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Chevrolet

Chevrolet (pronounced /ˌʃɛvrəˈleɪ/), also known as Chevy (pronounced /ˈʃɛvi/), is a brand of


vehicle produced by General Motors Company (GM). Founded by Louis Chevrolet and
ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 8, 1911,[1] Chevrolet was acquired by
General Motors in 1917. Chevrolet was positioned by Alfred Sloan to sell a lineup of
mainstream vehicles to directly compete against Henry Ford's Model T in the 1920s, with
"Chevrolet" or "Chevy" being at times synonymous with GM. In North America, Chevrolet
offers a full range of automobiles, from subcompact cars to medium-duty commercial trucks.

On November 8, 1911 racecar driver and automotive engineer Louis Chevrolet cofounded the
Chevrolet Motor Car Company with William C. Durant (ousted founder of General Motors)
and investment partners William Little (maker of the Little automobile) and Dr. Edwin R.
Campbell (son-in-law of Durant).

Durant from the management of GM in 1910. Durant took over the Flint Wagon Works,
incorporating both the Mason and Little companies. As head of Buick Motor Company, prior
to founding GM, Durant had hired Louis Chevrolet to drive Buicks in promotional races. [2]
Durant wanted to use Chevrolet's name as a racer to rebuild his own reputation.

Actual design work for the first Chevy, the costly Series C Classic Six was drawn up by
Etienne Planche, following the instructions of his old friend Louis. The first C prototype was
ready months before Chevrolet was actually incorporated.

Chevrolet first used its "Bowtie emblem"[3] logo in 1913. It is said to have been designed
from wallpaper Durant once saw in a French hotel. More recent research by historian Ken
Kaufmann presents a compelling case that the logo is based upon a logo for "Coalettes".[4]
Others claim that the design was a stylized Swiss cross, in honor of the homeland of
Chevrolet's parents.[5]

Chevrolet logo, ca. 1943


Louis Chevrolet had differences with Durant over design and in 1915 sold Durant his share in
the company. By 1916, Chevrolet was profitable enough to allow Durant to repurchase a
majority of shares in GM. After the deal was completed in 1917, Durant was president of
General Motors, and Chevrolet was merged into GM, becoming a separate division. In 1917
Chevrolet factories were located at New York City; Tarrytown, N.Y.; Flint, Michigan;
Toledo, Ohio; St. Louis, Missouri; Oakland, California; Fort Worth, Texas, and Oshawa,
Ontario. [6] In the 1918 model year, Chevrolet introduced the Model D, a V8-powered model
in four-passenger roadster and five-passenger tourer models. It also started production of an
overhead valve in-line six. Most cars of the era had only low compression flat head engines.
These cars had 288in3 55 hp (41 kW) engines with Zenith carburetors and three-speed
transmissions.

Chevrolet continued into the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s competing with the Ford brand, and
after the fairly new Chrysler Corporation formed Plymouth in 1928, Plymouth, Ford, and
Chevrolet were known as the "Low-priced three"

[edit] Asia

[edit] China

In 2009, China became Chevrolet's third largest market, with sales of 332,774 vehicles,
behind only the United States and Brazil (1,344,629 and 595,500 vehicles respectively).[12]

[edit] India

Main article: Chevrolet Sales India Private Limited

Chevrolet is among the newest brands in India launched by GM's India operations. Until June
6, 2003 (the official birthday of Chevrolet), GM India (which was originally a joint venture
with Hindustan Motors) sold the Opel Corsa, Opel Astra, and the Opel Vectra. The Corsa and
Astra were built at a plant in Halol, Gujarat.

Since then, Chevrolet currently sells the Chevrolet Cruze, Chevrolet Spark, Chevrolet Optra,
Chevrolet Aveo, Chevrolet Tavera, Chevrolet Captiva, Chevrolet SRV , Chevrolet Beat and
Chevrolet Aveo U-VA. The Chevrolet Forester, a rebadged Subaru, was imported directly
from Fuji Heavy Industries in Japan until 2005. The Optra and Tavera are built at the Halol
plant. The Chevrolet launched in India the Chevrolet Captiva SUV. The latest models
launched by Chevrolet is the Chevrolet Beat & the Chevrolet Cruze.

