J. Dallas Dort and William C. Durant formed a partnership in 1886 in Flint, Michigan, that started making horse-drawn buggies, and it was only a matter of time before the Durant-Dort Carriage Company began producing motor cars.
In 1904, investors urged Durant to take over production of Buick, and there was no turning back at the point. He founded General Motors four years later.
The building fell into disrepair until General Motors President Mark Reuss visited and learned of its history, then led a costly effort to renovate the plant, which now serves as a conference space and archive for the region’s rich automotive history.
Some 45 members of the Motor City Packards club toured this fascinating, newly renovated facility on March 29, then had pizza at Luigi’s, a Flint institution!
