Josiah Dallas Dort (February 27, 1861 – May 17, 1925) was an American engineer and automobile pioneer of the United States automobile industry. He was born in

Inkster, Michigan Inkster is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2010 census, the city population was 25,369. History The area was originally inhabited by Native Americans. It was settled by non-indigenous people in 1825. A post offi ...

on February 27, 1861. His father was a well-to-do country squire and merchant, well connected politically, who died in 1871 when Josiah was 10. Dort left school at age 15 to help his mother in business and to work at a crockery firm. He moved to Flint, Michigan in 1879. In 1881, he began working at a Flint hardware store, and within a few years opened his own hardware store. 1918 Dort Sedan and Sedanet (6113179245)

1918 Dort Sedan and Sedanet (6113179245)

He made a $1,000 investment in 1886 (equivalent to $ in ) to become a partner with

William C. Durant William Crapo Durant (December 8, 1861 – March 18, 1947) was a leading pioneer of the United States automobile industry and co-founder of General Motors and Chevrolet. He created a system in which a company held multiple marques – each s ...

in a new carriage business called the Flint Road-Cart Company. Durant was the salesman and Dort the partnership's administrator, running the factories. Together they made Durant-Dort one of the world's largest carriage producers. Dort and Durant invested in a controlling interest in Buick in 1904 when the new owner ran short of capital. Durant's marketing ability was an overwhelming success, and they formed General Motors in 1908. Durant lost control of GM to bankers in 1911 and they re-established themselves by creating a new brand of automobile, Chevrolet. Dort was president of Chevrolet but the following year, in 1915, he left and founded

Dort Motor Car Company The Dort Motor Car Company of Flint, Michigan, built automobiles from 1915 to 1924. In 1886, William Crapo "Billy" Durant and Josiah Dallas ("Dallas") Dort, as equal partners, established the Flint Road-Cart Company, later named the Durant ...

. By 1920 Dort was the country's 13th largest automobile producer but in 1924 Dort decided to retire and liquidated Dort Motor Car Company. He sold the factory building to

AC Spark Plug ACDelco is an American automotive parts brand owned by General Motors (GM). Factory parts for vehicles manufactured by GM are consolidated under the ACDelco brand, which also offers aftermarket parts for non-GM vehicles. Over its long history it ...

. Dort had many involvements outside his business interests. Music institutions (

Flint Institute of Music The Flint Institute of Music, also called the FIM, is located in the Flint Cultural Center in Flint, Michigan. It is ranked as the 8th largest community music school in the United States. The FIM is made up of The Flint Symphony Orchestra, Flint ...

is built on the site of his home and its main offices are in the Dort Music Centre), a mutual benefit association for his employees which paid their medical bills, the local Shakespeare club, Knights Templar of the Masonic Order, Flint YMCA, Flint's first hospital—now Hurley Medical Center. Flint area trunkline Dort Highway (M-54) is named in his honor.

Personal life

Dort married Nellie M. Bates on January 12, 1887, and they had two children. She died in 1900, and he remarried to Marcia Webb on May 8, 1907. They had three children. He died while playing a round of golf on May 17, 1925, aged 64.Pioneer Auto Maker is Dead
Associated Press Dort was interred at in Glenwood Cemetery.

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dort, Josiah Dallas 1861 births 1925 deaths American founders of automobile manufacturers Burials at Glenwood Cemetery (Flint, Michigan) People in the automobile industry People from Flint, Michigan General Motors former executives Businesspeople from Michigan

Personal life

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References

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