General Motors

General Motors Company is the largest American car company. It is based in the Renaissance Center in Detroit, Michigan. It was founded in 1908 by a man named Billy Durant. It makes cars and trucks in 31 countries. About 209,000 people work for it. It is the second largest car company in the world, after Toyota.

General Motors Company
Public
IndustryAutomotive
FoundedFlint, Michigan (September 16, 1908)
FounderWilliam C. Durant
HeadquartersRenaissance Center
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Daniel Akerson
(Chairman and CEO)
ProductsAutomobiles
RevenueIncreaseUS $ 98.7 billion (Q1-Q3 2010)[1]
IncreaseUS $ 4.2 billion (Q1-Q3 2010)[1]
Number of employees
209,000 (2010)
DivisionsChevrolet
Buick
Cadillac
GMC
WebsiteGM.com

In the 1950s and 1960s, it dominated the car industry, but it fell into decline by the 1980s and 90s. The company went through a bankruptcy in 2009 and was bought by the US Government, which has been selling its stake in the company.

As of April 2014, GM is being investigated by the United States Congress over the deaths of 13 people involving faulty ignition systems that have been used in many GM cars, with some built as early as 1997.[2][3] In May 2014 the company was fined $35 million from NHTSA over the ignition problem.[4]

Brands

GM has many brands, including:

In the past, General Motors has used other brands, including Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer, Geo, and Daewoo, but none of these are produced by GM as of 2014. They either have gone out of business or were merged into Chevrolet. GM also owned Saab from 1989 to 2010, and also held stakes in Isuzu and Suzuki until 2008. In 2017 they sold Opel and Vauxhall Motors to Groupe PSA. Holden gone defunct in 2020.

General Motors Media

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "GM IPO Prospectus Nov 18, 2010". GM.
  2. "General Motors Recalls Another 7 Million Vehicles, Some Dating Back To 1997". Forbes. June 30, 2014. https://www.forbes.com/sites/maggiemcgrath/2014/06/30/general-motors-recalls-another-7-million-vehicles-some-dating-back-to-1997/. Retrieved July 1, 2014. 
  3. "GM CEO Dodges Questions During Congressional Grilling". Time. April 1, 2014. http://time.com/46057/gm-ceo-dodges-questions-during-congressional-grilling/. Retrieved April 1, 2014. 
  4. GM fined $35mn for delays in recalling faulty cars. http://www.detroitstar.com/index.php/sid/222063699/scat/3d33b780d0e24349/ht/GM-fined-35mn-for-delays-in-recalling-faulty-cars. Retrieved May 17, 2014.