet’s centennial birthday, the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America held festivities last month in Flint, Michigan . But it wasn’t the festivities that were notable, it was some of the participants- a group of Swiss visitors that traveled half-way across the world to celebrate this notable occasion. Thanks to the Flint Journal for bringing us the news.
So what would possess a group of enthusiasts, no matter how dedicated, to travel all that way for an automotive manufacturer’s centennial birthday? Their home-town hero that started it all- Louis Chevrolet. Mr. Chevrolet spent most of his life in France as a race car driver but was actually born in Switzerland. It is Mr. Chevrolet’s birthplace that the Swiss enthusiasts want other Chevy fans to be aware of.
According to one visitor, Robert Karpf, Mr. Chevrolet is looked at as a Swiss hero, especially since Switzerland was not the birthplace to many historic people. It is the fact that Mr. Chevrolet immigrated to the United States and helped start this company that is now celebrating 100 years that makes him a home-town hero for the Swiss enthusiasts. It also gives them some bragging rights, stated Karpf.
During their visit and wearing “Flint or Bust” t-shirts, the Swiss visitors attended the Flint festivities, drove around town in three rented fifth-generation Camaros, toured Kettering University’s vehicle research labs and went to the vintage Chevy car show. They also traveled to other cities and even surrounding states to participate in other events and see private Chevy collections.
We’re glad that the Swiss enthusiasts could join in the celebration of one of our beloved American auto manufacturers‘ birthdays. After all, if it weren’t for Switzerland, we may not have had a Louis Chevrolet to create the notable automotive maker.
