General motors brands. General - retire: the story of the rise and fall of General Motors in Russia

General Motors, for short GM- the largest American automobile corporation, the largest automobile manufacturer in the world. General Motors Corporation (GMC) is a world-famous American concern. He is in production various kinds trucks, including light trucks - utility vans and pickups.
General Motors currently owns car brands: Alpheon, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Opel and Vauxhall. Previously also produced: Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Hummer, Saturn, Asüna, Acadian, Geo.

According to the results of 2014, the concern ranks third in the world (after Toyota and Volkswagen) in terms of the number of cars sold (9.92 million units). Production is established in 35 countries, sales in 192 countries. The company's headquarters is located in Detroit.

History of General Motors

The history of General Motors began with two brothers. Brothers Maurice and Max Grabowski started their business in 1900. They made a truck for sale, which was equipped with a horizontal single-cylinder engine. For the first time, trucks with a single-cylinder engine were produced by the Rapid Motor Vehicle company, which was organized in 1902.

In 1908, William S. Durant in the USA on September 16, 1908, organized the company General Motors, by that time William S. Duran already had a Buick company. The company was originally headquartered in Flint, Michigan and then moved to Detroit. Subsequently, this company absorbed not only the Rapid Motor Vehicle company, but also all the other small car manufacturing companies that were available at that time in Michigan. The first trucks were produced by General Motors in 1909.

1916 was the year the General Motors Corporation was founded. In 1916, the company's trucks took part in the first trans-American rally. They were able to cross the whole country, from New York to Seattle.
During the First World War, General Motors delivered about 100,000 trucks and their modifications to the army. After the war ended, the company came to grips with the modification and improvement of the assembly line at the plant, located in the city of Pontiac. In addition, the re-equipment of the cars themselves began. They were converted into motor cars and railcars for various purposes.

1925 was marked by a very important event. Chicago-based The Yellow Cab Manufacturing became part of General Motors. The company had the opportunity to produce trucks with small and medium payloads, and put a company emblem on them.
In 1925, the T-series cars were born. By 1931, one of the first "8" class cars had been developed. It was a heavy T-95 truck. The carrying capacity of this car reached 15 tons. It was equipped with a four-speed transmission and pneumatic brakes.
In 1929, the company was commissioned to develop a special truck designed to transport circus animals, including elephants.

Since the early 1930s - the largest automaker in the United States and in the world. Entered the "big three" automakers: GM, Ford, Chrysler.

In 1934, the company developed the first truck model, in which the cab was located above the engine. This car was sent to Bekins Van and Storage. By about 1937, the trucks the company produced were becoming more and more streamlined. Their coloration has become much more diverse. By the beginning of 1939, the A-series models began to be actively used. These were the AC, ADC, AF, ADF modifications. They were numbered from 100 to 850 inclusive.
Since 1935, the company has been closely engaged in the production of engines for diesel fuel. In truck designs, such engines are quickly becoming extremely popular.
The first pickup truck - a semi-ton T-34 model was created in 1938.

During the Second World War, the company came to grips with the orders of the military. It is engaged in the production of equipment for submarines, tanks and special trucks. Many of these trucks ended up in Russia as part of Lend-Lease. One such vehicle is the famous DUKW amphibian. She could move both on land and on water. During the war, equipment and soldiers were transported on it. There were three modifications of this famous car - 2-ton, 4-ton and 8-ton.
By the end of the 1940s, the company's products were very popular all over the world. Car sales were very successful, even though the design of cars has not changed much.
But by around 1949, the A-series models were becoming very obsolete. They were replaced by Class 8 trucks with a fundamentally new design. By the end of the year, the "H" series model was born. For the next decade, it was the only Class 8 truck produced by the company. Also, the release of the "Bubblenose" variant began at that time. It was equipped with a special cabin, in which, in accordance with the order, a berth was provided. The cabin was located above the engine. Series numbers over 900 were reserved for heavy duty vehicles. Smaller numbers belonged to machines with a small carrying capacity.

