GMC (automobile)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| GMC | |
 |
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| Type | Division |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1901 |
| Headquarters | Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Industry | Automobile |
| Products | Trucks |
| Parent | General Motors |
| Slogan | We are Professional Grade |
| Website | www.gmc.com |
GMC, formerly known as GMC Truck, is a brand name used on trucks, vans, and SUVs marketed in North America and the Middle East by General Motors. In January, 2007, GMC was GM's 2nd largest selling light vehicle division after Chevrolet, ahead of Pontiac.
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[edit] History
In 1901, Max Grabowski established a company called the "Rapid Motor Vehicle Company", which developed some of the earliest commercial trucks ever designed. The trucks utilized one-cylinder engines. In 1909, the company was purchased by General Motors to form the basis for the General Motors Truck Company, from which GMC Truck was derived.
Another independent manufacturer purchased by GM that same year was Reliance Motor Car Company. Rapid & Reliance were merged in 1911, and in 1912 the marque "GMC Truck" was first shown at the New York Auto Show. 22,000 trucks were produced that year, though GMC's contribution to that total was a mere 372 units.
In 1916, a GMC Truck crossed the country from Seattle to New York in thirty days, and in 1926, a 2-ton GMC truck was driven from New York to San Francisco in 5 days and 30 minutes. During the Second World War, GMC Truck produced 600,000 trucks for use by the U.S. military.
In 1925, GM purchased the controlling interest in Yellow Coach, a bus manufacturer based in Chicago, Illinois which was founded by John D. Hertz. After purchasing the remaining portion in 1943, GM renamed it GM Truck and Coach Division, and it manufactured transit and inter-urban buses in Canada and the United States until the 1980s. GM faced increased competition in the late 1970s and 1980s and stopped producing buses soon after. In 1987, GMC later sold their bus models to Transportation Manufacturing Corporation (also under Motor Coach Industries in Canada) and later NovaBus.
In 2002, GMC released a book entitled, GMC: The First 100 Years, that explained the company's complete history.
GMC currently manufactures SUVs, pickup trucks, vans, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty trucks. In the past, GMC also produced fire trucks, ambulances, heavy-duty trucks, military vehicles, motorhomes, and transit buses.
Until 1973, GMC trucks were always slightly different than their Chevrolet counterparts. The biggest difference (aside from the emblems) was almost always dual headlights in a GMC pickup versus single headlights found in a Chevrolet, and a different front grille design. This pattern ended in the 1973 model year when GM introduced the "rounded line" series trucks.
Today, for the most part, GMC offers the same trucks available under the Chevrolet brand. A Sprint, for example, was a rebadged Chevrolet El Camino, the Sierra is a rebadged Chevrolet Silverado, etc. In the United States GMC is usually sold by dealers in combination with Buick or Pontiac, typically at lower volumes than the equivalent Chevrolet trucks. GMC trucks are positioned as the Professional Grade versions of the equivalent Chevrolet vehicles. GMC's trucks, vans, and SUVs offer more options and standard features than Chevrolet, while Chevrolet is often offered as an entry-level car. In Canada, GMC is sold by Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealerships, usually at volumes equivalent or greater than the comparable Chevrolet trucks.
In 2007, the company will introduce the Acadia, a crossover SUV, which will be the company's first unibody vehicle. The 2007 model year equivalent model from Saturn is the Outlook.
[edit] GMC models
- Pickup
- Van
- SUV
- Heavy duty trucks
- Medium duty trucks
- Transit bus
- Intercity bus
- PD-4104 (1953-59)
- PD-4501 Scenicruiser (1954-56)
- PD-4106 (1960-65)
- "Buffalo" bus models (1966-1980)
- PD4107 (1966-69)
- PD4108 (1970-72)
- PD4903 (1968-69)
- PD4905 (1970-72)
- P8M4108A (1972-1978)
- P8M4905A (1972-1978)
- H8H649 (1979-80)
- Motorhome
- GMC motorhome (1973 - 1978)
GMC also manufactures trucks for Budget Truck Rental, along with other companies, Ford, Navistar International and Isuzu. [1]
[edit] See also
- List of automobile manufacturers
- Orion Bus Industries
- Gillig Corporation
- Millennium Transit Services LLC
- Motor Coach Industries
- Neoplan USA
- New Flyer Industries
- North American Bus Industries
- Nova Bus
- Prevost Car
[edit] References
[edit] External links
Buick • Cadillac • Chevrolet • GMC • Holden • Hummer • Opel • Pontiac • Saab • Saturn • Vauxhall
Affiliates
GM Daewoo (50.9%) • Suzuki (3%) • Wuling (34%)
Defunct Marques
Acadian (1962-1971) • Asüna (1992-1995) • Beaumont (1966-1969) • Geo (1989-1997) • LaSalle (1927-1940) • Marquette (1929-1930) • Oakland (1907-1931) • Oldsmobile (1897-2004) • Passport (1988-1991) • Ranger (1968-1976) • Viking (1929-1931)
