United Motors Corporation was formed by William C. Durant in 1916 as an automotive component and accessory holding company.

Durant's founding of United Motors has parallels in his earlier experience in the horse-drawn carriage industry in Michigan.

Concerned that they could not source components and raw materials at affordable prices or in sufficient quantities, Durant-Dort created a vertically-integrated operation owning hardwood forests and manufacturing its own bodies, wheels, axles, upholstery, springs, varnish and whips.

Deeds' Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (DELCO automotive ignition, starters and generators), and the Perlman Rim Corporation.

In the next two years, Sloan bought the Harrison Radiator Corporation, Lovell-McConnell Manufacturing Company (renamed Klaxon company to make Klaxon horns) in September 1916,[2] and organized United Motors Service to sell and service the entire line of products nationwide.

[4] Charles Kettering, co-founder of Delco, was head of research at General Motors for 27 years.

He found a job with the Stranahan brothers, who had started Champion Spark Plug Company in 1905 or 1906 and began production in 1907.

[citation needed] Champion went to work producing spark plugs to be used in Buick automobiles.

The "AC" bullseye and semicircular Delco logo disappeared from product packaging.