Charles F. Kettering and Grand Theft Auto...

 Kettering was born in Loudenville, Ohio in 1876. He started life as a teacher, even though he had to quit school twice because of poor eyesight. He finally finished his degree in electrical engineering when he was 28.

 In 1909, while working for N.C.R, Charles F. Kettering partnered with electrical engineer Edward Andrew Deeds in his families barn, and invented the world’s first self-starting system for cars. Deeds in turn, showed the self-starting system to Henry Leland, the president of Cadillac Motors who immediately ordered 8,000 starting systems to be installed on his Cadillacs.

  It didn’t seem to matter much to Kettering that  he didn’t actually have the machinery, people, or facilities to complete the order. Kettering and Deeds hadn’t even named the company at that time. This is how Dayton Engineering Laboratories (DELCO) was born. DELCO boomed with the demand for starters, and within two years employed 1,500 people.

     Back in those days General Motors manufactured their cars with slow drying oil based paint that took six to eight hours to dry to the touch. The paint was hand brushed over a primer, and then the cars were left outside for thirty days to allow the paint to cure and harden to a tough, durable finish. Then the cars were brought back in to be buffed for a deep, lustrous shine. This process caused many delays in production, sometimes stopping the assembly line altogether because there simply was not enough room on the premises to park the cars to allow the paint to cure outside.

   Kettering saw this as an opportunity, and began to work with DuPont Paint Company to develop a new automotive finish that he offered to General Motors. He announced his paint would dry to touch in twenty minutes, and didn’t need to be buffed to produce a glossy new car finish.

  DuPont’s leading chemist was unconvinced and said:

  “Not possible Kettering, our people have tried it already. Just can’t be done!” he stated emphatically.

   Undaunted, Kettering asked him to have lunch at his expense; so he could explain the chemical properties of his new product. The executive quickly accepted the offer, knowing Kettering was a legendary cheapskate.

   Over lunch Kettering patiently explained his revolutionary automotive paint theory; and massive production cost benefits to GM's production, but the man was unconvinced and told him so. He tersely thanked Kettering for the meal and left.

   Kettering loitered for a while in the restaurant, and unhurriedly paid the bill as the G.M. executive returned in a panic. He shouted “call the Police my car has been stolen!”

  Kettering followed him back out to the restaurant parking lot and pointed to a car parked in his original spot.

   “Why, there it is!”

   “No” the manager said, “It looks like mine, but my car isn’t that color.”

  “It is now.” Kettering said slowly.

  In truth, Kettering’s staff had stolen the chemists’ car, and then completely repainted it and returned it to its original spot. Bone dry and gleaming in the afternoon sun. A deal with Kettering’s fast dry lacquer paint, for all of G.M’s Automotive Division, was soon signed.