A museum for William C. “Billy” Durant
Help us build a home for the Durant story
The Durant Motors Automobile Museum Foundation is creating a modern museum to celebrate William C. Durant, who founded General Motors and co-founded Chevrolet, and the automobiles associated with him.
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit
- Gifts may be tax-deductible
- Grand Rapids, Michigan
The marques the museum will cover
Durant
Star
Rugby
Locomobile
DeVaux
Frontenac
Continental
Dort
Our goal
A museum like no other in Michigan and the world
Our mission is to create a state-of-the-art museum that will showcase Durant and the cars and exhibits surrounding this piece of automotive history, and to honor the man who was instrumental in early American automobile history.
The museum will trace Durant’s history from his early beginnings in the carriage business in Flint, Michigan, through Buick, General Motors, and Chevrolet, until his final automotive venture, Durant Motors, Inc., and the cars that came after it: DeVaux, Frontenac and Continental. The Dort automobiles of J. Dallas Dort, Durant’s partner at the carriage works, are part of the story too.
Currently there is not a museum that sufficiently celebrates Durant’s contribution to the automobile industry.
Inside the museum
What visitors will experience
Cars, stories and artifacts from the companies William C. Durant built and touched.
Vintage cars
Step into the past and see meticulously restored cars made under the watchful eye of William C. Durant: Buick, Chevrolet, Durant, Star, Flint, Locomobile, DeVaux, Frontenac and Continental.
Interactive tours
Follow Durant from the Durant-Dort Carriage Works through Buick, General Motors and Chevrolet to Durant Motors. Engaging displays will show everyone who he was and why he mattered so much.
Exhibits
Rotating exhibits of Durant Motors artifacts: photographs, factory items, magazine advertising, pocket watches, dealership signs and other items of interest.
Donor levels
Every gift brings the museum closer
Pick one of the donor levels or give whatever you can. Any amount is greatly appreciated.
Donor
$1 or more
Thank you for your contribution.
Carriage Level
$250 or more
Public recognition on a donor display at the museum.
Coupe Level
$1,000 or more
All of the above plus one personalized brick at the museum.
Roadster Level
$2,500 or more
All of the above plus two personalized bricks at the museum.
Touring Level
$5,000 or more
All of the above plus an invitation for two guests to the grand opening ceremony at our museum.
Limousine Level
$12,000 or more
All of the above plus a personalized bench inside the museum.
Collector Level
$25,000 or more
All of the above plus a personalized dedication within the museum.
The Billy Durant Circle
$50,000 or more
All of the above plus invitations to other special events.
The Durant story
From carriages to Durant Motors
- 1886Durant and J. Dallas Dort start the Flint Road Cart Company in Flint, Michigan.
- 1904Durant takes control of Buick and makes it the country’s leading car maker.
- 1908Durant forms General Motors.
- 1911Durant and Louis Chevrolet start Chevrolet, which Durant uses to win back GM in 1916.
- 1921After being forced out of GM in 1920, Durant starts Durant Motors: Durant, Star, Flint, and more.
- 1931Durant Motors ends production in the United States.
Get involved
Help preserve automotive history
Join us in preserving this legacy. Your donation helps build a museum that honors a very important person and part of early American automotive history.