General Motors builds its 500 millionth car

General Motors, synonymous with the global automotive industry, has announced that it has built 500 million cars recently. This is the highest by any manufacturer ever in the history of the automobile.

Founded in 1908, this 107-year old company owns about 37 brands, and employs more than 2,00,000 people. General Motors led global auto sales from 1931 to 2007, and this 77-year record still stands today. The American conglomerate is presently the third largest automotive manufacturer in the world.

Speaking on the occasion, Stefan Jacoby, GM executive vice president and president of GM International, said, “This celebration isn’t about GM’s manufacturing prowess. It is really about our customers and the positive experiences they’ve had with Chevrolet and other GM-branded vehicles around the world.”

He also said, “While we are proud to have built 500 million vehicles, we know we will only earn the right to build 500 million more by putting our customers at the centre of everything we do.”

GM was founded at a time when there were only 8,000 cars in America. Speaking on how GM vehicles have and will continue to transform personal transportation, GM CEO Mary Barra said, “During 2015, we expect to sell more than 1,000 new vehicles per hour, 24 hours per day. This adds up to nearly 10 million vehicles, the most in our history. I look at this extraordinary volume as 10 million opportunities to prove what kind of company we are and to say thank you.” 

Certain GM loyalists were also honoured. They included, among many, a retiree driving a 1957 Chevrolet pickup truck, as well as a Brazilian woman born on the passenger seat of a Chevrolet Chevette. Interestingly, one customer actually used a fleet of Chevrolet Captivas to propose to his now-wife.

GM, unfortunately, has not done well in India despite its almost 20-year presence here. The company sold 80,777 cars in FY 2013-14, which shrunk to 52,261 in FY 2014-15. In a country where small is big, the Chevrolet Spark, Beat and Sail U-VA have not impressed enough people. We are still waiting for the General to sound the charge in India.

Adreesh Ghoshal