My uncle Jeff is a certified car nut, having built a number of hot rods over the years. Below is a photo of him with one of his project cars (a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air two-door hardtop) taken sometime during the 1970s.
Even today, Jeff jokes about how he had to use a tool box as a driver seat to move the car around the property (photo of a photo below for reference).
During a visit to Jeff’s home in Salt Lake City over the holidays, he presented me with a book published in 1984 about General Motors’ first 75 years in business. It contained a wealth of knowledge about the organization’s chronology, which formally began on September 16, 1908 when incorporation papers were filed. Between 1910-20, more than 30 companies came together under the GM umbrella. And by 1920, GM offered a line of seven brands.
GM’s momentum continued from there. From the 1950-70s, GM and its subsidiaries accounted for more than half of the U.S. automobile market share. In the late 1970s through early 1980s, GM was selling anywhere from six to nine million vehicles worldwide. The company’s history runs deep, and it’s no wonder why GM car culture became such an integral part of our day-to-day lives. (One reference in the book said that, at the time of its writing, one-sixth of the jobs in the United States had ties to the auto industry.)
An interesting thing about this book is that there was a letter taped inside the front cover. It was written by then-Chairman Roger B. Smith, who served in that role from 1981-90. To some, his skills were less than adequate. Fortune magazine named him one of the 10 Worst Auto Chiefs, with one writer saying that Smith “wasted billions trying to revive the sagging giant.”
Indeed, Smith was tasked with leading the company during the difficult Malaise era. As turns out, he passed away in late 2007, just a year before GM would celebrate its 100th birthday.
The final chapter in the book has some forward-looking statements and photos, discussing the new C4 Corvette and mid-engined Fiero. The last paragraph of the book concludes, “Over 235 million vehicles from GM, and its 75 years of building on excellence, speak eloquently for GM’s contribution to the American way of life.”
Over four decades have passed since the 75th-anniversary book was written. Do you feel like GM remains the juggernaut it once was, or have other automakers risen to supremacy?