Chevrolet also is the sole Engine supplier for the Formula Rolon single seater series in India.
[edit] Songs

 "Chevy Volt and Me"


 See the U.S.A. in Your Chevrolet (1950s-1960s), sung by Dinah Shore as the theme
song to The Dinah Shore Chevy Show.
 409 (1962) The Beach Boys
 Shut Down (1963) The Beach Boys
 My Stingray--
 SS 396 (1965) Paul Revere and The Raiders
 Crocodile Rock (1972) Elton John
 Little Red Corvette (1982), a song by Prince (musician) from the album 1999 (album)
 Listen to the Heartbeat of America (1986–1992)
 Like a Rock (1991–2004)
 This is Our Country (2006–present)
 American Pie - Don McLean
 Stingwray- Static-X
 Z28 - Static-X
 Chevy Van - Sammy Johns
 My Camaro - Young Jeezy (2010)
 Peanut Better And Jelly - Cadillac Don Ft J Money
 Dre - Chevy Ridin' High Featuring Rick Ross
 Ice Cream Paint Job- Dorrough

[edit] Taglines

 The cars more Americans can depend on (1991)


 The trucks that last (1991)
 The trucks you can depend on, the trucks that last (1992)
 The most dependable, longest lasting trucks on the road (1993,1995–present)
 This is our Country(1994)
 Like a Rock
 The Heartbeat of America
 May the Best Car Win (2009–2010)
 Excellence for Everyone (2010–present)[27]

[edit] Slogans

 See the U.S.A. in Your Chevrolet (1950s-1960s)


 Putting you first keeps us first (1960s)
 It's Exciting! (mid 1960s)
 Building a better way to see the USA (early 1970s)
 Baseball, Hotdogs, Apple Pie & Chevrolet (mid 1970s)
 Good things are happening at Chevrolet (early 1980s)
 USA-1 Taking Charge (1983)
 Today's Chevrolet (mid 1980s)
 The Heartbeat of America (1987–1994)
 Rock, Flag and Eagle (1985–1987)
 Genuine Chevrolet (1994-2001 United States; 1994-1996 Canada)
 Tried, Tested, and True (1996–2004 Canada)
 We'll Be There (2001–2004 United States)
 Like a Rock (1991–2004; Chevrolet Trucks) Featuring the Bob Seger song of the
same name
 An American Revolution (2003–2009)
 For All Life's Roads (2004–2006; Canada)
 Our Country, My Truck (2006–2007; Chevrolet Trucks)
 America's Best Trucks (2007–present; Chevrolet Trucks)
 Let's Go (2007–2009; Canada)
 May the Best Car Win (2009–2010; United States & Canada)
 Excellence for Everyone (2010–present)
 Chevrolet Runs Deep (2010–present)[27]
Buick
Buick (pronounced /ˈbjuːɨk/) is a division of General Motors which sells vehicles in the
United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel by General Motors Company
(GM). It is GM's North American-based entry-level luxury brand. Buick holds the distinction
as the oldest American make. It is not sold in countries where Opel, Vauxhall & Holden are
sold.

Early years

Buick is currently the oldest American automobile manufacturer, and among the oldest
automobile brands in the world. It originated as the Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company
in 1899, an independent internal combustion engine and motor-car manufacturer, and was
later incorporated as the Buick Motor Company on May 19, 1903, by Scottish born David
Dunbar Buick in Detroit, Michigan. Later that year, the struggling company was taken over
by James H. Whiting (1842–1919) ,[1] who moved it to his hometown of Flint, Michigan, and
brought in William C. Durant in 1904 to manage his new acquisition. Buick sold his stock for
a small sum upon departure, and died in modest circumstances twenty-five years later.
Cadillac (pronounced /ˈkædɨlæk/, is a luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors.
Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mainly in North America.

Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind Buick and
among the oldest automobile brands in the world. Depending on how one chooses to
measure, Cadillac is arguably older than Buick. Since GM has discontinued offering
Oldsmobile, Buick has the distinction as the oldest American make.

Cadillac was born in 1902, at the dawn of the twentieth century. Its founder, Henry Leland, a
master mechanic and entrepreneur, named the company after his ancestor, Antoine de la
Mothe Cadillac, born Antoine Laumet, the founder of Detroit. It was purchased in 1909 by
General Motors and within six years, Cadillac laid the foundation for the modern mass
production of automobiles by demonstrating the complete interchangeability of its precision
parts, also establishing itself as America's premier luxury car. This is also the inspiration for
the company’s crest, which is based on a coat of arms "created" by Detroit's founder, around
the time of his marriage in Quebec, in 1687 (there is no ancient "Cadillac" family or coat of
arms in France). Cadillac pioneered many accessories in automobiles, including full electrical
systems, the clashless manual transmission and the steel roof. The brand developed three
engines, one of which (the V8 engine) set the standard for the American automotive industry.
Cadillac is the first American car to win the prestigious Dewar Trophy from the Royal
Automobile Club of England - having successfully demonstrated the interchangeability of its
component parts during a reliability test in 1908; this spawned the firm's slogan "Standard of
the World". It won that trophy a second time, in 1912, for incorporating electric starting and
lighting in a production automobile.

Cadillac was formed from the remnants of the Henry Ford Company when Henry Ford
departed along with several of his key partners and the company was dissolved. With the
intent of liquidating the firm's assets, Ford's financial backers William Murphy and Lemuel
Bowen called in engineer Henry M. Leland of Leland & Faulconer Manufacturing Company
to appraise the plant and equipment before selling them.