In the 1950s, the production of Jimmy trucks began.
In 1956, 4WD was released - the first car with all-wheel drive.
In 1959, the last "Bubblenose" type cars were produced with a cab that was located above the engine. They were replaced by a series model that is known worldwide as the "Crackerbox". This name was given because the cabin had an angular shape and a bit like a box in shape. There were modifications of the car, both with a berth and without it. In 1968, the production of these trucks was suspended.
In 1968, a new car appeared "Astro-95", the cabin of which was located above the engine. Almost immediately, he received the widest recognition. The cab design has been completely redesigned. In addition, a new windshield was installed in the car, which provided much more visibility, and a new semi-circular instrument panel. Cars were produced both without a berth and with a berth.
The Astro cars were discontinued in 1987. It should be noted that on the basis of the massive H models characteristic of the 50s, the 9500 series cars were developed. They began to be produced in 1966. These were trucks whose hoods were made of fiberglass. The hood could be folded forward. The space under the hood was such that almost any diesel engine could be placed there.

In the early 1980s, the company faced various problems and for the first time in 60 years showed a loss at the end of the year.

January 1988 was marked by the fact that General Motors became part of the Volvo-White group, which was engaged in the production of trucks. And today the company has not lost its significance. She produces trucks "New Family" (in translation - "New Family"). It is a joint product of Autocar and Volvo-White-General Motors.
A lot of trucks of the latest developments of General Motors are now in operation. But outdated models have not lost their significance. Nowadays, several models of the company are most famous.
First of all, this is a Sonoma pickup truck. There are three modifications of this car - Crew Cab, Extended Cab and Regular Cab.
Next comes the full-size Sierra ACE pickup. It was introduced in January 1999 in Detroit. It is distinguished by the presence of a large number of decorative chrome parts, powerful 18-inch wheels and a combination of round and rectangular headlights. Its double cabin can accommodate six people. The rear seat can be accessed through the third door located on the starboard side.
The next car is a minivan Safari with rear or all-wheel drive. This is a very compact family car. Oe is perfect for the countryside.
In the Van Cargo configuration, this car is very often used for commercial transportation. This model is practically a twin of the Chevrolet Astro. They differ only in the design of the front panel.
Next - minibus Savana SLT. It can accommodate seven passengers. This car has three modifications - 1500, 2500 and 3500. They can accommodate from 12 to 15 passengers.
Next comes the Yukon SUV. It is produced not only with all-wheel drive. There are options in which only the rear wheels are leading. Such chassis are both cheaper and lighter. On models Yukon with a wheelbase of 2946 mm and Yukon XL with a base of 3302 mm, bodies of the same universal type are installed. Their capacity is respectively 5-9 and 7-9 people. In terms of comfort, these cars practically do not differ from passenger sedans. At the beginning of this century, the second generation of the Yukon/Yukon XL models was born. These cars can be considered direct relatives of the Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban.

In 2001, the generation of General Motors Envoy SUVs changed, whose ancestors were Chevrolet Blazer jeeps. These SUVs are very different from the models of past years. First of all, the car has become much larger. It's practically a brand new car. All internal and external parameters of the machine have changed. The equipment of the car has become much richer. The car is offered in rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions.
It is safe to say that both in Europe and throughout the world, Russia is one of the most important markets for General Motors. Today in Russia such brands as Chevrolet, HUMMER, Opel, Saab, Cadillac are known. The Moscow office of the Russian company now has more than 270 employees. Products are sold in Russia through a dealer network. It operates in 55 cities of the country and has 154 companies.
In 2008, 337,810 General Motors vehicles were sold in Russia. This is 30% higher than 2007 sales. The market share in Russia at the end of 2007 was 9.6%, in 2008 it increased to 11.2%. Despite the fiercest competition, the company's products hold the first place in Russia in the sale of foreign brands.
The company entered the Russian market in 1992. Already 10 years later, General Motors, together with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Russian company AvtoVAZ, organized the first joint venture in Russia in the automotive industry.

