Which automotive founder are you most closely connected to?

Question

This week in the Connection Finder, we're featuring tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, founder of the Tesla automotive company.

Featured alongside him are other automotive founders:

• Walter Bentley (Bentley)
• Bertha Benz (Mercedes-Benz)
• David Buick (Buick)
• Walter Chrysler (Chrysler)
• Sir Raymond Dennis (Dennis Brothers)
• Henry Ford (Ford Motor Co.)
• Assar Gabrielsson (Volvo)
• Sam McLaughlin (McLaughlin AG)
• René Panhard (Panhard)
• Hub van Doorne (DAF-trucks; Machinefabriek and Repair Equipment Hub van Doorne)

Who are you most closely connected to? If you're one of the 24.3 million of us who are connected to each other on our big tree you can check with the Connection Finder.

You can check for shared ancestors with the Relationship Finder. Are you a cousin to any of them? Your Relationship Finder Quick Links page (see your profile pull-down menu under "Relationships") has quick links for several notable groups.

Special feature: Check out how you're connected to other Automotive Manufacturers by using the green MyConnections button in the upper right hand corner of the category page. Browse related categories like Industrialists and Mechanical Engineers.

Let us know how you're related below! If you want to share your connection on social media with cousins and friends, click the "get shareable image" below the results, e.g. Sequoyah and Sitting Bull. Then just upload it along with the URL of your direct connection. (Please refrain from sharing your connection on the featured profiles themselves, though. It clutters conversations on research and collaboration. Thanks!)

Help us with next week's feature: Distillers and Brewers. Help us choose and improve profiles for it.

Comments

You are 24 degrees from Elon Musk, 25 degrees from Walter Bentley, 31 degrees from Bertha Benz, 23 degrees from David Buick, 22 degrees from Walter Chrysler, 27 degrees from Raymond Dennis, 23 degrees from Henry Ford, 30 degrees from Assar Gabrielsson, 22 degrees from Sam McLaughlin, 28 degrees from René Panhard, 35 degrees from Hub van Doorne and 27 degrees from Maureen Wilkins. → more featured connections.

Answer 1

I'm closest to Elon Musk at 25 degrees.

But I have an all-Swedish path to Volvo's Assar Gabrielsson at 29 degrees.

Comments

Oh, actually I'm also on an all-Swedish path to Assar Gabrielsson, 31 degrees.

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My shortest path is to Gabrielsson (15 Degrees), through my cousin's Swedish line -- which "breaks" after their great-grandfather emigrated to Australia.

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Assar Gabrielsson's brother and sister both married into posh families (=families with family names) which are always easier to connect than families in patronymics territory.

The Du Rietzes (who connect to Australia) are on his sister's husband's side. I connect through his brothe's wife; a Thulstrup - Fleetwood - Reenstierna path. Now that I look at it it isn't all Swedish, because there are a couple of 1650s immigrants from Belgium.

I explored the full four generations of Gabrielsson's ancestors, honest rural people in Västergötland all of them - but quite naturally no connection. When I saw that his wife had a similar background, I just got lazy and didn't do her tree :-)

Answer 2

I am most closely connected to Walter Chrysler at 21 degrees of separation.

• 21 degrees from Walter Chrysler
• 24 degrees from David Buick
• 25 degrees from Henry Ford
• 25 degrees from Sam McLaughlin
• 26 degrees from Walter Bentley
• 27 degrees from Elon Musk
• 30 degrees from Raymond Dennis
• 32 degrees from Assar Gabrielsson
• 33 degrees from René Panhard
• 34 degrees from Bertha Benz
• 36 degrees from Hub van Doorne

Answer 3

I'm closest to:

18 generations      Ransom Eli Olds (1864-1950)
36 generations      Charles Stewart Rolls (1877-1910)
36 generations      Charles Henry John Chetwynd-Talbot (1860-1921)
41 generations      Robert Wesley Miller (1887-abt.1969)
41 generations      Charles Edward Ehl (1898-1983)
54 generations      Elon Musk

16 degrees      John Mohler Studebaker (1833-1917)
18 degrees      Montague Stanley Napier (abt.1870-abt.1931)
18 degrees      Louis Joseph Chevrolet (1878-1941)
 

Answer 4

19 degrees from Walter Chrysler (14th cousins 5x removed)
21 degrees from Sam McLaughlin
21 degrees from David Buick
21 degrees from Henry Ford
23 degrees from Elon Musk (26th cousins)
24 degrees from Walter Bentley
28 degrees from René Panhard
29 degrees from Assar Gabrielsson
29 degrees from Bertha Benz
30 degrees from Raymond Dennis
34 degrees from Hub van Doorne

Answer 5

Elon Musk - 25th cousins 3x removed

Walter Chrysler and Sam McLaughlin - 19 Degrees

From the category: Horace Dodge is a 7th cousin 3x removed.

Comments

You are my 13th cousin 2x removed.

Answer 6

Not so close this week.  19 degrees from Buick and Sam McLaughlin, who used Buick engines.  The only blood relative is Elon Musk, a very distant 23rd cousin twice removed.

Answer 7

19 degrees from Ransom Eli Olds. 14th cousin 3 times removed. MRCA  Elizabeth (FitzAlan) Usflete (abt 1371 - 1425).

20 degrees from Henry Ford.

21 degrees from Walter Bentley.

21 degrees from Walter Crysler. 17th cousin 4 times removed. MRCA  Alice (Toeni) la Zouche (bef 1283 - aft 1325).

22 degrees from David Buick.

22 degrees from Sam McLaughlin.

23 degrees from; Elon Musk. 24th cousin once removed. (Some uncertainty on his end.) MRCA  Robert de Dreux (1185 - 1234).

