In 1902, brothers Max and Morris Grabowsky founded the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company in Pontiac, Michigan. This followed their earlier venture, the Grabowsky Motor Company, which had been founded in Detroit in 1900. Rapid initially produced one-ton trucks and later built a new assembly plant in Pontiac in 1905, which eventually became the Pontiac West Assembly complex.
In 1909, Rapid gained fame as the first truck to conquer Pikes Peak in a road race. The success caught the attention of General Motors, and in 1909, the company acquired Rapid, which became the foundation of the GMC Truck division. The Rapid brand was eventually phased out, and the trucks were sold under the GMC nameplate.
