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FOREWORD INEVER KNEW my grandfather, Roy D. Chapin. He died in 1936, twelve years before I was born. In fact, he never knew any of his grandchildren or great-grandchildren. That is one of the reasons I am pleased this book is being reprinted. Younger members of our family will get to know him better. Another important reason is that I believe people ought to better understand the role that smaller car companies, such as the Hudson Motor Car Company, played in the formation of the American automobile industry. General Motors and Ford Motor Company dominated the industry in the early part of the twentieth century, but many independent manufacturers made valuable contributions in terms of engineering, product design, manufacturing, and marketing. This book was first published in 1945 by my grandmother, Inez Tiedeman Chapin. She gave copies to members of our immediate family, close friends, and industry acquaintances. She distributed several hundred copies, all beautifully bound in red leather. Only a few remain today. While reviewing my grandfather's papers at the University of Michigan, I discovered letters of appreciation written to my grandmother from people who had received copies of the book. On September 28, 1945, Orville Wright wrote: "The book is well written and represents, without flattery, Mr. Chapin as I knew him—kindly, enthusiastic, persevering, yet withal, dignified and judicious." And also in September 1945, Alvan Macauley (president or chairman of Packard Motor Car Company between 1916 and 1948) wrote, "It is a splendid work and worthy of the truly fine man whose life and career it reflects. I have often XIV FOREWORD wondered, had he been spared, how much higher he would have gone." While working with the publisher to reprint this book, I felt that including additional photos would make the book even better . I think my grandmother and the author, J. C. Long, did a good job of picking the right photos, but I also think some important ones were missing. This reprint contains nineteen photos that weren't part of the original book. WILLIAM RUXTON CHAPIN ...

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