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90-637: In 1981, the company was renamed "General Motors Colmotores". Since then it has manufactured, under license, a variety of General Motors , GM Daewoo , Isuzu , Qingling , and Suzuki vehicles for the local market, all sold under the Chevrolet brand. The company has production facilities in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela, imports models from Chevrolet built by GM in the US and GM Korea built in Korea. The company

180-529: A 15% stake in AeroVironment . In 1989, GM acquired half of Saab Automobile 's car operations for $ 600 million. In August 1990, Robert Stempel became CEO of the company, succeeding Roger Smith . GM cut output significantly and suffered losses that year due to the early 1990s recession . In 1990, GM debuted the General Motors EV1 (Impact) concept, a battery electric vehicle , at

270-530: A British producer of high-performance sports cars . In 1987, in conjunction with AeroVironment , GM built the Sunraycer , which won the inaugural World Solar Challenge and was a showcase of advanced technology. Much of the technology from Sunraycer found its way into the Impact prototype electric vehicle (also built by Aerovironment) and was the predecessor to the General Motors EV1 . In 1988, GM acquired

360-510: A breakthrough in heat treating still in use today as ASTM A255. GM established Detroit Diesel the next year. In 1939, the company founded Motors Insurance Corporation and entered the vehicle insurance market. The same year, GM introduced the Hydramatic , the first affordable and successful automatic transmission , for the 1940 Oldsmobile. During World War II , GM produced vast quantities of armaments, vehicles, and aircraft for

450-517: A bright trim panel. Lower-trimm models mid-size Dodges only had four taillights (two on each side) and lacked the bright trim panel. A new "C" pillar for the hardtop coupes, combined with the revised front and rear-end styling, made the 1964s look new, resulting in a significant increase in sales over 1963. The Polara 500 continued as Dodge's sporty mid-size model, competing with the full-size Ford Galaxie 500/XL and Chevrolet's Impala Super Sport, featuring an engine-turned anodized aluminum trim strip along

540-405: A broad-shouldered streamlined design, called the "fuselage design", which would continue for five model years. New safety requirements included front seat head restraints. The Polara 500 model was reintroduced for the 1969 model year and positioned between the standard Polara and the top-of-the-line Monaco. The Polara 500 was available as either a convertible or a hardtop coupe. The standard engine

630-482: A continuation of its diversification plans, GMAC formed GMAC Mortgage and acquired Colonial Mortgage as well as the servicing arm of Norwest Mortgage in 1985. This acquisition included an $ 11 billion mortgage portfolio. The same year, GM acquired the Hughes Aircraft Company for $ 5 billion in cash and stock and merged it into Delco Electronics . The following year, GM acquired 59.7% of Lotus Cars ,

720-957: A controlling interest in North American Aviation and merged it with the General Aviation Manufacturing Corporation . The GM labor force participated in the formation of the United Auto Workers labor union in 1935, and in 1936 the UAW organized the Flint Sit-Down Strike , which initially idled two key plants in Flint, Michigan, and later spread to 6 other plants including those in Janesville, Wisconsin and Fort Wayne, Indiana . In Flint, police attempted to enter

810-507: A decree that exempted from income taxes, property, import and procurement of raw material to industries that used material produced in Paz del Rio steel mill for a period of ten years. The governmenbt expected that those favorable conditions would bring a group of shareholders to the region. As the Dugan brothers did not have official licenses to manufacture automobiles in Colombia, Colmotores became

900-537: A drop in sales of all full-size American automobiles that did not provide good fuel economy. The redesigned 1974 Monaco replaced the Polara. In Argentina , the name Polara was used to refer to a series of vehicles developed on the basis of the North American 1967-1969 Dodge Dart . These cars were manufactured between 1968 and 1980 by the subsidiary Chrysler Fevre Argentina in sedan and coupe versions. While

990-400: A dual-circuit brake master cylinder. The 1968 model year added outboard front shoulder belts and side marker lights, in addition to the 1967 safety equipment. One constant of the 1965 through 1968 models was square-edged styling that was updated each model year. From 1965 until 1970, the Polara would be the only full-sized Dodge available in the U.S. as a convertible. The new 1969 Polara wore