Instead, Leland persuaded them to continue the automobile business using Leland's proven
single-cylinder engine. The company after Henry Ford left needed a new name, and on 22
August 1902 the company reformed as the Cadillac Automobile Company. Leland &
Faulconer Manufacturing and the Cadillac Automobile Company merged in 1905.[2]

The Cadillac automobile was named after the 17th-century French explorer Antoine Laumet
de la Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac, who founded Detroit in 1701.[3][4]

[edit] Contributions to the automotive industry

1921 Logo

From its earliest years Cadillac aimed for precision engineering and stylish luxury finish,
causing its cars to be ranked amongst the finest in the US.[5] Utilization of interchangeable
parts was an important innovation in 1908. Cadillac was the first volume manufacturer of a
fully enclosed cab in 1910, and in 1912 was first to incorporate an electrical system enabling
starting, ignition, and lighting.[5]
[edit] General Motors

Cadillac was purchased by the General Motors (GM) conglomerate in 1909. Cadillac became
General Motors' prestige division, devoted to the production of large luxury vehicles. The
Cadillac line was also GM's default marque for "commercial chassis" institutional vehicles,
such as limousines, ambulances, hearses and funeral home flower cars, the last three of which
were custom-built by aftermarket manufacturers. Cadillac does not produce any such vehicles
in their factory.

In July 1917, the United States Army needed a dependable staff car and chose the Cadillac
Type 55 Touring Model after exhaustive tests on the Mexican border. 2,350 of the cars were
supplied for use in France by officers of the American Expeditionary Force during World
War I.[6]

Pre-World War II Cadillacs were well-built, powerful, mass-produced luxury cars aimed at
an upper class market. In the 1930s, Cadillac added cars with V12 and V16 engines to their
range, many of which were fitted with custom coach-built bodies; these engines were
remarkable at the time for their ability to deliver a combination of high power, silky
smoothness and quietness.

Automobile stylist Harley Earl, whom Cadillac had recruited in 1926 and who was to head
the new Art and Color section starting in January 1928, designed for 1927 a new, smaller
"companion marque" car to the Cadillac which he called the La Salle, after another French
explorer, René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle. That marque remained in production until
1940.

[edit] Advertisements

A 1911 Cadillac
Advertisement - "Only the
Good Endures" - Syracuse
Post-Standard, January 31, A 1917 Cadillac
1911 A 1919 Cadillac
Advertisement - "Style,
Advertisement - Phaeton, 4-
Utility, Comfort" - Syracuse
passenger touring - Syracuse
Herald, September 30, 1917
Herald, September 30, 1917
GMC (Truck)

GMC is a manufacturer of trucks, vans, military vehicles, and SUVs marketed in North
America by General Motors Company. In January 2007, GMC was GM's second-largest-
selling vehicle division after Chevrolet, ahead of Pontiac. GMC vehicles are also marketed in
the Middle East.

[edit] History

GMC Truck, from a 1919 advertisement

On December 22, 1901, Max Grabowsky established a company called the "Rapid Motor
Vehicle Company", which developed some of the earliest commercial trucks ever designed.
The trucks utilized one-cylinder engines. In 1909, the company was purchased by General
Motors to form the basis for the General Motors Truck Company, from which GMC Truck
was derived.

Another independent manufacturer purchased by GM that same year was Reliance Motor Car
Company. Rapid and Reliance were merged in 1911, and in 1912 the marque "GMC Truck"
was first shown at the New York International Auto Show. Some 22,000 trucks were
produced that year, though GMC's contribution to that total was a mere 372 units.

In 1916, a GMC Truck crossed the country from Seattle to New York City in thirty days, and
in 1926, a 2-ton GMC truck was driven from New York to San Francisco in five days and 30
minutes. During the Second World War, GMC Truck produced 600,000 trucks for use by the
U.S. military.

In 1925, GM purchased a controlling interest in Yellow Coach, a bus manufacturer based in


Chicago, Illinois which was founded by John D. Hertz. After purchasing the remaining
portion in 1943, GM renamed it GM Truck and Coach Division. The Division
manufactured interurban coaches until 1980. Transit bus production ended in May 1987. The
Canadian plant (in London, Ontario) produced buses from 1962 until July 1987. GM
withdrew from the bus and coach market because of increased competition in the late 1970s
and 1980s. Rights to the RTS model were sold to Transportation Manufacturing Corporation,
while Motor Coach Industries of Canada purchased the Classic design.[1]

In 2002, GMC released a book entitled, GMC: The First 100 Years, a complete history of the
company.