Today, one of the leaders in sales on automotive market Russia is Chevrolet NIVA, which is produced by a joint venture plant in the city of Togliatti.
In 2004, Avtotor and General Motors entered into an agreement for the implementation of the HUMMER H2 SKD assembly in Kaliningrad. Today, this plant assembles two Chevrolet models - Lacetti and Epica, as well as the Cadillac SRX, STS and HUMMER H2 and H3.
In mid-2006, near St. Petersburg in Shushary, construction began on a new car factory. This plant was opened on November 7, 2008. Today, this plant produces the Chevrolet Captiva SUV. A separate production line was allocated for the production of the Chevrolet Cruze. In the summer of 2009, the production of this car began.
In 2005, the scientific office of General Motors was organized in Russia. In this office, scientists from different countries conduct research in the field of science and technology.

General Motors history of the beginning of the XXI century: bankruptcy and revival

At the end of the first decade of the 21st century financial condition GM has gotten worse. On June 1, 2009, the company entered bankruptcy proceedings (Article 11 federal law United States Bankruptcy) - a lawsuit was filed in the court of the Southern Federal District of New York. Under the terms of the bankruptcy, the US government provided the company with about $30 billion, and in return received a 60% stake in the concern, the government of Canada - 12% of the shares for $ 9.5 billion, the United Automotive Workers Union of the United States of America (OPRAP) - 17.5% of the shares. The remaining 10.5% of the shares were divided between the largest creditors of the concern. US President Barack Obama said that the state does not plan to control GM forever and will get rid of the controlling stake as soon as the concern's financial position improves.

Creation of General Motors Corporation

On July 10, 2009, a new independent company General Motor Company. The old GM (General Motors Corporation) was renamed Motors Liquidation Company. It was assumed that after bankruptcy the concern would be divided into two companies, the first of which would include the most unprofitable divisions, and the second - the most profitable Chevrolet and Cadillac. In particular, in 2009 GM planned to sell unprofitable Opel, and one of the contenders for the purchase was a consortium of Magna International and Russian Sberbank. However, in early November, GM decided to keep Opel, citing the industry emerging from the crisis and unwillingness to leave the small car market.

In late 2010, GM held one of the largest public offerings in history. During the placement, the governments of the United States and Canada, which became the main shareholders in bankruptcy in 2009, sold their shares for a total of $23.1 billion.

Owners and management of General Motors

The main shareholders of the company for May, 2011 are the US Department of the Treasury (35.5%), the United States Auto Workers Union (OPRAP) (10.3%), Canada Gen Investments (9%).

Chairman of the Board of Directors - Tim Solso. The CEO is Mary Barra.

Activities of General Motors

General Motors currently owns car brands: Alpheon, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Opel and Vauxhall. Previously produced also: Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Hummer, Saturn, Asüna, Acadian, Geo.

General Motors works closely with a number of companies, sharing markets and jointly developing vehicles and engines. Among such companies are Fiat Auto SpA of Italy (brands Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Ferrari, Maserati), Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (Subaru), Isuzu Motors Ltd. (development for GM commercial vehicles and diesel engines, Isuzu brand), Suzuki Motor Corp. of Japan (Suzuki).

In addition, GM held the largest stake in GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. of South Korea (trademark of Daewoo), which was discontinued in early 2011.

Performance indicators of General Motors

The company's factories employ 216,000 people (2015). The company's revenue under US GAAP for 2010 amounted to $135.6 billion, operating profit - $5.7 billion, net profit - $4.7 billion. Revenue for 2008 amounted to $148.98 billion (in 2007 - $181 billion), net loss - $30.86 billion (in 2007 - a net loss of $38.7 billion).

General Motors in Russia

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev together with the Managing Director for the construction of new plants General Motors John Burton at the opening ceremony of the company's car plant near St. Petersburg (November 7, 2008). The interests of GM in Russia are represented by the authorized organization OOO General Motors Daewoo Auto and Technology CIS legal address: 123317, Moscow, st. Testovaya, 10.

