Automotive News - September 15, 2008 - (Page 1)

General Motors GM’s story is the American story or any company, 100 years is quite an accomplishment. For General Motors it is the accomplishment of the American dream. Started by an entrepreneur, Billy Durant, GM flourished as many companies did in the prosperity before and after the “war to end all wars.” When the business got bigger and more complex in the 1920s, the company needed the organizational skills of Alfred Sloan, who was handpicked by the DuPonts. It was Big Bill Knudsen, on loan from GM to the U.S. government, who turned GM and the motor industry into the arsenal of democracy in the 1940s. GM turned on a dime from a consumer company into a war machine that played a critical role in the Allies’ victory. After the war, GM hit its stride and became an automotive juggernaut. Under the styling leadership of Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell, along with Ed Cole, GM created fabulous cars that made it a dominant force. GM was the motor industry, and it expanded around the world. “Chevrolet” and “Cadillac” became the biggest household words among GM’s popular brands. The world became a smaller place after World War II. While America prospered as never before, Europe saw the rise of Opel; Brazil watched the growth of its own Chevrolet; and Australia saw the birth of Australian cars at GM’s Holden. GM was on a roll, and nothing seemed to slow it down — until the oil crises of the 1970s and the global rise of Japan and its auto companies. The growth of that quarter-century after World War II will never be matched. It was the Golden Age for General Motors. GM’s recent quarter-century was in a far different world. Today GM is competing in the United States with automakers from all over the world, while competing all over the world itself. General Motors has a magnificent heritage. It will be fascinating to watch its second hundred years. Keith E. Crain Publisher and Editor-in-Chief A powerful force in a century of change ry to imagine a 20th century without General Motors. Not easy, is it? GM created or added to overwhelming forces that formed the modern world: consumer credit, product design, even the structure of the modern corporation. A hundred years after its founding, GM continues to drive change into the 21st century, even as it responds to a stunningly global economy. Those 100 years produced some great stories. How General Motors Changed the World, this special issue of Automotive News, tells 100 of those yarns, focusing on the people who made things happen. It’s our unique privilege that we know many of the GM folks of the second half of the automaker’s century. Those people were generous in sharing their own histories as they became part of the GM story. This book has 100 stories. Ninetyfour of them are about the past and the present, and six are about GM’s future. We’ve selected 25 as “Pivot Points,” critical events and decisions that changed the direction of the company — and, in some cases, of America and the world. In the middle of those 100 stories is a special section that we produced with our sister publication Advertising Age. That section examines a century of GM marketing. Scores of people contributed to this book. We owe thanks to Larry Gustin and William Pelfrey, historians whose obsession with and deep knowledge of General Motors helped guide us in selecting the stories. For a year and a half, Mary Beth Vander Schaaf has expertly shepherded reporters and editors of Automotive News to take a thoughtful look at the past and future of an American icon. For those of us who normally work on the breaking news, this deep, long look into a century of innovation, prosperity and struggle has been thrilling. We have tried to create a one-of-a-kind collection of stories that captures an era and portrays a unique American institution. Peter Brown Editorial Director F T How GM Changed the World staff Editor Mary Beth Vander Schaaf Design Charles Krasner Assistant Editors Gregory Skwira, John K. Teahen Jr. Copy Editors Karen Faust O’Rourke, Bob Allen, Tom Fetters, Patricia C. Foley, Kenn Jones Reporters Ronald Ahrens Leslie J. Allen David Barkholz Marti Benedetti Peter Brown Lindsay Chappell Charles Child James R. Crate Robert Cumberford Larry Edsall Laura Clark Geist Hans Greimel Ken Gross Dave Guilford Lawrence R. Gustin Donna Harris Jim Henry Kathy Jackson Dale Jewett Richard Johnson Ralph Kisiel Rick Kranz Diana T. Kurylko Edward Lapham Jamie LaReau Mark Rechtin Arlena Sawyers Kirk Seaman David Sedgwick Robert Sherefkin Don Sherman Harry Stoffer John K. Teahen Jr. James B. Treece Richard Truett J.P. Vettraino Alysha Webb Bradford Wernle Amy Wilson Gary Witzenburg April Wortham Advertising Director Rick Greer Director of Business Planning and Online Commerce John Fitzgerald Circulation Manager Lauren Cialella Production Manager Terry Driscoll Production Supervisor Larry Williams Production Greg Bartosiewicz, Terry Micallef, Andy Spanos Sales and Marketing Justus Breese, Ellen Dennehy, Jim Farnan, Scott Ghedine, Lance Graves, Denise Hendricks, Libby Irwin, Brandi Johnson, Todd Landau, Kathy Lightbody, Nancy Long, Jim McCarter, Melissa McKay, Andrea Nickols, Russ Procassini, Karen Rentschler, Colleen Robar, Cheryl Rothe, Jerry Salame, Stephan Saremba, Nina Sauer, Lars Timmermans, Shauna Vercher-Morrow, Henry Woodhouse, Taren Zorn Statistics Mary Raetz Research Corinne Price, Michael Garrison Interns Andrew Grossman, Craig Trudell 83rd year — No. 6325A Editorial: 313-446-0361 Advertising: 313-446-6050 Circulation: 888-446-1422 AUTOMOTIVE NEWS (ISSN 0005-1551) is published weekly at 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit, MI 48207-2997. Periodicals postage is paid at Detroit, MI and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to AUTOMOTIVE NEWS, Circulation Department, 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit, MI 48207-2912. Canadian Post International Publications Mail Product (Canadian Distribution) Sales Agreement #40012850, GST#136760444. Canadian return address: 2-7496 Bath Road, Mississauga, ON L4T 1L2 Printed in the U.S.A. Special thanks Automotive News extends its appreciation to the public relations and archives departments of General Motors. In particular, Automotive News acknowledges the tireless assistance of Larry Kinsel, Christo Datini, John Kyros, Kathleen Adelson and Ed Castelli at the GM Heritage Center. Contact the staff at autonews@crain.com or visit www.autonews.com AUTOMOTIVE NEWS September 15, 2008 1 http://www.autonews.com

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Automotive News GM 100 Supplement Contents 25 Game-Changers for GM Marketing the Dream

Automotive News - September 15, 2008

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