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1080-602: A facelift with new sheet metal and the discontinuation of the Polara Brougham model. The 1973 models received new front-end styling (reminiscent of the full-size 1970 Chevrolets) abandoning the wraparound front bumper. Sales of the Polara were declining. Having been eclipsed by the Monaco, Dodge discontinued the Polara after 1973. The energy crisis in the fall of 1973, spurred on by the Arab/OPEC oil embargo, resulted in

1170-422: A longer wheelbase police pursuit vehicle rather than using the smaller wheelbase Dodge Dart. A 383 high-output V8 provided power with a 413 camshaft and four-barrel Carter carburetor. The bodyshells that were used for the 1961 Polaras were then reused the following year by the sedan and convertible models of the 1962 Chryslers. These 1962 Chryslers were created by mating the front ends of updated 1961 Chryslers to

1260-524: A namesake defense vehicles division which produces military vehicles for the United States government and military, the vehicle safety, security, and information services provider OnStar , the auto parts company ACDelco , a namesake financial lending service , and majority ownership in the self-driving cars enterprise Cruise LLC . The company originated as a holding company for Buick established on September 16, 1908, by William C. Durant ,

1350-542: A program to develop a lightweight two-stroke diesel engine for possible usage in automobiles. Soon after, GM acquired Electro-Motive Company and the Winton Engine Co. , and in 1941, it expanded EMC's realm to locomotive engine manufacturing. In 1932, GM acquired Packard Electric (not to be confused with the Packard car company, which merged with Studebaker years later). The following year, GM acquired

1440-465: A similar version with 1600 engine in Brazil). Chrysler of Canada marketed the Polara as its full-size model starting with the 1964 model year, and all Canadian Polaras were based on the U.S. full-size Dodge platforms. For 1964, the Polara was the top-of-the-line big Dodge. 1965 and 1966 included the Polara 880 and Polara 440 models, with 1966 adding a new base series called, Polara. From 1967 through 1969,

1530-515: A simple bar design, above which was a massive concave grille shared with the Dodge Dart. The 1961 styling overhaul of the Dodge line-up was different from anything else on the US market at that time (save the 1961 Plymouth , and consumers turned away from the 1961 restyle. Sales of full-size Dodges plunged to their lowest levels since the firm's founding in 1914, with only 14,032 units produced in

1620-422: A strategy by CEO Roger Smith to derive at least 10% of its annual worldwide revenue from non-automotive sources. GM also intended to have EDS handle its bookkeeping, help computerize factories, and integrate GM's computer systems. The transaction made Ross Perot the largest shareholder of GM; however, disagreements with Roger Smith led the company to buy all shares held by Ross Perot for $ 750 million in 1986. In

1710-690: A top speed of 189 km/h (117 mph), and reached 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) in 10.2 seconds. There was also a version of this model, built from 1971 to 1978 exported to Spain as a CKD in cooperation with the Barreiros company known as the Dodge 3700 . Dodge Polara GTX → Technical data (in Spanish) In Brazil, the Polara nameplate was revived in 1977 for a version of the Chrysler Avenger , and sold until 1981. There

1800-462: Is high compared to the 4- and 6-cylinder cars the Argentinian consumer is used to. Several restyling jobs of the whole line with new front and rear ends were carried out within its lifetime. An automobile magazine, Corsa , road-tested a Polara GTX coupé with a V8 rated at 212 hp (158 kW) at 4,400 rpm, 308 lb⋅ft (418 N⋅m) at 2,600 rpm and 8.5:1 compression ratio. It reached

1890-569: Is most known for owning and manufacturing four automobile brands: Chevrolet , Buick , GMC , and Cadillac . By total sales, it has continuously been the largest automaker in the United States, and was the largest in the world for 77 years before losing the top spot to Toyota in 2008. General Motors operates manufacturing plants in eight countries. In addition to its four core brands, GM also holds interests in Chinese brands Baojun and Wuling via SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile . GM further owns

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1980-625: The Fortune 500 and 50th on the Fortune Global 500 . In 2023, the company was ranked 70th in the Forbes Global 2000 . In 2021, GM announced its intent to end production of vehicles using internal combustion engines by 2035, as part of its plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040. By 1900, William C. Durant 's Durant-Dort Carriage Company of Flint, Michigan , had become the largest manufacturer of horse-drawn vehicles in

