General Motors

Guide Note

General Motors is a multinational automotive corporation based in the United States. Though it is the fifth biggest company as well as the biggest auto-maker worldwide, it is not the top sales performer. In total, General Motors operates in 35 countries and distributes many brands, including Chevrolet, Cadillac, Hummer, Saturn, and Saab.

Fast Facts

1. Stock symbol: GM (NYSE)
2. Annual revenue (2007): $181 billion
3. Founder: William C. Durant
4. Established: 1908
5. Industry: Automotive manufacturing and distribution
6. Phone: 313-556-5000
7. Fax: 313-556-5108
8. HQ: Detroit, Michigan
9. CEO: Rick Wagoner
10. CFO: Ray Young
11. Staff (as of 2007): 284,000

Key Dates

1. September 16, 1908: Founded by William C. Durant in Flint, Michigan as a holding company for Buick
2. 1909: Durant acquires numerous auto companies, including Cadillac and Oldsmobile
3. 1910: Durant loses control of company due to large debts
4. 1961: Does away with clear performance distinctions between its different brand names
5. 2001: Starts the Keep America Rolling campaign in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, kickstarting other manufacturers to boost sales
6. December 31, 2007: Operates over 8000 dealerships in North America, and over 14,000 elsewhere worldwide

1. General Motors Corp. reduced its dealer network by about 7% between 2005 and 2007, to 14,118, The News reported. In some cases Hummer and Saab have merged - USA Today
2. But Lee Schipper, a visiting scholar at the transportation center of the University of California, Berkeley, said that a new method to make ethanol 'presents them with a way of wiggling the industry out of fuel economy standards. - The New York Times