General Motors facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
General Motors Company

Headquarters at the Renaissance Center in Detroit in 2008
Formerly	General Motors Corporation
Type	Public
Traded as	NYSE: GM S&P 100 component S&P 500 component
ISIN	ISIN: [https://isin.toolforge.org/?language=en&isin=US37045V1008 US37045V1008]
Industry	Automotive
Founded	September 16, 1908; 116 years ago (1908-09-16) (original company) July 10, 2009 (2009-07-10) (present company)
Chair & CEO	Mary Barra
President	Mark Reuss
Founder	William C. Durant
Headquarters	Renaissance Center, Detroit, Michigan , United States
Number of locations	396 facilities on six continents
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Pierre S. du Pont Chairman of the Board (1915-1929) Charles Kettering Director of Research (1920-1947) Alfred P. Sloan CEO (1923-1946)
Products	Automobiles Performance vehicles Luxury vehicles Commercial vehicles Military vehicles Automobile parts
Production output	6,186,000 vehicles (sales, 2023)
Services	Automotive finance Vehicle leasing Vehicle service
Revenue	US$171.8 billion (2023)
Operating income	US$9.298 billion (2023)
Net income	US$9.840 billion (2023)
Total assets	US$273.1 billion (2023)
Total equity	US$68.19 billion (2023)
Number of employees	163,000 (2023)
Divisions	Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GMC
Subsidiaries	List Transportation SAIC-GM (50%) SAIC-GM-Wuling (44%) SGMW Motor Indonesia Baojun Wuling BrightDrop Cruise LLC Financial services GM Financial Others Logistics: GM Certified Service GM Energy GM Envolve OnStar Industrial: ACDelco DMAX GM Components Holdings GM Defense GM Subsystems Manufacturing LLC Ultium Cells LLC International: Cadillac Europe GM Argentina GM Brazil GM Canada GM Chile GM Colombia GM Ecuador GM Egypt GM Japan GM Korea GM Mexico GM New Zealand GM Specialty Vehicles Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (50%)

General Motors Company (GM) is a huge American company that makes cars and trucks. Its main office is in Detroit, Michigan, United States. GM is famous for its car brands like Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and Buick. In 2022, it was the biggest car seller in the United States. For 77 years, GM was the world's largest carmaker until Toyota took the top spot in 2008.

General Motors has factories in eight countries around the world. Besides its main brands, GM also has stakes in Chinese brands like Baojun and Wuling. The company also owns BrightDrop, which makes delivery vehicles, and GM Defense, which builds military vehicles for the U.S. government. GM also owns OnStar (for car safety and information), ACDelco (for car parts), and GM Financial (for car loans). They also have a big part in Cruise LLC, a company that works on self-driving cars.

The company started on September 16, 1908, when William C. Durant created it to bring together different car companies. Durant was known for selling many horse-drawn vehicles. In the first half of the 1900s, GM grew by buying many other companies. Later, it focused on new ideas and worked with NASA to create early electric vehicles. The company you see today was formed in 2009 after a major reorganization.

As of 2024, General Motors is one of the top companies in America by total money earned. In 2021, GM announced it plans to stop making cars with regular internal combustion engines by 2035. This is part of its goal to become carbon neutral by 2040, meaning it will not add carbon to the atmosphere.

History of General Motors

How GM Started and Grew

Around 1900, William C. Durant owned a very large company that made horse-drawn carriages in Flint, Michigan. Even though he didn't like cars at first, he bought the Buick Motor Company in 1904. In 1908, Durant created General Motors as a "holding company." This means it was a company that owned other companies.

GM's first big step was buying Buick, which Durant already owned. Then, on November 12, 1908, it bought Olds Motor Works. In 1909, GM continued to grow by buying other car companies like Cadillac, Elmore, Welch, Cartercar, and Oakland (which later became Pontiac). It also bought truck companies like Rapid Motor Vehicle Company and Reliance Motor Car Company, which later became GMC.

Durant borrowed a lot of money to buy all these companies. Because of this, the bankers who lent the money removed him from his leadership role in 1910. In 1911, Charles F. Kettering and Henry M. Leland invented the first electric starter for cars. In November 1911, Durant started Chevrolet with race car driver Louis Chevrolet. Louis Chevrolet left the company in 1915 after a disagreement.

