E. Paul du Pont (1887-1950) established Du Pont Motors, Inc., a manufacturing company of luxury automobiles, in 1919 in Wilmington, Delaware. He was the son of Francis Gurney du Pont (1850-1904) and Eliza Wigfa Simons du Pont (1849-1919). He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1909 and worked for the family business, E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company for a short period of time. E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company is a chemical company more commonly referred to as the DuPont company. The company began with the production of gunpowder. E. Paul du Pont Then became chief engineer of Ball Grain Explosives Co. which manufactured fuses, before founding his automobile company.

Francis Gurney du Pont (1850-1904), son of Alexis Irénée du Pont (1816-1857) and Joanna Maria Smith du Pont (1815-1876) graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1870. In 1871 he began his career with the DuPont Company as an operator of graining mills. In 1874 he became a junior partner of the firm and later served in the highly important capacity of general manager, and as vice president, until his retirement in 1902. In 1888 he supervised the building of the blasting powder mills at Mooar, Iowa. At Carney's Point, New Jersey, he superintended the plant which produced smokeless powder for the manufacture of smokeless shotgun powder (Patent No. 503, 583).

Francis Gurney du Pont and Eliza Wigfa Simons du Pont married in 1871. The couple had ten children. E. Paul du Pont was the second to youngest child.