2070-543: The 2-mode hybrid system in the Chevrolet Tahoe , GMC Yukon , Cadillac Escalade , and pickup trucks . Dodge Polara The Dodge Polara is an automobile introduced in the United States for the 1960 model year as Dodge 's top-of-the-line full-size car . After the introduction of the Dodge Custom 880 in 1962, the Polara nameplate designated a step below the full-sized best-trimmed Dodge model;

2160-848: The Allies of World War II . In 1940, GM's William S. Knudsen served as head of U.S. wartime production for President Franklin Roosevelt , and by 1942, all of GM's production was to support the war. GM's Vauxhall Motors manufactured the Churchill tank series for the Allies, instrumental in the North African campaign . However, its Opel division, based in Germany, supplied the Wehrmacht with vehicles. Politically, Sloan, as head of GM at

2250-522: The Cadillac V8-6-4 variable-cylinder engines. GM sold Frigidaire in 1979. Although Frigidaire had between $ 450 million and $ 500 million in annual revenues, it was losing money. Robert Lee of GM invented the neodymium magnet , which was fabricated by rapid solidification, in 1984. This magnet is commonly used in products like a computer hard disk. The same year, GM acquired Electronic Data Systems for $ 2.5 billion from Ross Perot as part of

2340-520: The General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC), which provides financing to automotive customers, was formed. In 1920, du Pont orchestrated the removal of Durant once again and replaced him with Alfred P. Sloan . At a time when GM was competing heavily with Ford Motor Company , Sloan established annual model changes, making previous years' models "dated" and created a market for used cars . He also implemented

2430-634: The LA Auto Show . It was the first car with zero emissions marketed in the US in over three decades. The Impact was produced as the EV1 for the 1996 model year and was available only via lease from certain dealers in California and Arizona. In 1999–2002, GM ceased production of the vehicles and started to not renew the leases, disappointing many people, allegedly because the program would not be profitable and would cannibalize its existing business. All of

2520-567: The Rapid Motor Vehicle Company of Pontiac, Michigan , and the Reliance Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan (predecessors of GMC ) in 1909. Durant, with the board's approval, also tried acquiring Ford Motor Company , but needed an additional $ 2 million. Durant over- leveraged GM in making acquisitions, and was removed by the board of directors in 1910 at the order of the bankers who backed

2610-765: The Yellow Cab Manufacturing Company the same year, and its president, John D. Hertz , joined the board of directors of GM; it acquired the remainder of the company in 1943. In 1926, the company introduced the Pontiac brand and established the General Motors Group Insurance Program to provide life insurance to its employees. The following year, after the success of the 1927 model of the Cadillac LaSalle designed by Harley Earl , Sloan created

2700-472: The corporate spin-off of Electronic Data Systems . In 1997, GM sold the military businesses of Hughes Aircraft Company to Raytheon Company for $ 9.5 billion in stock and the assumption of debt. In February 2000, Rick Wagoner was named CEO, succeeding Smith. The next month, GM gave 5.1% of its common stock, worth $ 2.4 billion, to acquire a 20% share of Fiat . In December 2000, GM announced that it would begin phasing out Oldsmobile . The brand

2790-537: The "Art and Color Section" of GM and named Earl as its first director. Earl was the first design executive to be appointed to leadership at a major American corporation. Earl created a system of automobile design that is still practiced today. At the age of 24, Bill Mitchell was recruited by Earl to the design team at GM, and he was later appointed as Chief Designer of Cadillac. After Earl retired in December 1958, Mitchell took over automotive design for GM. Also in 1926

GM Colmotores - Misplaced Pages Continue

2880-537: The 1966 model year, the Monaco would replace the Custom 880 as the mid-level model, while a new Monaco 500 would replace the previous 1965 Monaco. The 1967 models received a facelift, and the hardtop coupe adopted a semi-fastback roof style with a reverse-slant rear quarter window. The 1967 models included a new U.S. government-required safety package that featured an energy-absorbing steering column and safety steering wheel, blunt dashboard controls, more interior padding, and

2970-612: The Argentinian Polara was badged as a Dodge, it was marketed alongside the Argentinian variant of the Plymouth Valiant (derived from the US Plymouth Valiant, the first and second-generation Australian Chrysler Valiant , and third and fourth generation US Dodge Dart ). The sedan variant of this line was mainly composed of two models based on the same body, with the basic model sold as the Polara and

