Chevrolet cars in the club.

Chevrolet history began in Detroit in 1911, when Swiss-born racing driver Louis Chevrolet and General Motors founder William C. Durant set up the Chevrolet Motor Car Company. Durant wanted an affordable car to compete with Ford's Model T, and the racer's surname became the brand name.

As the company grew, Durant used it to regain control of General Motors, and in 1918 Chevrolet became part of GM. The brand quickly became one of the best-selling in the United States, and its "bowtie" emblem one of the most recognisable symbols of American cars.

In the post-war years Chevrolet cars defined an era: the Corvette arrived in 1953, the famous small-block V8 in 1955, alongside the popular Bel Air (from 1950) and Impala (from 1958). The Camaro, launched in 1966, and the Chevelle, built from 1964, became icons of the muscle car age.

Today Chevrolet remains the largest General Motors brand, building Silverado pickups, Tahoe and Suburban SUVs, electric vehicles and the mid-engine Corvette. Chevrolet cars are among the most common classic American cars in Europe as well.