Albert Champion
April 4, 1878 – October 26, 1927
Albert Champion, whose initials form the “AC” in the AC Spark Plug
and AC Delco brands and who earlier gave his name to rival Champion
spark plugs, was a flamboyant figure in the early automotive industry.
Champion became known for winning major bicycle races in his Paris,
France, his home city in the 1890s. In the early 1900s, he earned
fame in Europe and the United States by setting records in international
bicycle and motorcycle races and then turning to automobile racing.
After almost losing a leg in a car racing accident, Champion
began making spark plugs and other auto equipment.
In 1905, he was in Boston making Champion brand spark plugs. During a dispute
with his backers, he met William “Billy” Durant, then in charge of Buick
Motor Company in Flint. Durant, setting up a Buick showroom in Boston, told
Champion he would finance a new company if Champion could make high quality
but lower-priced spark plugs for Buick. Champion went to Flint where Durant,
who had just created General Motors, organized Champion Ignition Company
Oct. 26, 1908, awarding Albert a quarter interest and providing space at Buick
for its operations. Champion Ignition was soon renamed AC Spark Plug Company
to avoid a legal issue with Albert’s first company, Champion Spark Plug.
After Charles Lindbergh landed in Paris to complete his historic
solo transatlantic flight May 21, 1927, he gave AC this endorsement:
“AC plugs functioned perfectly during entire flight.”
