GM Celebrates 500M Vehicles Produced

General Motors has produced 500 million vehicles in its history, which spans 106 years mostly as a global automaker.

by Staff

May 4, 2015

GM Celebrates 500M Vehicles Produced — *Photo courtesy of GM.*

1 min to read

General Motors has produced 500 million vehicles in its history, which spans 106 years mostly as a global automaker.

To celebrate the milestone, GM's CEO Mary Barra and Alan Batey, global Chevrolet president, handed the keys of a new 2016 Chevrolet Malibu to a wounded Iraqi war veteran. Trent Brining, a retired Army corporal and Purple Heart recipient, accepted the vehicle that had been built at the Fairfax, Kan., assembly plant.

Founded in 1908, GM's global presence dates to the early 20th Century when Sun Yat-sen, the first president of China, and Pu Yi, the last emperor, took their first automobile ride in a 1912 Buick. By 1931, GM owned Vauxhall in the United Kingdom, Holden in Australia, and Opel in Germany.

GM’s first manufacturing joint venture with SAIC in China (Shanghai GM) began in 1997. China is now GM’s largest market, where it has 11 joint ventures and two wholly owned foreign enterprises.

GM innovations over the years include a series of firsts such as the V-8 engine, automatic transmission, automotive crash test dummies and air bags in a production vehicle.

Topics:Vehicle Production General Motors Operations Global Fleet

More Global Fleet

A person holding a clipboard and writing on an inspection checklist beside the wheel of a large white vehicle, likely conducting a fleet or safety inspection.

Cameras, Safety and Insurance: From Reactive Claims to Real-time Prevention

Commercial auto remains one of the most challenging and costly lines of coverage for fleet operators and insurers alike. Learn more about how to effectively address these issues from Onur Aksan, Enterprise Business Development Executive, Geotab.

Cover of a whitepaper titled “The Hidden Costs of Departmentally Assigned Vehicles on Your Fleet” featuring a black fleet vehicle driving on a road at sunset. Subheadline reads: “Discover how your fleet can reduce costs and minimize risk by implementing vehicle sharing.” The document focuses on fleet optimization, vehicle sharing, cost reduction, utilization tracking, and risk management for fleet operations.

Why Fleet Managers Are Replacing Departmental Vehicles with Shared Motor Pools

Departmentally assigned vehicles often create hidden costs through underutilization, poor visibility, and increased administrative burden. This white paper explores how shared motor pool strategies help fleets reduce costs, improve accountability, and optimize vehicle utilization.

Fleet Costs Are Rising: Here’s How Leaders Are Responding

Fleet leaders are under pressure to reduce costs, adapt to economic uncertainty, and make smarter decisions. See how peers across North America are responding with real data, proven strategies, and forward-looking insights. Download the 2026 Market Pulse Report to benchmark your strategy and uncover where you can gain an edge.