The Durant was a make of
automobile
A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...
assembled by
Durant Motors
Durant Motors Inc. was established in 1921 by former General Motors CEO William "Billy" Durant following his termination by the GM board of directors and the New York bankers who financed GM.
Corporate relationships
Durant Motors attempted t ...
Corporation of
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
from 1921 to 1926 and again from 1928 to 1932. Durant Motors was founded by
William "Billy" Durant after he was terminated, for the second and final time, as the head of
General Motors
General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...
. Billy Durant's intent was to build an automotive empire that could one day challenge General Motors.
The Durant automobile is considered to be an example of an "assembled" automobile because so many of its components were obtained from outside suppliers. From 1921 to 1926 the vehicle was powered by a
four cylinder or 6 cyl overhead valve Continental engine. The vehicle was directed at the
Oakland automobile price point.
Production of the vehicle was suspended for 1927. When the Durant was reintroduced April 1928, the car was redesigned and powered by a
six cylinder Continental engine; some of the early vehicles were marketed as the "Durant-Star". Bodies for the vehicle were supplied by
Budd Company
The Budd Company was a 20th-century metal fabricator, a major supplier of body components to the automobile industry, and a manufacturer of stainless steel passenger rail cars, airframes, missile and space vehicles, and various defense produ ...
. In 1930, some Durants were built with all steel bodies, also supplied by Budd.
Durant Motors was found
insolvent
In accounting, insolvency is the state of being unable to pay the debts, by a person or company ( debtor), at maturity; those in a state of insolvency are said to be ''insolvent''. There are two forms: cash-flow insolvency and balance-sheet in ...
and automobile production ended early in 1932.
Production model specifications
*
Durant Touring Car
External links
Durant Motors Automobile Club
Motor vehicle manufacturers based in New York (state)
Vintage vehicles
Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States
Defunct manufacturing companies based in New York City
1921 establishments in New York (state)
1932 disestablishments in New York (state)
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1921
Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1932
Budd Company
{{Vintage-auto-stub
1920s cars
1930s cars