Knudsen, William S(ignius) (1879–1948)

Danish-born US automobile manufacturer. He rose to become president of General Motors 1937–40, and was made responsible for directing vehicle manufacture and supply to the US military throughout World War II.

Knudsen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and emigrated to the USA in 1899. He mastered bicycle and auto parts production, and after Henry Ford purchased his auto-parts firm, he ran assembly line production for the Ford Model T 1913–20. When the USA entered World War I in 1917, he oversaw the production of Ford Eagle motor boats for the navy. In 1921 Knudsen was hired by the Chevrolet Motor Company, which was outselling Ford by 1927, and was made president in 1937. He resigned from General Motors in 1940 to serve first on the National Defence Advisory Commission and then with the Office of Production Management, expediting war-related production. From 1942–45 he accepted an army commission as lieutenant general to supervise production for the War Department and Army Air Force. After World War II Knudsen worked with the Hupp Corporation.