GMC currently manufactures SUVs, pickup trucks, vans, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty
trucks. In the past, GMC also produced fire trucks, ambulances, heavy-duty trucks, military
vehicles, motorhomes, and transit buses.
OnStar

OnStar Corporation is a subsidiary of General Motors that provides subscription-based


communications, in-vehicle security, hands free calling, turn-by-turn navigation, and remote
diagnostics systems throughout the United States, Canada and China. OnStar services are
only available currently on vehicles manufactured by General Motors and Saab Automobile
[1]
. The service is available for all vehicles that have the factory-installed OnStar hardware. A
similar service is known as ChevyStar in Latin American markets. The service currently has
more than five million subscribers.[2]
GM Financial

General Motors Financial Company, Inc. is a financial services arm of General Motors.
Founded in 1992 as AmeriCredit, GM Financial provides car loans through automobile
dealerships to medium- and moderate-risk customers in the United States and Canada. The
company is located in Fort Worth, Texas.

Before its acquisition by GM, the company ranked at 768 on the Fortune 1000.[1]
AmeriCredit's loan paramaters would originally provide financing (at an interest rate of
between 10% and 23% APR) to clients with credit scores around 500 who can prove
employment and residency, though the company has become increasingly more stringent over
the past few years.

[edit] Acquisition by General Motors


In July 2010, General Motors entered into a definitive agreement to acquire AmeriCredit in
an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $3.5 billion. The deal provided GM with a
new financial arm to replace the loss of GMAC in 2006.[2] Following the approval of the deal
by AmeriCredit shareholders on September 29, GM rebranded the company as GM Financial.
[3]
Holden

GM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne,


Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer, but in the 20th
century entered into the automotive field, becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General
Motors (GM) in 1931. After the GM takeover, the company was named General Motors-
Holden's Ltd, becoming Holden Ltd in 1998, with the current name adopted in 2005.

Holden has taken charge of GM's vehicle operations in Australasia, and on their behalf, held
partial ownership of GM Daewoo in South Korea between 2002 and 2009. Holden has
offered a broad range of locally produced vehicles, supplemented by imported GM models.
Holden has offered badge engineered Chevrolet, Nissan, Suzuki, Toyota, and Vauxhall
Motors models in sharing arrangements, with Daewoo, Opel and Isuzu-sourced models sold
currently.

All Australian-built Holden vehicles are manufactured at Elizabeth in South Australia, and
engines are produced at the Fisherman's Bend plant in Port Melbourne, Victoria. Historically,
production or assembly plants were operated in all mainland states of Australia, with GM's
New Zealand subsidiary Holden New Zealand operating a plant until 1990. The consolidation
of car production at Elizabeth was completed in 1988, but some assembly operations
continued at Dandenong until 1996.

Although Holden's involvement in exports has fluctuated since the 1950s, the declining sales
of large cars in Australia has led the company to look to international markets to increase
profitability.

[edit] History of the company


[edit] Early history

In 1852, James Alexander Holden emigrated to South Australia from Walsall,[1] England and
in 1856 established J.A. Holden & Co, a saddlery business in Adelaide.[2] In 1885 German
born Henry Frederick Frost joined the business as a junior partner and J.A. Holden & Co
turned into Holden & Frost Ltd.[3] Edward Holden, James' grandson, joined the firm in 1905
with an interest in automobiles.[4] From there, the firm evolved through various partnerships
and, in 1908, Holden and Frost moved into the business of minor repairs to car upholstery.[5]
The company began to produce complete motorcycle sidecar bodies in 1913, and Edward
experimented with fitting bodies to different types of carriages.[6] After 1917, wartime trade
restrictions led the company to start full-scale production of vehicle body shells. J.A. Holden
founded a new company in 1919, Holden's Motor Body Builders Ltd (HMBB) specialising in
car bodies and utilising a facility on King Wiliam Street in Adelaide.[7] By 1923, HMBB were
producing 12,000 units per year.[5] During this time, HMBB was the first company to
assemble bodies for Ford Australia until their Geelong, plant was completed.[8] From 1924,
HMBB became the exclusive supplier of car bodies for GM in Australia, with manufacturing
taking place at the new Woodville, South Australia plant.[9] These bodies were made to suit a
number of chassis imported from manufacturers such as Chevrolet and Dodge.[5] In 1926
General Motors (Australia) was established with assembly plants at Newstead, Queensland;
Marrickville, New South Wales; City Road, Melbourne, Victoria; Birkenhead, South
Australia; and Cottesloe, Western Australia[10] utilizing bodies produced by Holden Motor
Body Builders and imported complete knock down (CKD) chassis.[11] The Great Depression
era led to a substantial downturn in production by Holden, from 34,000 units annually in
1930 to just 1,651 units one year later.[5] In 1931 General Motors purchased Holden Motor
Body Builders and merged it with General Motors (Australia) Pty Ltd to form General
Motors-Holden's Ltd (GM-H).[6]
Opel

Adam Opel AG[1] is a German automobile company founded by Adam Opel in 1862.[2] Opel
has been building automobiles since 1899, and became an AG in 1929. In late 2005, the
company was transformed into a GmbH (PLC).