In 1916, GM became a public company, meaning people could buy shares of it. By 1917, Chevrolet was doing so well that Durant, with help from others, was able to get back control of GM. That same year, GM bought Samson Tractor. Chevrolet Motor Company officially joined GM in 1918. GM also bought United Motors, a parts supplier, and McLaughlin Motor Car Company, which became General Motors of Canada. In 1919, GM bought Frigidaire, a company that made refrigerators. Also in 1919, General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) was created to help people get loans to buy cars.

In 1920, Alfred P. Sloan took over from Durant. At this time, GM was competing a lot with Ford Motor Company. Sloan started the idea of changing car models every year, which made older cars seem "dated" and created a market for used cars. He also set up the pricing system that many car companies still use today. This system made Chevrolet the least expensive, followed by Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, and then Cadillac as the most expensive.

In 1921, a GM engineer named Thomas Midgley Jr. found that adding a special lead compound to gasoline helped engines run better. GM patented this. Later, people learned that lead in gasoline was harmful to people and the environment. Midgley also developed chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons, which were later banned because they harmed the Earth's atmosphere.

In 1925, GM bought Vauxhall Motors in the UK. The company also bought a large part of Yellow Cab Manufacturing Company, a taxi company.

Growing Bigger and Buying More Companies

In 1926, GM launched the Pontiac brand. They also started a life insurance program for their employees. The next year, after the success of the 1927 Cadillac LaSalle car, GM created a special "Art and Color Section" for car design. Harley Earl was the first person to lead this design team. He created a way of designing cars that is still used today. Later, Bill Mitchell took over car design for GM. Also in 1926, GM bought Fisher Body, which made car bodies for them.

In 1929, GM bought Allison Engine Company and started making powerful aircraft engines. That same year, GM bought 80% of Opel, a German car company that was very popular in Europe. They bought the rest of Opel in 1931.

In the late 1920s, Charles Kettering worked on making lightweight diesel engines. Soon after, GM bought companies that made engines and locomotives.

In 1932, GM bought Packard Electric. The next year, GM bought a large part of North American Aviation, an airplane company.

In 1935, GM workers helped form the United Auto Workers (UAW) labor union. In 1936, the UAW organized a big strike called the Flint Sit-Down Strike. Workers stayed inside the factories in Flint, Michigan, and other cities. Police tried to stop them, leading to some fighting. The strike ended on February 11, 1937, when GM agreed to recognize the UAW as the union for its workers. Workers also got a 5% raise.

In 1937, GM engineers invented a test for steel that is still used today. GM also started Detroit Diesel in 1938.

In 1939, GM started Motors Insurance Corporation to offer car insurance. That same year, GM introduced the Hydramatic, the first successful automatic transmission, for the 1940 Oldsmobile.

During World War II, GM made many weapons, vehicles, and aircraft for the Allies of World War II. By 1942, all of GM's production was for the war effort. GM's Vauxhall Motors in the UK made Churchill tanks. However, its Opel division in Germany supplied vehicles to the German army.

In 1953, Charles Erwin Wilson, who was GM's president, became the United States Secretary of Defense.

In December 1953, GM bought Euclid Trucks, a company that made heavy construction equipment like dump trucks. This company later created the Terex brand.

Time of New Ideas

Alfred P. Sloan retired in 1956.

In 1962, GM introduced the world's first car with a turbocharger, the Oldsmobile Cutlass Turbo-Jetfire. Two years later, the company showed its "Mark of Excellence" logo at the 1964 New York World's Fair. This logo was GM's main symbol until 2021.

GM released the Electrovan in 1966, which was the first car ever to run on a hydrogen fuel cell. GM spent millions of dollars to make this car.

In the 1960s, GM was interested in V6 engines but then focused on muscle cars. GM also experimented with gas turbine cars that ran on kerosene, but they stopped because of the 1973 oil crisis.

In 1971, GM's Delco Defense Electronics Division worked with Boeing to design the Lunar Roving Vehicle, which drove on the Moon. The next year, GM made the first car with a rear wheel anti-lock braking system.

In 1973, the Oldsmobile Toronado was the first car sold to the public with a passenger airbag.

Thomas Murphy became CEO of GM in 1974.

GM put its first catalytic converters in its 1975 car models.

From 1978 to 1985, GM tried to promote diesel engines and engines that could turn off some cylinders to save fuel. However, these ideas had problems, like poor reliability in the diesel cars.