3060-588: The EV1s were eventually returned to General Motors, and except for around 40 which were donated to museums with their electric powertrains deactivated, all were destroyed. The documentary film Who Killed the Electric Car? covered the EV1 story. In November 1992, John F. Smith Jr. became CEO of the company. In 1993, GM sold Lotus Cars to Bugatti . In 1996, in a return to its automotive basics, GM completed

3150-597: The July 27th, 1956 was founded the "Fábrica Colombiana de Automotores S.A." ("Colmotores"), whose articles of incorporation are logged a month later, on 25 August of that year, with an initial capital of five million pesos, contributed several regions, particularly Antioquia , Cundinamarca , Caldas and the Coast. On the other hand, the Colombian government was in the process of expanding the domestic market so they promulgated

3240-745: The Polara 500 in descending order were the Dart 440 and the Dart 330. For the 1962 model year, there was no model named "Polara". These models were marketed in Canada as the Dodge 440 and Dodge 330 , and a Canada-only base model Dodge 220 was also offered. The Dodges were available with optional V8 engines of up to 413 cu in (6.8 L). These mid-sized Dodges (and similar models from Plymouth) competed successfully as stock cars in NASCAR races and in stock-automatic classes in drag racing, where their smaller size and lighter weight gave them an advantage over

3330-783: The Polara that year had been downsized to what was in effect intermediate, or mid-size status. In its various forms, the Polara name was used by Dodge until 1973, when its position in Dodge's line-up was replaced by the Dodge Monaco . The name Polara is a reference to the Polaris star in a marketing attempt to appeal to the excitement surrounding the Space Race during the early 1960s. The 1960 Polara and other full-sized Dodges featured styling cues carried over from 1959 models, itself an evolution of Virgil Exner 's " Forward Look " cars introduced in 1957. The 1960 model year also marked

3420-684: The United States. Durant was averse to automobiles, but fellow Flint businessman James H. Whiting , owner of Flint Wagon Works , sold him the Buick Motor Company in 1904. Durant formed the General Motors Company in 1908 as a holding company , borrowing a naming convention from General Electric . GM's first acquisition was Buick , which Durant already owned, then Olds Motor Works on November 12, 1908. Under Durant, GM went on to acquire Cadillac , Elmore , Welch , Cartercar , Oakland (the predecessor of Pontiac ),

3510-677: The United States. For the second straight year, the Dart carried the make, with sales of 142,000 units. However, Dodge sales for 1961 were down 53% compared to 1960, dropping the make from sixth in the American market to ninth place. A total of 1,236 units were part of a special order for the State of California Highway Patrol produced in the 999 trim code. The four-door sedans were essentially low-cost models equipped similarly to Dodge Dart standards, including rubber floor mats, gray vinyl interiors, and limited chrome trim. California officials insisted on

3600-536: The car received new sheet metal. The Dart name was reassigned to Dodge's line of compact cars that had previously been known as the Dodge Lancer . Positioned below the Polara were the 440 and 330 trim models. The 1964 models received a revised front end and new tail lamps to distinguish them from the 1963 cars. The Chevrolet Impala inspired the rear-end treatment, and the Polara models now featured six small, square-shaped taillights (three on each side) surrounded by

3690-413: The car's flanks as well as bucket seats and deluxe vinyl upholstery. For the 1965 model year, Chrysler moved the Polara back to the full-sized Chrysler C platform shared with Chrysler and Plymouth models. Once again offered in a full range of bodies (sedans, hardtops, station wagons, etc.), the Polara, in effect, replaced the 880 and remained a step below the Custom 880, and the new Monaco hardtop coupe

GM Colmotores - Misplaced Pages Continue

3780-421: The changes, adjustments imposed by the challenges of developing an enterprise of great ambitions, in much quixotic. Faced, first, the failure of the government of the incentives for the automotive industry, which led, of course, financial difficulties Colmotores shareholders. In 1965, the international Chrysler company acquired 60% of the shares of Colmotores, the company began calling "Colmotores-Chrysler", and

3870-452: The company acquired Fisher Body , its supplier of automobile bodies. GM acquired Allison Engine Company and began developing a 1,000 horsepower liquid-cooled aircraft engine in 1929. The same year, GM acquired 80% of Opel , which at that time had a 37.5% market share in Europe, for $ 26 million. It acquired the remaining 20% in 1931. In the late-1920s, Charles Kettering embarked on