The company is headquartered at the Adam Opel Haus in Rüsselsheim, and has been a
wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors Company since 1929.
Opel has announced that it will invest around 11 billion Euros in the next five years. One
billion of that is designated solely for the development of innovative and fuel-saving engines
and transmissions.

[edit] History

Advertisement for Opel Perfecta-Sewing Machines (1901)

The company was founded in Rüsselsheim, Hesse, Germany on January 21, 1862 by Adam
Opel. At the beginning, Opel just produced sewing machines in a cowshed in Rüsselsheim.
Above all, his success was based on his perfectly customized sewing machines. Because of
the quick growth of his business, in 1888 the production was relocated from the cowshed to a
more spacious building in Rüsselsheim. Encouraged by success, Adam Opel launched a new
product in 1886: He began to sell high-wheel bicycles, also known as penny-farthings.
Besides, Opel's two sons participated in high-wheel bicycle races and thus promoted this
means of transportation. Therefore, the production of high-wheel bicycles soon exceeded the
production of sewing machines.[3] At the time of Opel's death in 1895, he was the leader in
both markets.

General Motors India Private Limited


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
"General Motors India" redirects here. For other uses, see General Motors India
(disambiguation).

General Motors India Private Limited


Type Subsidiary

Industry Automotive

Founded 1995

Halol (Registered Office)


Headquarters
Gurgaon (Marketing Office)

Key people Mr. Karl Slym, President and MD

Products Automobiles

Employees 4,000

Parent General Motors

 Opel India Private Limited


 Chevrolet Sales India Private
Subsidiaries
Limited

Website www.gm.co.in

General Motors India Private Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors
that is engaged in the automobile business in India. It is the 5th largest automobile
manufacturing company in India after Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata Motors and Mahindra.

[edit] History
General Motors began doing business in India in 1928, assembling Chevrolet cars, trucks and
buses, but ceased its assembly operations in 1954. GM continued with tie-ups with Hindustan
Motors to build Bedford trucks, Vauxhall cars, Allison Transmissions and off-road
equipment.
In 1994 GMIPL was formed as a joint venture, owned 50 percent by Hindustan Motors and
50 percent by General Motors, to produce and sell Opel branded vehicles. GM bought out the
Hindustan Motors interest in 1999.[1][2] GMIPL continued to produce Opel cars at the Halol
facility until 2003, when it started production of Chevrolet vehicles at that location.

In 2000, GMIPL moved its headquarters to Gurgaon. In 2003, the company opened its
technical center operations in Bangalore, which included research and development and
vehicle engineering activities. The technical center operations were expanded to include
purchasing and financial support services for General Motors operations located outside of
India (2006), vehicle engine and transmission design and engineering (2007) and a vehicle
design studio (2007).

GMIPL began construction of a second vehicle assembly plant in Talagaon in 2006, which
began production of Chevrolet vehicles in September 2008.

In late 2009, General Motors announced that it would put its India operation into a 50-50
venture with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation of China, which is the partner of
GM's main venture in China.[3]

[edit] Manufacturing Facilities


GMIPL operates vehicle manufacturing plants in Halol, Gujarat and Talegaon Dabhade,
Maharastra, It maintains headquarters in Halol and Gurgaon and a large technical center in
Bangalore. Its Halol and Talegaon Dabhade Manufacturing Plants have a combined
Production Capacity of 385,000 vehicles annually.[4]

[edit] Vehicle sales, service and marketing business


Like most other automotive companies in India, GMIPL appoints independently owned
dealers to sell, service and market vehicles that it produces. As of August 2008, managed the
Chevrolet dealership network (including export dealers located in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri
Lanka and Bhutan) from its headquarters in Gurgaon, and regional zone offices in Mumbai,
Kolkata and Chennai. GMIPL currently has 203 dealerships in 178 cities across India which
will be increased to 250 by 2009.

GMIPL also sells parts and services to independent vehicle maintenance providers under the
AC Delco brand.