GM sold Frigidaire in 1979 because it was losing money.

In 1984, a GM scientist invented the neodymium magnet, which is used in many products like computer hard drives. That same year, GM bought Electronic Data Systems (EDS) for $2.5 billion. GM wanted EDS to help with its computer systems and factory automation. The deal made Ross Perot, who owned EDS, the biggest shareholder in GM. However, he disagreed with GM's CEO, so GM bought back his shares in 1986.

GM continued to expand. In 1985, GMAC (GM's financial service) started GMAC Mortgage. That same year, GM bought Hughes Aircraft Company for $5 billion and merged it into Delco Electronics. The next year, GM bought most of Lotus Cars, a British company that made high-performance sports cars.

In 1987, GM worked with AeroVironment to build the Sunraycer, a solar-powered car that won a big race. Many ideas from the Sunraycer were used in GM's first electric car, the General Motors EV1.

In 1989, GM bought half of Saab Automobile's car business.

Selling Parts of the Company

In 1990, Robert Stempel became CEO. GM made fewer cars and lost money that year because of an economic slowdown.

In 1990, GM showed off the General Motors EV1 (Impact) concept car, which was an electric car. It was the first car with zero emissions sold in the U.S. in over 30 years. The Impact became the EV1 in 1996, but it was only available for lease in California and Arizona. From 1999 to 2002, GM stopped making the EV1 and didn't renew leases. Many people were upset because they loved the car. Most EV1s were returned to GM and destroyed, except for about 40 that went to museums. A movie called Who Killed the Electric Car? was made about the EV1.

In 1992, John F. Smith Jr. became CEO.

In 1993, GM sold Lotus Cars.

In 1996, GM spun off Electronic Data Systems, making it a separate company again.

In 1997, GM sold the military parts of Hughes Aircraft Company to Raytheon Company.

In February 2000, Rick Wagoner became CEO. The next month, GM bought 20% of Fiat.

In December 2000, GM announced it would stop making Oldsmobile cars. The brand was officially discontinued in 2004.

In May 2004, GM delivered the first full-sized pickup truck hybrid vehicles, the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. These were "mild hybrids" that didn't use electricity for driving alone. Later, GM worked with other companies to create another hybrid system for buses. In 2005, GM sold its locomotive division, Electro-Motive Diesel.

GM paid $2 billion to end its partnership with Fiat in 2005.

Around mid-2005, GM started putting its "Mark of Excellence" emblem on all new cars sold in North America. But after its reorganization in 2009, they stopped using it on cars to focus more on their main brands.

In 2005, Edward T. Welburn became the first African American to lead a global car design team for GM. He retired in 2016.

In 2006, GM put bright yellow fuel caps on its cars to show drivers they could use E85 ethanol fuel. They also introduced another hybrid car, the Saturn Vue Green Line.

In 2008, General Motors promised that half of its factories would produce no landfill waste by recycling or reusing everything. GM also started offering a special hybrid system in its Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Cadillac Escalade, and pickup trucks.

In late 2008, the world's largest rooftop solar power installation was built at GM's factory in Zaragoza, Spain. It has about 85,000 solar panels.

Bankruptcy and Getting Back on Track

In March 2009, after GM had received a lot of money to help it, but was still struggling, President Barack Obama asked CEO Rick Wagoner to step down.

General Motors filed for a special type of reorganization called Chapter 11 on June 8, 2009. This was backed by the government. On July 10, 2009, the original General Motors sold its assets and some parts of the company to a completely new company, including the name "General Motors." The old company was renamed Motors Liquidation Company, which helped the new GM start fresh without many old debts.

The U.S. government invested $49.5 billion in General Motors and got back $39 billion when it sold its shares in 2013. This meant the government lost $10.3 billion. However, a study found that this help saved 1.2 million jobs and kept $34.9 billion in tax money.

After Reorganization

In June 2009, Edward Whitacre Jr., who had helped AT&T reorganize, became chairman of General Motors. He was in charge of helping GM recover and reduce its number of car brands. In July 2009, after 40 days, the company came out of bankruptcy.

As part of its agreement to get help, GM started to get rid of its less successful brands in June 2009: Hummer, Saab, Saturn, and Pontiac. GM tried to sell Hummer, but the deal fell through, so GM officially shut down the Hummer brand in April 2010. Similarly, GM tried to sell Saturn, but that deal also failed, and GM closed the Saturn brand in October 2010. GM decided not to sell Pontiac to another company, and the last Pontiac car was built in January 2010.