3960-534: The company in 1915 after a disagreement with Durant. GM was reincorporated in Detroit in 1916 as General Motors Corporation and became a public company via an initial public offering . By 1917, Chevrolet had become successful enough that Durant, with the backing of Samuel McLaughlin and Pierre S. du Pont , reacquired a controlling interest in GM. The same year, GM acquired Samson Tractor . Chevrolet Motor Company

4050-642: The company took over the shares previously owned by Colmotores Chrysler International. At the time when General Motors purchased the plant in the country, Colmotores merged the Presidency and the Directorate-Management on a single charge, which took Germán Montoya Vélez until 1983. The word "Chrysler" was suppressed from its name to return to his original name, 'Fábrica Colombiana de Automotores S.A.' (Colmotores). In 1991, it became "General Motors Colmotores S.A.", which has remained since. Since

4140-425: The company was taken over by GM, by 2016 Colmotores had assembled 45 vehicle versions in 12 different platforms, consolidating one of the largest companies in Colombia, with 1,300 direct and 16,000 indirect employees. In 2015, the company produced a total of 49,425 vehicles. List of brands produced and commercialised by Colmotores through the years: Vehicle models produced and/or commercialised by Colmotores since it

4230-562: The corresponding (and now de-finned) 1961 Polara bodies. The 1962 Chrysler station wagons were created similarly, except the body of a full-sized 1961 Plymouth four-door wagon was used instead. All Dodge models were redesigned with smaller, lighter, sculpted bodies on 116 in (2,946 mm) wheelbases for 1962. This was the first Chrysler B-Body. This move came after Chrysler's president overheard and misunderstood Chevrolet chief Ed Cole to have said Chevrolet's largest cars would be downsized for 1962. Chrysler designers were forced to take

4320-666: The deluxe version as the Coronado . The coupe variant's models were also based on the same body, with the basic model known as the Dodge Polara coupe , the sports version as the Dodge Polara R/T , all these models featured the 225 cu in (3.7 L) slant-six engine, and the deluxe high-performance version was the Dodge GTX . This last model came equipped with a 318 cu in (5.2 L) V8, considered

4410-716: The diesel-hybrid market, the Opel Astra diesel engine hybrid concept vehicle was rolled out in January 2005. Later that year, GM sold its Electro-Motive Diesel locomotive division to private equity firms Berkshire Partners and Greenbriar Equity Group. GM paid $ 2 billion to sever its ties with Fiat in 2005, severing ties with the company due to an increasingly contentious dispute. GM began adding its " Mark of Excellence " emblem on all new vehicles produced and sold in North America in mid-2005. However, after

4500-456: The first assembler to produce officially licensed vehicles. In November 1956 Colmotores signed an agreement with British Motor Corporation to produce vehicles under the " Austin " brand. The deal stated that BMC would provide the components and Colmotores would assembled the vehicles using local autoparts and workers. The production began operating under the chairmanship of Santiago Trujillo and general manager Germán Montoya, and its construction

4590-482: The first hydrogen fuel cell car ever produced. Though fuel cells have existed since the early 1800s, General Motors was the first to use a fuel cell, supplied by Union Carbide , to power the wheels of a vehicle with a budget of "millions of dollars". In the 1960s, GM was an early proponent of V6 engines , but quickly lost interest as the popularity of muscle cars increased. GM demonstrated gas turbine vehicles powered by kerosene , an area of interest throughout

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4680-621: The first year that all Chrysler models, except for the Imperial , used unibody construction. The top-of-the-line Polara and Dodge Matador continued to use the 122 in (3,099 mm) wheelbase of their predecessors, while a new line-up of still full-sized Dodge Darts rode on a shorter 118 in (2,997 mm) wheelbase. The Polara was available as a two-door convertible , two-door hardtop , four-door hardtop sedan , four-door hardtop station wagon , and conventional (pillared) four-door sedan. The 1960 full-sized Dodges continued with

4770-513: The following year began the manufacture and sale of Dodge and Simca cars, and appeared in the domestic market the first car produced in Colombia, the Coronet 440 and Dodge D series trucks of 1-7 tons. Other Dodge models commercialised were the Alpine ( Simca 1307 ) and Polara . Fourteen years would last the permanence of Chrysler in Colombia. But in 1973 the oil crisis came, which affected