[edit] Models
[edit] Chevrolet

Main article: Chevrolet Sales India Private Limited

[edit] Current

1. Chevrolet Optra (Launched 2003)


2. Chevrolet Tavera (Launched 2004)
3. Chevrolet Aveo (Launched 2006)
4. Chevrolet Aveo U-VA (Launched 2006)
5. Chevrolet Spark (Launched 2007)
6. Chevrolet Captiva (Launched 2008)
7. Chevrolet Cruze (Launched 2009)
8. Chevrolet Beat (Launched 2010)

[edit] Discontinued

1. Chevrolet Forester (2003-200?)


2. Chevrolet SRV (2006-200?)

[edit] Opel

Main article: Opel India Private Limited

[edit] Current

1. None

[edit] Discontinued

1. Opel Astra (1996–2006)


2. Opel Corsa (2000–2006)
3. Opel Vectra (2003–2006)
4. Opel Corsa Swing (2003–2006)
5. Opel Corsa Sail (2003–2006)
General Motors

General Motors is an American multinational automaker based in Detroit, Michigan and the
world's second largest automaker.[2] With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs
209,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in some 157 countries.
General Motors produces cars and trucks in 31 countries, and sells and services these vehicles
through the following divisions: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Opel, Vauxhall, and
Holden. GM's OnStar subsidiary provides vehicle safety, security and information services.

On June 8, 2009, GM was reorganized by bankruptcy protection under the provisions of


Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code. On July 10, 2009, with financing partially provided
by the US Government, General Motors emerged from reorganization[3] and was re-listed on
major stock exchanges on November 18, 2010 with the world`s largest IPO.[3][4]

[edit] Corporate governance


General Motors is headquartered at the Renaissance Calendar Year U.S. sales Chg/yr.
Center in Detroit. It employs approximately 266,000 1998[6] 4,603,991
people around the world. In 2009, General Motors sold
1999 5,017,150 9.0%
6.5 million cars and trucks globally. General Motor's [7]
recent growth has been in the People's Republic of 2000 4,953,163 1.3%
2001
China, where its sales rose 66.9 percent in 2009, selling 4,904,015 1.0%
1,830,000 vehicles and accounting for 13.4 percent of 2002 4,858,705 0.9%
the market.[5] 2003 4,756,403 2.1%
[8]
2004 4,707,416 1.0%
On July 23, 2009, GM announced its new Board of 2005 4,517,730 4.0%
Directors: Dan Akerson, David Bonderman, Robert D. 2006[9] 4,124,645 8.7%
Krebs, Patricia F. Russo and Ed Whitacre (GM 2007 3,866,620 6.3%
Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer). Board
2008[10] 2,980,688 22.9%
members who are not GM employees will be paid [11]
US$200,000 annually.[13] 2009 2,084,492 30.1%
[12]
2010 2,215,227 6.3%
As of December 1, 2009, The General Motors Board of
Directors accepted Frederick Henderson's resignation. In January 2010, chairman Whitacre
was appointed permanent chief executive officer after previously serving in an interim

Executive management:

 Daniel Akerson - Chief Executive Officer & Chairman of the Board of Directors
 Chris Liddell - Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer[15]
 Thomas G. Stephens - Vice Chairman, Global Product Operations[16]
 Mark Reuss - President, GM North America[17]
 David N. Reilly - President, GM Europe and CEO, Adam Opel AG[18]
 Timothy E. Lee - President, GM International Operations (Asia-Pacific, Latin
America, Africa, and Middle East)[19]
 Edward T. Welburn - Global Vice President of General Motors Design, current and
only the sixth head designer.[20]

For additional senior management see GM Senior Leadership Group

Whitacre was very active in GM's advertising. He appeared in an advertisement stating the
company's 60-day, money-back guarantee soon after the company exited bankruptcy and a
television advertisement that announced the repayment of $6.7 billion loan from government
ahead of schedule.[21] On August 12, 2010 GM announced that Whitacre would relinquish the
CEO position effective September 1, 2010 and that of Chairman of the Board at the end of
the year, to be replaced in those functions by current board member Dan Akerson.[22]

[edit] World presence


[edit] North America

GM World Headquarters in Detroit

In North America, GM products focus primarily on its four core divisions — Chevrolet,
Cadillac, Buick, and GMC. The White House characterized the GM restructuring as a shift
toward a new leaner, greener GM, which will aim to break even with annual sales much
lower than previously stated.[23] President Obama declared that the restructuring "will mark
the end of an old GM, and the beginning of a new GM; a new GM that can produce the high-
quality, safe, and fuel-efficient cars of tomorrow; that can lead America towards an energy
independent future; and that is once more a symbol of America's success."[24]