In 2009, GM had problems with its operations in Asia, especially in Korea. GM needed money, and the U.S. government was not keen on helping with overseas issues. GM ended up selling a small part of its Shanghai GM company to a Chinese company called SAIC Motor. This helped GM get loans from Chinese banks.

In December 2009, the "new" GM's leaders asked CEO Fritz Henderson to leave. Ed Whitacre became the temporary CEO and then the permanent CEO. He later stepped down in September 2010, and Daniel Akerson took over as CEO and chairman.

In 2010, GM introduced the Chevrolet Volt, an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV). This car was electric but had a gasoline engine that could create more electricity if needed. GM delivered the first Volt in December 2010. GM also worked with Segway Inc. to build a small, two-seat electric vehicle for cities.

GM was more successful in selling Saab Automobile to a Dutch carmaker in February 2010. However, Saab continued to struggle and went out of business in 2012.

On January 15, 2014, Mary Barra became the chief executive officer, replacing Daniel Akerson. She also joined GM's board. Soon after, GM announced a large recall of cars due to faulty parts. Under Mary Barra, GM started to focus on markets where it could make more money, like North America and China.

In January 2016, GM invested $500 million in Lyft, a company that provides ride-sharing services.

In March 2016, GM bought Cruise, a company that develops self-driving cars. In June 2022, Cruise got permission to charge money for its fully self-driving car rides in a major city.

In October 2016, GM started making the Chevrolet Bolt EV. This was the first mass-market all-electric car that could travel more than 200 miles on a single charge. The battery parts were made by LG Corporation and put together in GM's factory in Lake Orion, Michigan.

On January 8, 2021, GM showed a new logo and a new slogan: "EVerybody in." The "EV" in the slogan highlights GM's focus on electric vehicles. The new logo also has a design that looks like an electric plug.

At a big technology show in January 2021, GM launched BrightDrop, its brand for all-electric commercial vehicles like delivery vans.

On January 28, 2021, GM announced that it will stop making and selling cars that use fossil fuels (including hybrids) by 2035. This is part of its plan to become carbon neutral by 2040.

In 2021, GM announced plans to build a lab in Michigan for car batteries. GM will work on the battery systems and how they are put together.

In mid-2023, GM changed its goal for how many electric vehicles it would deliver in North America. They had trouble making enough battery parts and also saw less customer demand.

General Motors and LG Chem Ltd. have a long-term agreement for LG Chem to provide GM with a huge amount of battery materials. This will be enough for 5 million electric vehicles.

In January 2024, GM announced it would start making a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) again. This is to balance the supply of electric cars with what customers want.

On April 15, 2024, GM announced it would move its main office from the Renaissance Center to a new building called Hudson's Detroit in 2025.

GM in Racing

GM has been involved in many car races around the world, including the World Touring Car Championship, 24 Hours of Le Mans, NASCAR, and Supercars Championship.

GM's engines did very well in the Indy Racing League (IRL) in the 1990s, winning many races. GM has also worked a lot on developing electronics for car racing. One of their engines set 47 world records for speed and endurance. Recently, the Cadillac V-Series cars have also started racing.

GM has designed cars specifically for NASCAR auto racing. The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is currently the only GM car in the series. In the past, other GM cars like the Pontiac Grand Prix and Chevrolet Monte Carlo were also used. GM has won many NASCAR Cup Series championships, with Chevrolet winning the most of any brand in NASCAR history (40 times). In 2021, Chevrolet became the first brand to reach 800 wins.

In Australia, Holden cars (which are part of GM) raced in the Australian Touring Car Championship until 2022. Holden won the Bathurst 1000 race a record 36 times and the Australian Touring Car Championship 23 times. From 2023, the Chevrolet Camaro will be raced there.

