Pontiac in Oakland County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Rapid Transformation
Bold Moves in a Changing Industry
Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, May 28, 2021
1. Rapid Transformation Marker
Inscription.
Rapid Transformation. Bold Moves in a Changing Industry. Remarkable changes were on the horizon Albert North and Harry Hamilton relocated their Pontiac Spring and Wagon Works to larger premises in 1899 to boost their output of carriages, wagons and springs. Within a few years they were also assembling trucks for the Rapid Motor Vehicle Co. and soon took over the entire operation. By 1907, the partners built an even bigger factory nearby, and became the largest producer of commercial motorized vehicles in the world. Billy Durant of General Motors (GM) noticed the Rapid success and bought the company in 1909. The Rapid truck soon became the GMC truck and the making of trucks in Pontiac continued until 2009, a run lasting more than one-hundred years. , You Auto Know , No more than 40 of the "first" Pontiac cars were ever built.
Remarkable changes were on the horizon Albert North and Harry Hamilton relocated their Pontiac Spring & Wagon Works to larger premises in 1899 to boost their output of carriages, wagons and springs. Within a few years they were also assembling trucks for the Rapid Motor Vehicle Co. and soon took over the entire operation. By 1907, the partners built an even bigger factory nearby, and became the largest producer of commercial motorized vehicles in the world. Billy Durant of General Motors (GM) noticed the Rapid success and bought the company in 1909. The Rapid truck soon became the GMC truck and the making of trucks in Pontiac continued until 2009, a run lasting more than one-hundred years. You Auto Know
No more than 40 of the "first" Pontiac cars were ever built.
Erected by Motorcities National Heritage Area, National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1899.
Location. 42° 38.108′ N, 83° 18.171′ W. Marker is in Pontiac, Michigan, in Oakland County. Marker is at the intersection of Franklin Boulevard and West Pike Street, on the right when traveling south on Franklin Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker
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is at or near this postal address: 66 Franklin Blvd, Pontiac MI 48341, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 2, 2021. It was originally submitted on May 31, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. This page has been viewed 90 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on May 31, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