4860-535: The four-door models) and continued to the back of the car. This allowed the fin to start on the door and end sooner, relative to the tip of the round tail light, and still appear as long or longer than on the Dart. The front end featured a small grille of eight stacks of anodized aluminum rectangles nested in a massive chrome front bumper assembly. As the top model in the line-up, the Polara featured better interior fabrics and trim treatments. The Polaras also received more exterior trim that included chrome stone guards aft of

4950-497: The gasoline was harmful to various biological organisms including humans. Evidence shows that corporate executives understood the health implications of tetraethyllead from the beginning. As an engineer for GM, Midgley also developed chlorofluorocarbons , which have now been banned due to their contribution to climate change . Under the encouragement of GM President Alfred P. Sloan Jr., GM acquired Vauxhall Motors for $ 2.5 million in 1925. The company also acquired an interest in

5040-440: The highest top speed achieved by a factory-built four-door sedan - 149.6 miles per hour (241 km/h) until a 1994 Chevrolet Caprice broke the record with an LT1 engine. In 1970, the Polara received new front and rear styling that included a bumper that wrapped around the grille and headlights. The Polara Custom replaced the Polara 500 in hardtop coupe, four-door hardtop sedan, and conventional four-door sedan body styles. There

5130-517: The importation of necessary equipment. In February 1962 President of Colombia Alberto Lleras Camargo inaugurated the Colmotores plant, while the auxiliary bishop of Bogotá Emilio de Brigard blessed the staff and facilities. Then began the production of vehicles, cargo trucks Austin 2.5 and 6 tons for passenger vans and campers in two versions, short and long. Four years later the company had produced nearly 4,000 commercial vehicles. Then came

5220-664: The industry, but abandoned the alternative engine configuration due to the 1973 oil crisis . In partnership with Boeing , GM's Delco Defense Electronics Division designed the Lunar Roving Vehicle , which traversed the surface of the Moon, in 1971. The following year, GM produced the first rear wheel anti-lock braking system for two models: the Toronado and Eldorado. In 1973, the Oldsmobile Toronado

5310-412: The lack of money and support from the national government. As often happens with large projects, the creation of GM Colmotores emerged from the vision of a handful of Colombian businessmen, led by Germán Montoya Vélez. After many conversations, financial calculations and had to overcome obstacles that men whose common goal was, before the trade to create a company in Colombia, were crystallized his desire:

5400-422: The larger cars from Ford and General Motors. The basic body of the 1962 model continued until 1964, revised and lengthened by the new Chrysler vice president of styling Elwood Engel . The Polara range eventually included a four-door sedan. For 1963 and 1964, the Polara 500 was available only as a convertible or hardtop coupé . For the 1963 model year, the wheelbase was increased to 119 inches (3,023 mm) and

5490-527: The largest seller of horse-drawn vehicles at the time. The first half of the 20th century saw the company grow into an automotive behemoth through acquisitions; going into the second half, the company pursued innovation and new offerings to consumers as well as collaborations with NASA to develop the earliest electric vehicles . The current entity was established in 2009 after the General Motors Chapter 11 reorganization . As of 2024 , General Motors ranks 25th by total revenue out of all American companies on

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5580-410: The length of the "jet pods" that housed the taillights. The fins on the Darts were shorter both in length and height because unlike the full-sized Dodge's, the Polara and Matador, the Darts were based on the Plymouth and utilized much of the Plymouth's sheet metal form. The Plymouth back door did not include any part of the rear fin, whereas, on the full-sized Dodges, the fin started on the rear door (on

5670-459: The loans to keep GM in business. The action of the bankers was partially influenced by the Panic of 1910–1911 that followed the earlier enforcement of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 . In 1911, Charles F. Kettering of Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (DELCO) and Henry M. Leland invented and patented the first electric starter in America. In November 1911, Durant co-founded Chevrolet with race car driver Louis Chevrolet , who left

5760-442: The make's styling hallmarks of stacked "jet pod" tail lights. However, the size of the lights was significantly increased compared to the previous year's lamps, with the lower lights set into the rear bumper. The design also incorporated Dodge's trademark shortened tail fins, which, on the Polara, included small vertical tail light lenses placed on the vertical surface at the back of the fin. The clipped fin tended to visually exaggerate