As of May 2011, the company had 154 Chevrolet dealerships in Russia, most of them also selling Opel cars, and 28 selling Cadillacs. In Russia in 2010, GM ranked second in car sales, selling 159,376 cars of all its brands.

Production of General Motors in Russia

General Motors owns a car assembly plant in St. Petersburg, in Shushary, opened in November 2008. GM's total investment in production complex are estimated at $300 million. Construction of the plant began on June 13, 2006; at the first stage (assembly of 70,000 vehicles per year), the investment in the project amounted to $115 million. The installation of equipment began in January 2008, a trial start-up of production took place in September, and the official opening of the enterprise on November 7, 2008. President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev attended the grand opening ceremony of GM Shushary. The plant is scheduled to reach full capacity by the end of 2009. According to the general director of the plant, Richard Swando, negotiations have already been held with 80 potential suppliers of components, and the level of localization of production in St. Petersburg will be increased to 30% by about 2010.

Since September 2006, two years before the start of operation of the main GM assembly plant in Shushary, the company began assembling the Chevrolet Captiva car from SKD kits in the rented workshop of the Arsenal plant located near the Finlyandsky railway station in St. Petersburg. Since September 2007, the SKD assembly of the Opel Antara SUV has been launched here, and since February 2008, assembly of the Opel Astra has begun at the second production site in Shushary. In 2006, Arsenal collected 273 units. Chevrolet Captiva, in 2007 - 5631 units. Captiva and 48 units. Antara. During 9 months of 2008, 30,575 Captiva, Antara and Astra models were assembled. As of February 2009, assembly at the Arsenal plant will cease, and workers will be transferred to the plant in Shushary, where from the end of 2009 it is also planned to assemble the Chevrolet Cruze passenger model on the global Global Compact platform.

In addition, General Motors is a partner (owns 50% of the company's ordinary shares) of OJSC AvtoVAZ in a joint venture, JV GM-AvtoVAZ, which produces Chevrolet Niva SUVs. General Motors Corporation cooperates with Avtotor JSC in Kaliningrad, where the company's cars are manufactured under the Chevrolet and Cadillac brands.

In November 2008, General Motors launched the production of a full CKD-cycle of the Chevrolet Lacetti model at the Avtotor plant. The construction and equipping of additional welding and painting workshops cost the parties about 80 million euros. The transition to the full assembly cycle of Lacetti in Kaliningrad required an additional 1,450 employees to be hired. The total amount of GM investments in Avtotor exceeded $350 million.

On March 18, 2015, General Motors decided to close the production of cars in St. Petersburg in the middle of the year, and also completely abandoned sales of Opel cars in Russia, starting from December 2015. Until June 30, SKD continued; since July 1, the plant has been mothballed, only a small part of the employees remained who will maintain the state of the plant.

General Motors intends to assemble premium-class cars (Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Tahoe) for the Russian market in Belarus, at the Unison plant.

About thirty years ago, the famous American manager Lee Iacocca said that by the beginning of the 21st century, only a few players would remain in the global automotive market. Ex-president of Chrysler and Ford saw through the trends further development auto industry, so it is not at all surprising that his predictions are confirmed.

The world's largest automakers and alliances

At first glance, it may seem that there are many independent automakers in the world, but in fact, most auto companies are part of various groups and alliances.

Thus, Lee Iacocca looked into the water, and today there are actually only a few automakers left in the world who have divided the entire global car market among themselves.

What brands are owned by Ford

Interestingly, the companies he headed - Chrysler and Ford - are leaders in the American auto industry, during economic crisis suffered the most serious losses. And they had never been in such serious troubles before. Chrysler and General Motors went bankrupt, and only a miracle saved Ford. But for this miracle, the company had to pay too dear a price, because as a result, Ford lost its premium division Premiere Automotive Group, which included Land Rover, Volvo and Jaguar. Moreover, Ford lost Aston Martin, the British supercar manufacturer, a controlling stake in Mazda, and liquidated the Mercury brand. And today, only two brands remain from the huge empire - Lincoln and Ford itself.

