Monday 3rd September 1900

The town of Flint, Michigan, began its central role in automotive history, when Charles Wisner introduced the first car built in Flint. Designed by Wisner, the car was a home-built prototype that appeared in the city’s Labor Day parade – the first car of millions that would eventually be manufactured in Flint. The town’s thriving carriage industry at the turn of the century evolved into body, spring, and wheel suppliers for the Buick Motor Company. However, the real turning point came in 1908 when William C Durant consolidated Flint’s manufacturers into the General Motors Company (GM). By the 1950s, Flint was second only to Detroit in automobile manufacturing. In recent years, the closing of several GM plants in Flint has brought darker times to the city.