 William Elbert Devin Junior was born on November 13, 1915 in Rocky, Oklahoma, USA.Devin's father ran an auto repair shop and later a Chevrolet dealership, giving his son an early exposure to cars and their workings.The first "vehicle" often credited to Devin was a small open-top child's car built for his younger brother Gene out of an old metal sign and powered by a motor salvaged from a gasoline-powered washing machine.