What brands belong to the auto concern General Motors

General Motors suffered no less serious losses. The American company lost Saturn, Hummer, SAAB, but its bankruptcy did not prevent it from defending the Opel and Daewoo brands. Today, General Motors includes such brands as Vauxhall, Holden, GMC, Chevrolet, Cadillac and Buick. In addition, the Americans own the Russian joint venture GM-AvtoVAZ, which produces the Chevrolet Niva.

Automaker Fiat and Chrysler

And the American concern Chrysler now acts as a strategic partner of Fiat, which has brought together such brands as Ram, Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, Lancia, Maserati, Ferrari and Alfa Romeo under its wing.

In Europe, things are somewhat different than in the US. Here the crisis has also made its own adjustments, but the position of the monsters of the European automobile industry has not been shaken by this.

What brands belong to the Volkswagen Group

Volkswagen is still accumulating brands. After buying Porsche in 2009, the Volkswagen Group has nine brands - Seat, Skoda, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Bentley, Porsche, Audi, truck manufacturer Scania and VW itself. There is evidence that soon this list will include Suzuki, 20 percent of whose shares are already owned by the Volkswagen Group.

Brands owned by Daimler AG and BMW Group

As for the other two "Germans" - BMW and Daimler AG, they cannot boast of such an abundance of brands. Under the wing of Daimler AG are the brands Smart, Maybach and Mercedes, and the history of BMW includes Mini and Rolls-Royce.

Renault and Nissan Automobile Alliance

Among the world's largest automakers, one cannot fail to mention the Renault-Nissan alliance, which owns such brands as Samsung, Infiniti, Nissan, Dacia and Renault. In addition, Renault owns 25 percent of AvtoVAZ shares, so Lada is also not an independent brand from the French-Japanese alliance.

Another major French automaker, PSA, owns Peugeot and Citroen.

Japanese automaker Toyota

And among Japanese automakers, only Toyota, which owns Subaru, Daihatsu, Scion and Lexus, can boast of a “collection” of brands. Also part of Toyota Motor is the truck manufacturer Hino.

Who owns Honda

Honda's achievements are more modest. In addition to the motorcycle department and the premium Acura brand, the Japanese have nothing else.

Successful Auto Alliance Hyundai-Kia

In recent years, the Hyundai-Kia alliance has been successfully breaking into the list of leaders in the global automotive industry. Today, it produces cars only under the brands Kia and Hyundai, but the Koreans are already seriously engaged in creating a premium brand that could be called Genesis.

Acquisitions and mergers in recent years include the takeover of the Chinese brand Volvo by Geely, as well as the acquisition of the British premium brands Land Rover and Jaguar by the Indian company Tata. And even the most curious case is the purchase of the famous Swedish brand SAAB by the tiny Dutch supercar manufacturer Spyker.

The once powerful British auto industry is dead. All the famous British car manufacturers have long since lost their independence. Their example was followed by small English firms that passed to foreign owners. In particular, the legendary Lotus today belongs to Proton (Malaysia), and the Chinese SAIC bought MG. By the way, the same SAIC had previously sold the Korean SsangYong Motor to the Indian Mahindra&Mahindra.

All of these strategic partnerships, alliances, mergers and acquisitions have once again proven Lee Iacocca right. Single firms in the modern world are no longer able to survive. Yes, there are exceptions, like the Japanese Mitsuoka, the English Morgan or the Malaysian Proton. But these companies are independent only in the sense that absolutely nothing depends on them.

And in order to have annual sales amounting to hundreds of thousands of cars, not to mention millions, one cannot do without a strong “rear”. In the Renault-Nissan alliance, partners provide support to each other, while in the Volkswagen Group, mutual assistance is ensured by the number of brands.