How the GM Logo Changed

Here's how the GM logo has changed over the years:

• 

  1938–1964

• 

  Mark of Excellence (1964–2021)

• 

  2001–2021

• 

  2010–2021

• 

  2021 (gradient)

• 

  2021 (flat)

• 

  2022 (wordmark)

Brands

Current Brands

Where it Started	Brand	Started	Start manuf.	Joined GM	Where it's Sold Today
US	BrightDrop	2021	2022	2021	North America
US	Buick	1899	1903	1908	China, North America
US	Cadillac	1902	1902	1909	North America, Middle East, China, Japan, South Korea, Europe, Kazakhstan
US	Chevrolet	1911	1911	1918	Americas, China, Middle East, CIS, South Korea, Philippines, Japan, Europe, Australasia
US	GMC	1912	1912	1919	North America, Middle East, South Korea, China, Australasia
CHN	Baojun	2010	2010	2010	China
CHN	Wuling	2002	2002	2002	China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand

Former Brands

Where it Started	Brand	Started	Start manuf.	Joined GM	What Happened to it	When it Ended or Was Sold	Notes
CAN	Acadian	1962	1962	1962	Discontinued	1987	A Chevy II with Pontiac design.
KOR	Alpheon	2010	2010	2010	Discontinued	2015	Based on the Buick LaCrosse.
CAN	Asüna	1992	1992	1992	Discontinued	1994	Used Suzuki, Isuzu, and Toyota models.
CAN	Beaumont	1966	1966	1966	Discontinued	1969	A Canadian Chevelle with Pontiac design.
UK	Bedford	1931	1931	1931	Discontinued	1991
US	Cartercar	1905	1905	1909	Discontinued	1915
KOR	Daewoo	1972	1972	1999	Discontinued	2011	Replaced by GM Korea.
US	Elmore	1893	1900	1912	Discontinued	1916
CAN	Envoy	1959	1959	1959	Discontinued	1970	Imported Vauxhall and Bedford vehicles.
CAN	Epic	1964	1964	1964	Discontinued	1970	Imported Vauxhall models.
US	Geo	1989	1989	1989	Discontinued	1997	Used Suzuki, Isuzu, and Toyota models.
AUS	Holden	1856	1908	1926	Discontinued	2020
US	Hummer	1992	1992	1998	Discontinued	2010	Name used again in 2021 for GMC Hummer EV.
US	LaSalle	1927	1927	1927	Discontinued	1940	A companion brand for Cadillac.
UK	Lotus	1948	1948	1986	Sold	1993	Now owned by Geely.
US	Oakland	1907	1907	1909	Discontinued	1931	Replaced by Pontiac.
US	Oldsmobile	1897	1897	1908	Discontinued	2004
GER	Opel	1899	1899	1931	Sold	2017	Now owned by Stellantis.
US	Pontiac	1926	1926	1926	Discontinued	2010	Started as a companion brand for Oakland.
SWE	Saab	1945	1949	1990	Sold	2010	Company went out of business in 2016.
US	Saturn	1985	1990	1985	Discontinued	2010
UK	Vauxhall	1903	1903	1925	Sold	2017	Now owned by Stellantis.

Vehicle Sales

General Motors was the world's largest carmaker by sales for 77 years in a row, from 1931 until 2008. In 2008, Toyota took the top spot. GM is still one of the biggest carmakers in the world.

In 2008, Brazil was GM's third-largest market, selling about 550,000 GM vehicles.

In 2009, General Motors sold 6.5 million cars and trucks globally. In 2010, it sold 8.39 million. Sales in China grew a lot in 2009, reaching 1.83 million vehicles.

In 2011, GM was back in first place worldwide, selling 9.025 million vehicles. China was GM's biggest market that year, followed by the United States. The Chevrolet brand was a major reason for GM's success, selling 4.76 million vehicles globally in 2011.

In May 2012, GM had 18.4% of the car market in the U.S.

GM sold 10 million vehicles worldwide in 2016.

The Volt/Ampera family of cars sold about 177,000 units from December 2010 through 2018. The Chevrolet Volt is the best-selling plug-in electric car in the U.S. with over 148,000 units sold through October 2018.

