Alexander Brownell Cullender Hardy probably won’t make the list of most popular boys’ names, would it? His friends simply called him ABC.
Hardy ran a small buggy company in Davidson, MI called Wolverine. The Panic of 1893 hurt Wolverine just like it did thousands of businesses across America.
The panic (recession) also affected the Flint Road Cart Company which Billy Durant and Dallas Dort started in 1886. Billy the Positive then had an idea: why not make a super-cheap, basic cart to appeal to budget-strapped buyers? How cheap? Less than $20.
In order to make a cart that cheap was going to take someone special. Billy knew just the man: ABC Hardy. Billy was never one to pay too much attention to what others would call the niceties of civilization–you know, like respecting dinner time.
Especially Thanksgiving dinner. That’s right, Billy called Hardy while the latter was in the middle of his turkey dinner. Took two hours of Hardy’s time to recruit him to run the new Diamond Buggy division.
Hardy presented his plan to Billy the Friday after. Billy liked it and so one of Billy’s longest lasting friendships and associations started.
When Billy gave Dallas Dort a sabbatical to care for his dying wife, Hardy took over running the place. Nobody else could keep up with Billy’s ferocious pace.
When Dort returned, Hardy asked for a breather. Billy, always generous, agreed, and Hardy took off for Europe, “to stay out of reach of Billy’s phone calls.”
In Europe, Hardy discovered automobiles, the latest fad on the Continent. He engaged every car owner he saw, sometimes crawling under the machines to figure them out. He even visited one or two factories.
When his year was up Hardy was convinced: this new technology was going to bury the horse-drawn vehicle business. When he returned he told Billy that.
Billy scoffed. Their carriage company had a six month waiting list, what was ABC thinking? Hardy was adamant and left to start his own automobile company.
Like most car companies before Olds, it sold a handful of cars. Because Hardy was operating outside of the Billy Durant network, he had a tough time finding money and buyers. When the ALAM came knocking, demanding a few hundred dollars in back royalties, that did it.
Hardy liquidated his company and went to start over with his wife’s family in Iowa.
Once Billy saw the light and entered the automobile market, Hardy put out some feelers in Flint to see if Billy wanted him back.
He did, and ABC Hardy became a key member of the unofficial executive committee. When he had to choose between Billy and General Motors, he sided with Billy.
Long after Billy had left GM, Hardy was still a key player in GM as head of the Oldsmobile division.