As for such companies as Mitsubishi and Mazda, in the future they will face more and more difficulties. While Mitsubishi can get the help of partners from PSA, Mazda will have to survive alone, which in the modern world is becoming more and more difficult every day ...

The history of General Motors began in 1908, when the enterprising William Duran bought up several small car manufacturing firms, merging them into one and calling them rather ordinary: “General Motors Company”. The company introduced the Buick truck to the world - a brand that later became famous throughout the world. Within two years, about twenty more such small firms were bought up. And in the process, the company became a corporation. Among others, it was bought up, for example, "Cadillac". All these purchases could be called successful, if not for one "but". As a result of all these transactions, Duran had accumulated an incredible amount of debt and was in dire need of another loan. However, the position of the creditors was unequivocal: loans in exchange for Duran's resignation. It seemed to be a crash. But not for William.

Back in 1905, the famous racing driver Louis Chevrolet attracted his attention. In 1909, Duran invited Chevrolet to become the official Buick driver. And so, in 1911, already retired, William persuades Louis Chevrolet to start producing a new car. Which was supposed to "leave" in the name of the world famous racer. This is how the first Chevrolet model appeared. This happened on October 3 of the same year. He received his famous emblem a little later, and, as usual, there is a legend on this score, which says that in fact the famous “bow tie” was torn off the wallpaper of a hotel in Paris, where he once stayed for a while young Duran. Moreover, he was torn off in the most literal sense - he took with him a piece of wallpaper sheet as a souvenir. They say he showed it to his friends, saying: this is how a car emblem should be - it will help the car move to infinity. Indeed, here he looked into the water: Chevrolet is still striving for the future ... However, the price of the first model was too high - five times more expensive than the then popular Ford. Realizing this, Duran changes the concept of car production and starts producing simple but cheap models. Here he, as they say, "hit the stream." In speed, cheap and popular Chevrolet models flooded the market, and Duran was making a great profit and set his sights on General Motors again. Soon he buys out a controlling stake, triumphantly returns to the chair of the board chairman and joins Chevrolet with the concern. By this time, the concern is already becoming a real auto giant.

New owners of General Motors.

During the First World War, for the needs of the army, General Motors supplies trucks and various modifications based on them. At the end of the war, the corporation took up the re-equipment of the conveyor and the improvement of cars. However, Duran still turned out to be a more successful adventurer than a businessman, so the company's affairs again approached the era of decline. The logical conclusion of Duran's reign was that in the 20th year financial group DuPont-Morgan acquires General Motors for $21.6 million, and Duran, with a radiant smile, leaving the company's office forever, utters the historic phrase: "Today is moving day!" So he moved into history.

Alfred Stone became the head of the corporation for many years. He manages to transform the chaotic accumulation of disparate departments into an integral organism, subordinated to a single production and financial system. Moreover, the necessary autonomy was still preserved. With the newly created system, everything fell into place: the profit from the production of already existing popular models covered the losses from the development and creation of new cars. Once things got better, the trend of takeovers of smaller companies continued. So, from 25 to 31 years of the last century, Vauxhall, Opel Adam, Holden are bought up. By the end of the 1920s, the corporation overtook Henry Ford's empire in terms of sales.

During World War II, General Motors again works for military orders, including the famous "Duck" - the amphibian "Duck". In the late 40s, General Motors products were very popular. Continuing the trend, the corporation acquires new companies, including the Japanese Isuzu and Suzuki.

Maintaining the tradition, in America General Motors respects the priority of large cars, and in Europe small cars are being designed. A number of interesting innovations of the company should be noted: Chevrolet Corvette (the first plastic body), Chevrolet Conveyor (rear-mounted engine with a boxer air-cooled engine), Oldsmobil Tornado (front-wheel drive).

Modern history of GM.