GM Worldwide Vehicle Sales in 2008 (in thousands)

Rank in GM	Location	Vehicle sales	Market share (%)
1	United States	2,981	22.1%
2	China	1,095	12.0%
3	Brazil	549	19.5%
4	United Kingdom	384	15.4%
5	Canada	359	21.4%
6	Russia	338	11.1%
7	Germany	300	8.8%
8	Mexico	212	19.8%
9	Australia	133	13.1%
10	South Korea	117	9.7%
11	France	114	4.4%
12	Spain	107	7.8%
13	Argentina	95	15.5%
14	Venezuela	91	33.3%
15	Colombia	80	36.3%
16	India	66	3.3%

GM U.S. Vehicle Sales

Year	U.S. sales (vehicles)	Change from last year
1998	4,603,991
1999	5,017,150	9.0%
2000	4,953,163	1.3%
2001	4,904,015	1.0%
2002	4,858,705	0.9%
2003	4,756,403	2.1%
2004	4,707,416	1.0%
2005	4,517,730	4.0%
2006	4,124,645	8.7%
2007	3,866,620	6.3%
2008	2,980,688	22.9%
2009	2,084,492	30.1%
2010	2,215,227	6.3%
2011	2,503,820	13.7%
2012	2,595,717	3.7%
2013	2,786,078	7.3%
2014	2,935,008	5.3%
2015	3,082,366	5.0%
2016	3,042,773	1.3%
2017	3,002,241	1.3%
2018	2,954,037	1.5%
2019	2,887,046	2.3%
2020	2,547,339	11.8%
2021	2,218,228	12.9%
2022	2,274,088	2.5%
2023	2,594,698	14.1%

GM Worldwide Vehicle Sales in 2019

Location	Total sales	Change from last year	Change from last year (%)
GM North America	3,367,374	(122,740)	(3.5)
GM Europe	3,590	(266)	(6.9)
GM South America	668,842	(21,355)	(3.1)
GM International	584,520	28,033	5.0
China	3,093,604	(551,440)	(15.1)
Total	7,717,930	(667,768)	(8.0)

Leadership

Current Board of Directors

Here are some important people on GM's board of directors:

• Mary Barra, who is the Chairman and CEO of General Motors.
• Joseph Ashton, who used to be a Vice President at the United Automobile Workers union.
• Linda Gooden, who used to be a Vice President at Lockheed Martin.
• Joseph Jimenez, who is the CEO of Novartis.
• Jane Mendillo, who used to be the President and CEO of Harvard Management Company.
• Michael Mullen, who used to be the top military officer in the U.S. (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff).
• James Mulva, who used to be the CEO, President, and Chairman at ConocoPhillips.
• Patricia Russo, who is the CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
• Thomas Schoewe, who used to be the Chief Financial Officer of Wal-Mart Stores.
• Theodore Solso, who used to be the CEO and Chairman of Cummins.
• Carol Stephenson, who used to be a dean at Ivey Business School.
• Devin Wenig, who used to be the President and CEO of eBay.
• Jon McNeill, who is the CEO of DVx Ventures LLC.

Chairmen of the Board of General Motors

• Thomas Neal (1912–1915)
• Pierre S. du Pont (1915–1929)
• Lammot du Pont II (1929–1937)
• Alfred P. Sloan Jr. (1937–1956)
• Albert Bradley (1956–1958)
• Frederic G. Donner (1958–1967)
• James M. Roche (1967–1971)
• Richard C. Gerstenberg (1972–1974)
• Thomas A. Murphy (1974–1980)
• Roger B. Smith (1981–1990)
• Robert C. Stempel (1990–1992)
• John G. Smale (1992–1995)
• John F. Smith Jr. (1996–2003)
• Rick Wagoner (2003–2009)
• Kent Kresa (2009)
• Edward Whitacre Jr. (2009–2010)
• Daniel Akerson (2010–2014)
• Tim Solso (2014–2016)
• Mary Barra (2016–Present)

Chief Executive Officers of General Motors

• Alfred P. Sloan Jr. (1923–1946)
• Charles Erwin Wilson (1946–1953)
• Harlow H. Curtice (1953–1958)
• James M. Roche (1967–1971)
• Richard C. Gerstenberg (1972–1974)
• Thomas A. Murphy (1974–1980)
• Roger B. Smith (1981–1990)
• Robert C. Stempel (1990–1992)
• John F. Smith Jr. (1992–2000)
• Rick Wagoner (2000–2009)
• Frederick Henderson (2009)
• Edward Whitacre Jr. (2009–2010)
• Daniel Akerson (2010–2014)
• Mary Barra (2014–Present)

Ownership

Most of General Motors is owned by large investment companies. These companies own over 90% of GM's shares. The biggest owners in December 2023 were:

• BlackRock (11.86%)
• The Vanguard Group (9.67%)
• State Street Corporation (5.16%)
• Capital World Investors (3.69%)
• Harris Associates (3.10%)
• Geode Capital Management (2.26%)
• Capital Research Global Investors (2.14%)
• Bank of America (2.06%)
• Greenhaven Associates (2.00%)
• Putnam Investments (1.75%)

Helping the Community

GM publishes a yearly report about its charity work. In 2020, it gave almost $35 million to 357 non-profit groups in the U.S. It also donated vehicles worth over $9.8 million.

