Wednesday 16th December 1914

The Chevrolet 490, designed by Alfred Sturt, was announced, as William C Durant’s first serious competitor of the Ford Model T. The 490 sold for $490 and was an immediate success, establishing the brand as a big player. The name would not denote the price for long (in 1921, the average price was $820, but it stayed low enough to take a chunk out of the Model T market. The 490s were only offered with the Overhead Valve 2.8 L four cylinder, producing 26 hp (19 kW).