However, competition from Japanese companies was cruel. The corporation even had to organize a new branch of Saturn, whose competence included the production of small-sized machines. However, the modernization was not completely successful and in the early 90s a certain number of factories had to be closed and the staff significantly reduced. It was only by 1997 that the situation was somewhat corrected, but already the automobile giant entered the new millennium as a winner. He even managed to maintain the tradition and absorb the Daewoo company.

And then a crisis happened ... everyone knows what happened next - the bankruptcy story and the unspoken renaming of General Motors to Government Motors. GM's latest record is the largest bankruptcy in US history. However, the story is not over yet and it is possible that we will witness the next rise of the world famous auto giant. Most likely, this will happen soon, because recently the resurgent GM is more and more confidently stepping on the heels of its constant competitor Toyota in the race for world leadership.

16-09-2013 at 18:09

On September 16, 1908, entrepreneur William Durant founded General Motors, which later became one of the largest automakers in the world. On this occasion, we offer a selection of 11 modern brands of General Motors.

Chevrolet

The Chevrolet brand joined the General Motors family on November 3, 1911. Thus, this brand has become one of the longest-lived in the company's portfolio.

Today, Chevrolet vehicles are sold all over the world. Also, this brand has its own legendary models. These include, for example, Corvette, Camaro and Bel Air.

GMC

The division of General Motors GMC produces mainly commercial vehicles.

For more than a century of GMC history, buses, trucks and pickups have been produced under this brand.

Baojun

Under the Baojun brand, affordable cars are sold exclusively for the Chinese market.

The emergence of the Baojun brand was the result of a partnership between the American automaker General Motors and Chinese company SAIC Motor.

Opel

Opel was founded by Adam Opel in 1862. Throughout its long history, the company has experienced ups and downs. In 1931, the American General Motors bought the German automaker.

Now General Motors cars for the European market are produced under the Opel brand.

Wuling

Under the Wuling brand, cars are produced by the alliance of General Motors, SAIC Motor and Liuzhou Wuling Motors Co Ltd.

holden

As a car manufacturer, Holden was founded in 1908. In many ways, this became possible thanks to cooperation with the American company General Motors.

Over its long history, Holden has produced both cars designed in the USA, as well as models and its own production.

Isuzu

Isuzu Motors was founded in 1916 in Japan. In 1934, Isuzu began manufacturing automobiles.

In 2004, Isuzu entered the European market through a partnership with General Motors.

Vauxhall

Vauxhall was founded in 1857 and at that time was engaged in the production of engines for water transport. In 1903, the company began producing cars.

Today, Vauxhall is a British sub-brand of the German automaker Opel, which is part of the American company General Motors.

FAW

The FAW brand appeared in 2009. The company is equally owned by the American General Motors and the Chinese FAW Group.

Currently, trucks and other commercial vehicles are produced under the FAW brand.

Cadillac

Cadillac was founded by Henry M. Leland on August 2, 1902. In 1909, the brand became the property of General Motors.

In the General Motors family of brands, the Cadillac brand is one of the most expensive and prestigious.

Buick

To date, Buick is the oldest American auto brand under which cars are still produced. The company was founded in 1899 as an engine manufacturer.

On May 19, 1903, Buick was reborn as the automaker Buick Motor Company. Since then, cooperation with General Motors began, which continues to this day.

At the beginning of the 20th century, automobile firms appeared in the United States like mushrooms after the rain: for many then this business seemed very promising and attractive. True, not everyone managed to survive in the competition - a common misfortune was the lack of funds. That is why companies from time to time went bankrupt, resold, changing not only owners, but also names. To feel more confident, firms were corporatized and united in corporations.

The founder of General Motors - entrepreneur William Crapo Durant made his fortune in the water company of the city of Flint, and then engaged in the production of horse-drawn carriages, organizing his own company. In 1904, he purchased the Buick Motor Car Company and began to reorganize it. Four years later, the businessman decided that the time had come to create a large automobile corporation, and bought another brand - Oldsmobile. Buick at that time produced about 9,000 cars a year, Oldsmobile - just over 1,000. Durant called his new brainchild General Motors Company.