General Motors works closely with the Nature Conservancy, helping to raise money and donating cash and vehicles to them.

In 1996, GM had five designers create special cars. These cars were sold to raise money for breast cancer research. Designers like Nicole Miller and Anna Sui customized different GM vehicles. The money went to the Nina Hyde Center for breast cancer research.

Since 1997, GM has helped fund the "Safe Kids Buckle Up" program by Safe Kids Worldwide. This program teaches about child car safety and checks car seats.

Worker Strikes

Most of General Motors' American workers are part of a union called the United Auto Workers (UAW). This is the main union for car workers in the United States.

Flint Sit-Down Strike

The Flint sit-down strike happened from 1936 to 1937. It was a very important strike against General Motors. It helped the UAW union become much stronger and led to many car factory workers in the U.S. joining unions.

Organizing workers in Flint was hard and risky. GM had a lot of control in the city and watched outsiders closely. GM also had many spies in its factories. This meant UAW members had to keep their names secret and meet workers at their homes.

The UAW found out that GM had only two factories that made the special parts for car bodies. One was in Flint, and the other was in Cleveland.

When the UAW called for a sit-down strike in Flint, police tried to enter a factory on January 11, 1937. The workers inside threw things at them. The U.S. President at the time, Franklin D. Roosevelt, urged GM to work with the union. The strike lasted for 44 days.

Because of the strike, GM had to talk with the union. John L. Lewis, a leader of a big union group, spoke for the UAW. GM's representatives did not want to be in the same room as the UAW. So, the Governor of Michigan, Frank Murphy, went back and forth between the two groups to help them talk. Governor Murphy sent in the U.S. National Guard not to remove the strikers, but to protect them from police and people trying to break the strike. The two sides finally agreed on February 11, 1937. GM recognized the UAW as the union for its workers.

2007 General Motors Strike

The 2007 General Motors strike was a strike by the UAW against General Motors from September 24 to 26, 2007.

On September 24, 2007, GM workers who were part of the UAW union went on strike. This was the first U.S.-wide strike against GM since 1970. It was expected to stop work at 59 factories and facilities. Talks between the union and GM had failed after more than 20 days of discussion. The main issues were wages, benefits, job security, and money invested in U.S. factories.

Two car factories in Canada also closed on September 25. However, on September 26, a temporary agreement was reached. The strike ended, and by the next day, all GM workers in both countries were back at work.

2019 General Motors Strike

On September 15, 2019, after talks for a new contract failed, the UAW announced that GM employees would go on strike. This strike shut down operations in nine states, including 33 factories and 22 parts warehouses. After 40 days, on October 25, 2019, the strike ended. It was the longest strike by car workers in a decade and the longest against GM since 1970. UAW members voted to approve a new contract with GM. Striking workers received $275 a week in strike pay. The strike cost GM more than $2 billion.

2023 United Auto Workers Strike

The ongoing strike by the UAW is the first time the union has gone on strike against all three major American carmakers at once. The UAW president, Shawn Fain, said he was tired of the situation between workers and car companies. He specifically criticized the different pay levels for workers, the companies not keeping wages up with rising costs, and pensions. He also wanted a four-day workweek. GM CEO Mary Barra said her company offered a very good deal, including 20% raises and great healthcare. Barra also said that meeting all of the union's many demands would cost over $100 billion and cause the company to go out of business.

See also

In Spanish: General Motors para niños

• Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
• ASOTRECOL
• Crucible Industries
• EcoCAR
• General Motors Hy-wire
• General Motors proving grounds
• General Motors Technical Center
• GM people
• GM vehicles by brand
• List of automobile manufacturers of the United States
• List of GM engines
• List of General Motors factories
• List of General Motors platforms
• List of GM transmissions
• United States Council for Automotive Research
• VIA Motors
• Freon
• Global Climate Coalition
• Ethyl Corporation
• Durant Motors