Career
After brother Louis immigrated to America and earned enough money, he sent for Gaston and Arthur to join him. In 1911, he competed in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 but had to drop out after 30 laps when his Buick developed mechanical problems. Driving a Frontenac, Arthur qualified for the Indianapolis 500 again in 1916, but was forced out after 35 laps when the car developed ignition magneto problems.
His driving career ended during practice rounds for the 1920 Indianapolis 500 when he was severely injured in a crash.
In 1928, Arthur filed with the United States Patent Office for an "Overhead Valve Engine". Patent #1,744,526 was awarded on January 21, 1930.
In 1929 Arthur and Louis Chevrolet left the auto business altogether to form the Chevrolet Brothers Aircraft Company with a new engine of their design (Chevrolair). The business was unsuccessful and was eventually taken over by investors.
Arthur and Louis returned to automobiles, becoming pioneer leaders in the development of sprint type race cars.
In 1942 Arthur Chevrolet retired to Slidell, Louisiana. Suffering from depression, he committed suicide by hanging in 1946, only nine days shy of his 62nd birthday. A headstone was placed at the grave in 2011 to memorialize his life by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chevrolet Motor Company.
The Indianapolis Star revealed in an article in 2014 that Arthur was not buried in Holy Cross and Saint Joseph Cemetery as previously believed but is most likely in a lost and unmarked grave where he died somewhere in Slidell, Louisiana.
The actual location of Arthur Chevrolet, Senior grave is yet to be known as of this date.