The business developed successfully, and the next year there were already four brands in the corporation: Cadillac and Oakland were added to the first two. Then for short term GM bought up about three dozen companies, one way or another connected with the auto industry. However, not all shareholders liked Durant's risky operations and adventurous management style, and when in 1910 the financial situation of General Motors worsened once again, he was forced not only to resign from the leadership of the company, but also to leave it.

However, the entrepreneur did not despair and, together with the famous racer Louis Chevrolet, in 1911 organized a new enterprise - Chevrolet Motors Co (which later merged with GM). The undertaking turned out to be so successful that already in 1915 Durant had enough funds to regain GM by buying a controlling stake. Returning in triumph, the entrepreneur changed the name of the company to General Motors Corporation and headed it until 1920, when, after another disagreement with the leading shareholders, he again had to leave. Forever this time. True, by that time GM was already fighting on an equal footing with Ford for the right to be called the largest automobile manufacturer not only in America, but in the whole world: the total production of all brands of the corporation exceeded 367 thousand cars a year.

First in the world

The 1920s were the time for the corporation to enter foreign markets. In 1918, its branch in Canada was launched, in 1925 the British company Vauxhall was acquired, and in 1929 the German company Opel was officially announced as part of General Motors. By the end of the decade, the corporation firmly established itself on the first line of the rankings of the world's largest automakers. In 1929, its enterprises produced a little less than 2 million cars. And in the early 30s, the company entered the market of another continent - Australia, creating a joint production with the local Holden brand. In 1936, GM's output exceeded 2 million cars.

Unlike its main competitor Ford, GM management was able to feel the new mood of customers in time, who wanted to have more than just a vehicle. Americans aspired to comfort, and even to luxury. And GM reacted quickly, starting to produce cars for every taste and budget.

A wise marketing policy also contributed to the growth of popularity. Having collected several famous brands under its auspices, the corporation continued to produce cars under the brands beloved by the buyer. So, having acquired Vauxhall and Opel in Europe, the management decided to update the technologies and lineups of both brands, but retained their names.

The Second World War, which began in 1939, had a negative impact on the volume of car production in the world, which also affected GM: the factories had to significantly reduce the production of cars due to the transition to military products. In addition, the corporation practically lost Opel, which was nationalized by the German authorities. Production fell to a minimum level in 1943, when GM enterprises together were able to produce about 307 thousand cars. But in 1946, immediately after the war, production volumes again exceeded 1 million, and three years later they were almost doubled. The company again took first place among the world's automakers and continued to grow.

However, it is difficult to call GM's cloudless history. One of the biggest scandals in the 60s provoked the Chevrolet Corvair, which suddenly lost control at high speeds. After investigating a series of accidents, lawyer Ralph Nyder published the book "Unsafe at Any Speed", where he outlined his opinion on the causes of the accidents. The publication sold 237,000 copies, and the company received a series of lawsuits for more than $40 million.

No less noise was made by the book of one of the former top managers of the corporation, John Zacharias DeLorean, which he called "General Motors" in the true light. The author accused the company's management of conservative management methods, waste of funds and that it "cares the least about customers, showing much more concern for shareholders' profits." This was partly true, but ... the same could be said about any other large corporation, moreover, about any firm in general! However, the company is once again mired in litigation. True, she managed to learn from her mistakes and did not repeat them in the future.

Business was running its course. By the beginning of the 80s, GM had branches almost all over the world - in Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, then they opened in China and Russia. Today, General Motors is present in 120 countries, and the total number of its employees reaches 209 thousand people. The divisions of the company and its partners work with a whole group of brands: Baojun, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Daewoo, GMC, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling.

GM in Russia

General Motors is associated with our country for a long time business relationship. Oldsmobile and Chevrolet cars, for example, were already known in Tsarist Russia. After the October Revolution, relations were interrupted, but at the end of the 20s, when the USSR was going to create its own car factories, the company participated in a competition announced for this purpose. True, then the Soviet government chose Ford as a partner.