In the mid 2005, GM announced that its corporate chrome power emblem "Mark of
Excellence" would begin appearing on all recently introduced and all-new 2006 model
vehicles produced and sold in North America. However, in 2009 the "New GM" reversed
this, saying that emphasis on its four core divisions would downplay the GM logo.[25]
GM worldwide 2008 vehicle sales[26]
(thousands)
Rank Vehicle Market
Location
in GM sales share (%)
1  United States 2,981 22.1%
Asia 2 China (PRC) 1,095 12.0%
3  Brazil 549 19.5%
The Buick brand is especially strong 4  United Kingdom 384 15.4%
in China, led by the Buick Excelle 5  Canada 359 21.4%
subcompact. The last emperor of
6  Russia 338 11.1%
China owned a Buick.[27] The
Cadillac brand was introduced in 7  Germany 300 8.8%
China in 2004, starting with exports 8  Mexico 212 19.8%
to China. GM pushed the marketing 9  Australia 133 13.1%
of the Chevrolet brand in China in 10  South Korea 117 9.7%
2005 as well, moving the former 11  France 114 4.4%
Buick Sail to that marque. The 12  Spain 107 7.8%
company manufactures most of its 13  Argentina 95 15.5%
China market vehicles locally 14  Venezuela 91 33.3%
through Shanghai GM, a joint
15  Colombia 80 36.3%
venture with the Chinese company
SAIC, which was created on March 16  India 66 3.3%
25, 1997. The Shanghai GM plant 1 North America 3,552 21.9%
was officially opened on December 2 South America 815 20.8%
15, 1998, when the first Chinese- 3 European Union 905 12.3%
built Buick came off the assembly 4 People's Republic of China 1,095 12.0%
line. The SAIC-GM-Wuling
Automobile joint-venture is also
successfully selling microvans under the Wuling marque (34 percent owned by GM).

In August 2009 the joint venture of FAW GM Light Duty Commercial Vehicle Co Ltd was
formed that mainly produces Jiefang light-duty trucks.[28]

GM increased its sales in China by 68 percent to 230,048 vehicles in March 2010, outsold its
U.S. sales of 188,546 by 22 percent. And the company said it is “on track” to sell more than 2
million vehicles in China in 2010, four years ahead of its plan.[29][30]Blumenstein, Rebecca
(October 30, 2007). "GM to Invest in Green Technology in China". Wall Street Journal.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119365251905674678.html. Retrieved November 7, 2010.

GM made Cadillac a chief sponsor of the state-run China Film Group Corporation's Birth of
a Party, a film dramatizing the events leading to the creation of the Chinese Communist Party
in 1921 after Russia’s October Revolution in 1917.[31]

[edit] History
Main article: History of General Motors
General Motors Founder William Durant

The company was first founded on September 16, 1908, in Flint, Michigan, as a holding
company for Buick, then controlled by William C. Durant. At the turn of the 20th century
there were fewer than 8,000 automobiles in America and Durant had become a leading
manufacturer of horse-drawn vehicle in Flint, MI before making his foray into the automotive
indusry.[55] GM's co-founder was Charles Stewart Mott, whose carriage company was merged
into Buick prior to GM's creation. Over the years Mott became the largest single stockholder
in GM and spent his life with his Mott Foundation which has benefited the city of Flint, his
adopted home. It acquired Oldsmobile later that year. In 1909, Durant brought in Cadillac,
Elmore, Oakland and several others. Also in 1909, GM acquired the Reliance Motor Truck
Company of Owosso, Michigan, and the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company of Pontiac,
Michigan, the predecessors of GMC Truck. Durant lost control of GM in 1910 to a bankers'
trust, because of the large amount of debt taken on in its acquisitions coupled with a collapse
in new vehicle sales.

The longest-lived continuous automobile nameplate still in production is the Chevrolet


Suburban

The next year, Durant started the Chevrolet Motor Car Company and through this he secretly
purchased a controlling interest in GM. Durant took back control of the company after one of
the most dramatic proxy wars in American business history. Durant then reorganized General
Motors Company into General Motors Corporation in 1916. Shortly after, he again lost
control, this time for good, after the new vehicle market collapsed. Alfred P. Sloan was
picked to take charge of the corporation and led it to its post-war global dominance. This
unprecedented growth of GM would last into the early 1980s when it employed 349,000
workers and operated 150 assembly plants.

GM led global sales for 77 consecutive years from 1931 through 2007, longer than any other
automaker. In 2008 and 2009, GM has ranked as the second largest global automaker by
sales.[56]
[edit] Chapter 11 reorganization

Main article: General Motors Chapter 11 reorganization

On July 10, 2009, General Motors emerged from Chapter 11 reorganization.[3][4][57] GM had
filed for Chapter 11 reorganization on June 8, 2009. The Company was listed on the New
York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange again on November 18, 2010
following a US$33-a-share initial public offering of US$23 billion, including preferred
shares. The shareholding in the Company by the U.S. Treasury department is reduced from
about 61% to about 26%, including preferred shares and accounting for stock options given
to former GM bondholders. Disposal of such shares gave the Treasury department about
US$13.6 billion in proceeds. It was previously estimated that the Treasury has to sell GM
shares at an average of $43.67 a share to break even. SAIC Motor, partner of GM in China
and India, acquired just less than 1 percent of the new GM for about $500 million.[58][59]

