Marvin E. Coyle: GM's 'Mr. Facts and Figures'

Marvin E. Coyle: GM's 'Mr. Facts and Figures'. . , This land was once part of Lakeview Manor, a sprawling and picturesque estate owned by Marvin E. Coyle, the General Motors executive who guided and shaped the Chevrolet Division during the Great Depression and World War II. , It was front-page news in October 1936 when the Oxford Leader reported Coyle had purchased Arbu Farm, a grand country estate on W. Drahner Rd. previously owned by Arthur H. Buhl, one of Detroit's leading industrialists. At the time, Coyle was general manager of the Chevrolet Division, a position he held from 1933 to 1946. , Born on a Pennsylvania farm on Oct. 8, 1887, Coyle was a quiet, modest man with a head for numbers and a reputation for speaking plainly. Nicknamed "Mr. Facts and Figures," Coyle, an accountant, began his career with GM in December 1911. By 1937, he was a director of GM and a corporate vice president. Fortune Magazine quoted Coyle in 1939 as saying, "There is no such thing as brilliance in (the auto) business. It's merely a matter of luck and avoiding blunders... If I'm not right more than half the time, I'm not worth a dime." , Millions of Chevrolets were built and sold under Coyle's leadership until the United States entered world war two and the auto industry shifted gears and began manufacturing war materials. At Chevrolet, Coyle oversaw the transition to wartime production and the return to peace and prosperity after the Axis powers were defeated. , Coyle used his Oxford estate for business and pleasure. In July 1941, more than 200 Chevrolet officials, employees and salesmen visited Lakeview Manor for "their annual get-together." , "The scene of the gathering was on the banks of the Coyle private lake where everyone could enjoy... trap shooting, diving and swimming to the strains of a 52-piece orchestra. The engineer from General Motors had been working for several months to complete the beautiful lighting effect, which looked exactly like an autumn setting. A large fountain in the middle of the lake compared in beauty to the famous cascades at Jackson, Michigan." -- The Oxford Leader. , A benevolent man, Coyle shared his estate's bounty and beauty with the community. Proceeds from the sale of apples and grapes grown in his orchard and vineyard were donated to the Oxford Public Library in 1939. Oxford Garden Club members were treated to a tour of Lakeview Manor's lush grounds in 1942. Lakeview Manor remained in Coyle's hands until January 1948 when he sold it to the Dominican Sisters, a Catholic order. A "generous donation" from Coyle enabled the sisters to build a 125-seat chapel. Edward Cardinal Mooney, Archbishop of Detroit, officiated at the chapel dedication in 1954. In 1946, Coyle left Chevrolet when he was promoted to GM executive vice president. He held that position until his retirement in January 1951. Coyle passed away in California on September 27, 1961 at age 73.