29 degrees from Raymond Dennis.

30 degrees from Bertha Benz.

30 degrees from Rene Panhard.

31 degrees from Assar Gabrielsson.

33 degrees from Hub van Doorne.

Comments

I am also related to Chrysler and Musk.

You are my 17th cousin 2x removed.

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Ahha, another cuzz! Good to meet ya.

Answer 8

22 generations from Wilhelm Maybach

22 generations from Gottlieb Daimler

Answer 9

I am most closely connected to Walter Bentley and Sam McLaughlin at 25 degrees.

Answer 10

Here are my degrees in 'mileage':

23 miles from Walter Chyrsler; 21st cousins

23 miles from Elon Musk; 24th cousins 2x removed

Other non-related miles:

22 miles from David Buick and Sam McLaughlin; 23 miles from Henry Ford; 24 miles from Walter Bentley; 28 miles from Bertha Benz; 29 miles from Raymond Dennis, Assar Gabrielsson and Rene Panhard; and 36 miles from Hub van Doorne

Now it's time to drive myself to the kitchen and make supper.

Comments

I am also related to Walter Chrysler and Elon Musk.

And you are my 20th cousin.

Answer 11

My closest was 21 degrees from Walter Bentley.

The high numbers on my connections with the others explains my lack of mechanical ability.

Answer 12

• 18 degrees to Walter Percy Chrysler (Chrysler) 16C 6r
• 19 degrees to Robert Samuel McLaughlin (McLaughlin AG)
• 20 degrees to Henry Ford (Ford Motor Co.)
• 21 degrees to David Dunbar Buick (Buick)
• 24 degrees to Elon Musk (founder of the Tesla automotive company) 25c 1x
• 24 degrees to Walter Owen Bentley (Bentley)
• 28 degrees to Assar Thorvald Natanael Gabrielsson (Volvo)
• 28 degrees to Louis François René Panhard (Panhard)
• 29 degrees to Cäcilie Bertha (Ringer) Benz (Mercedes-Benz)
• 31 degrees to Herbert Raymond Dennis KBE (Dennis Brothers)
• 32 degrees to Hubert Jozef van Doorne (DAF-trucks; Machinefabriek and Repair Equipment Hub van Doorne)

Comments

I am also related to Walter Chrysler and Elon Musk.

You're my 10th cousin.

Answer 13

Wow! 
My closest connection Elon Musk

 14 degrees from Elon Musk,  6th cousins once removed (I was not expecting that)
Then
 21 degrees from Walter Bentley, 
 22 degrees from Raymond Dennis,

The others range from 26 to 37 so not so close. 

Answer 14

Elon Musk is a 23rd cousin, I'm closest to Sam McLaughlin at 17 degrees, no relation.

Comments

You are my 24th cousin 3x removed.

Answer 15

My sister's daughter married a brother of Elon. (They're no longer married.)

Jillaine, sister to SSL.;

SSL, mother of J.L.;

J.L, former wife of K.M;

K.M. brother of Elon Musk.

Is that four steps?

Edited to add: I do not have this line on wikitree (since they're all living), so the connection finder reports something entirely different.

Another edit: who knew? My niece has a wikipedia page! I still don't intend to create profiles for her family.

Comments

Wow, that's one of the closest connections of any of our features. Very fun!

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You are my 14th cousin 1x removed.

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Timothy, who is our common ancestor?

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I believe Timothy was referring to Abby.  

• Timothy and Abby are 14th cousins once removed
• Timothy Hendrickson Jr. and Abby (Brown) Glann are both descendants of Agnes (Unknown) Morse (abt.1518-abt.1574).
• Timothy Hendrickson Jr. and Abby (Brown) Glann are both descendants of Thomas Morse (abt.1519-bef.1566).

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Hi. I was replying to Abby Glann, she is my 14th cousin 1x removed through Thomas Morse.

Sorry.

Answer 16

I am  16 degrees from Walter Chrysler!

Comments

You are my 14th cousin.

Answer 17

Elon Musk is my 26th cousin 2x removed.

Walter Chrysler is my 17th cousin 3x removed.

Answer 18

Fun and important fact: Elon Musk *did not* found Tesla, he invested in it 7 months after it was found by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning.

Now for my degrees:

• Elon Musk: 24 Degrees/25th cousins three times removed.
• Walter Bently: 22 Degrees.
• Bertha Benz: 32 Degrees.
• David Buick: 24 Degrees.
• Walter Chrysler: 19 Degrees/12th cousins twice removed.
• Sir Raymond Dennis: 30 Degrees.
• Henry Ford: 22 Degrees.
• Assar Gabrielsson: 30 Degrees.
• Sam McLaughlin: 18 Degrees.
• René Panhard: 31 Degrees.
• Hub van Doorne: 32 Degrees.

Comments

Another interesting fact: You are my 13th cousin 1x removed.

Answer 19

Here are my connections (no relatives unfortunately):

• 27 degrees from Elon Musk
• 32 degrees from Walter Bentley
• 39 degrees from Bertha Benz
• 27 degrees from David Buick
• 29 degrees from Walter Chrysler
• 37 degrees from Raymond Dennis
• 29 degrees from Henry Ford
• 38 degrees from Assar Gabrielsson
• 25 degrees from Sam McLaughlin
• 37 degrees from René Panhard
• 32 degrees from Hub van Doorne
• 34 degrees from Maureen Wilkins

Answer 20

Most closely connected at 20 degrees to both Walter Chrysler (also my 16th cousin, twice removed) and Sam McLaughlin (no relation).  

Also a very distant cousin (24th cousins, twice removed) from Elon Musk.