[edit] Brand reorganization


Brand Year Markets
Buick 1903 North America, China, Israel, Taiwan
Cadillac 1902 Global (except South America, India, South East Asia, Australia)
GMC 1901 North America, Middle East
Chevrole Global (except Australia, New Zealand, but now Include South
1911
t Korea and Vietnam in 2011)
Vauxhall 1925 United Kingdom
Opel 1929 Europe, Middle East/Africa, Asia/Pacific, Chile (From 2011)
Holden 1948 Australia, New Zealand
Daewoo 2002~2011 South Korea, Vietnam (ceased)

As part of the company reorganization, the content and the structure of its brand portfolio (its
brand architecture) was reorganized.[60] Some nameplates like Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer, and
service brands like Goodwrench were discontinued. Others, like Saab, were sold.[61] The
practice of putting the "GM Mark of Excellence" on every car, no matter what the brand, was
discontinued in August, 2009.[62] The company has moved from a corporate-endorsed hybrid
brand architecture structure, where GM underpinned every brand to a multiple brand
corporate invisible brand architecture structure.[63] The company's familiar square blue
"badge" has been removed from the Web site and advertising, in favor of a new, subtle all-
text logo treatment.[60] In 2011, GM will discontinue the Daewoo brand in South Korea and
replace it with the Chevrolet brand.[64]

[edit] Discontinued brands

 Welch (1903–1911)  McLaughlin (1918–1942)


 Rainier (1905–1911)  Yellow Coach (1925–1943)
 Welch-Marquette (see  Beaumont (1966–1969)
Marquette)  Envoy (1960–1970)
 Cartercar (1905–1915)  Acadian (1962–1971)
 Elmore (1909–1912)  Ranger (1968–1976)
 Rapid Truck (1909–1912)  Bedford Vehicles (1929–1987)
 Reliance Truck (1909–1912)  General Motors Diesel Division (1938–
 Welch-Detroit (1910–1911) 1987)
 Marquette (1912)  Passport (1988–1991)
 Peninsular (1912) (see  Asüna (1993–1995)
Marquette)  Geo (1989–1997)
 Samson Tractor (1917–1922)  Oldsmobile (1897–2004)
 Scripps-Booth (1917–1923)  Pontiac (1926–2010)
 Marquette (1930)  Saturn (1985–2010)
 Oakland (1909–1931)  Hummer (1998–2010)
 Viking (1929–1931)  GM Goodwrench (1977–2011)
 LaSalle (1927–1940)

[edit] Former subsidiaries

 Frigidaire (1919–1979), sold to Ohio-based White Consolidated Industries


 Lotus (1986–1993), sold to Luxembourg-based A.C.B.N. Holdings S.A.
 Saab (1989–2010), sold to Dutch supercar manufacturer Spyker Cars NV

[edit] Former affiliates

 Fiat (2000–2005), GM owned 20 percent at one time with put option[65]


 Fuji Heavy Industries, manufacturer of Subaru (1999–2006), GM owned 20
percent at one time[66]
 Isuzu (1971–2006), GM owned 49 percent at one time[67]
 Suzuki (1981–2008), GM owned over 20 percent at one time[68]
Vauxhall Motors

Vauxhall Motors (pronounced /ˈvɒksɔːl/) is a British car manufacturer owned by General


Motors (GM) and headquartered in Luton, United Kingdom.[3] It was founded in 1857, began
manufacturing cars in 1903 and was acquired by GM in 1925.[4] It has been the second-largest
selling car brand in the UK for over two decades.[4] The current Vauxhall range includes the
Agila (city car), Corsa (supermini), Astra (small family car), Insignia (large family car) and
Zafira (compact MPV).
Vauxhall has major manufacturing facilities in Luton (commercial vehicles) and Ellesmere
Port, UK (passenger cars). The Luton plant currently employs around 1,170 staff and has a
capacity of approximately 100,000 units.[5] The Ellesmere Port plant currently employs
around 2,100 staff and has a capacity of approximately 187,000 units.[5]

The Vauxhall product range is largely identical to that of Opel, GM's German subsidiary, and
most models are principally designed in Rüsselsheim, Germany.[6] A high proportion of
Vauxhall-branded vehicles sold in the UK are produced at Opel factories in Germany, Spain
and Poland, and roughly 80% of Vauxhall production is exported, most of which is sold
under the Opel brand.[5]

History
Alexander Wilson founded the company in the Dusian Road, Vauxhall, London in 1857.
Originally named Alex Wilson and Company, then Vauxhall Iron Works, the company built
pumps and marine engines. In 1903, the company built its first car, a five-horsepower model
steered using a tiller, with two forward gears and no reverse gear. This led to a better design
which was made available for sale.

To expand, the company moved the majority of its production to Luton in 1905. The
company continued to trade under the name Vauxhall Iron Works until 1907, when the
modern name of Vauxhall Motors was adopted.

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