5850-493: The most powerful engine ever produced in Argentina. Other models in the production line were the Dodge Valiant, Polara GT, and the Polara diesel, all four-door sedans. The Dodge Polara line of cars was designed exclusively for the Argentinian market. The interior, especially the dashboard, is similar to that of the early 1970s Dodge Dart–Plymouth Valiant cars. The coupes were not available in large numbers, but are collected by enthusiasts. They were hard to sell as gas consumption

5940-410: The planned 1962 Dodge full-size line and shorten the design to fit a more compact wheelbase in a last-minute effort to compete with what was supposed to be a smaller new Chevrolet. However, GM was developing a new mid-sized automobile that would become the 1964 Chevelle, but continued to offer its line of traditional full-size cars for 1962. As a result, Dodge and Plymouth were marketing smaller cars that

6030-433: The plant to arrest strikers, leading to violence; in other cities, the plants were shuttered peacefully. The strike was resolved on February 11, 1937, when GM recognized the UAW as the exclusive bargaining representative for its workers and gave workers a 5% raise and permission to speak in the lunchroom. Walter E. Jominy and A.L. Boegehold of GM invented the Jominy end-quench test for hardenability of carbon steel in 1937,

6120-528: The pricing strategy used by car companies today. The pricing strategy had Chevrolet , Pontiac , Oldsmobile , Buick , and Cadillac priced from least expensive to most, respectively. In 1921, Thomas Midgley Jr. , an engineer for GM, discovered tetraethyllead (leaded gasoline) as an antiknock agent, and GM patented the compound because ethanol could not be patented. This led to the development of higher compression engines resulting in more power and efficiency. The public later realized that lead contained in

6210-440: The public and motoring press found stylistically awkward. The new Dodge models were sized closer to Ford 's new intermediate Fairlane than to Ford's or GM's new "A-body" models. As a result, development was accelerated for a new full-size car, using the front end from the 1961 Dodge Polara and the body from the 1962 Chrysler Newport . This new full-size model became the Custom 880 and was Dodge's top-of-the-line model when it

6300-429: The rear of the car, they cut slightly towards the center (to allow the single tail light housing on each side) of the rear of the vehicle, wrapping downward and then back along the side fender to form a C-shaped line accentuated in chrome. The overall effect made the car's rear seem to "pucker" from the angles the design created. The massive front bumper treatments that had been a Dodge hallmark since 1957 were replaced with

6390-406: The rear wheel housings, a full-length chrome spear, and a broad chrome base to the chrome spear atop the headlight housings. For 1961, Dodge dropped the Matador, leaving the Polara as the sole "senior" Dodge model. Darts on the shorter wheelbase continued. For 1961, Exner's styling department reversed the car's fins, making them taller as they flowed toward the rear window. As the fins sloped towards

6480-487: The reorganization in 2009, the company no longer added the logo, saying that emphasis on its four core divisions would downplay the GM logo. In 2005, Edward T. Welburn was promoted to the newly created position of vice president, GM Global Design, making him the first African American to lead a global automotive design organization and the highest-ranking African American in the US motor industry at that time. On July 1, 2016, he retired from General Motors after 44 years. He

6570-460: The sales literature, but was discontinued after late August or early September 1969 production and replaced with a plain bumper lacking the center Fratzog medallion. Dodge also discontinued the Super-Lite option at the end of the 1970 model year because of a lack of consumer interest and challenges to its legality in some states. The 1970s also received a new locking steering column which locked

6660-492: The steering wheel and column shift lever when the ignition key was removed. The Polara Special was discontinued for the 1971 model year with a new sub-series, the Polara Brougham, positioned above the Polara Custom, but below the Monaco. The Polara Brougham was available only as a hardtop coupe or a four-door hardtop sedan. The 360 cu in (5.9 L) V8 was also introduced for 1971. The 1972 model year featured

6750-504: The time, was an ardent opponent of the New Deal , which bolstered labor unions and public transport . Sloan admired and supported Adolf Hitler . Nazi armaments chief Albert Speer allegedly said in 1977 that Hitler "would never have considered invading Poland" without synthetic fuel technology provided by General Motors. GM was compensated $ 32 million by the U.S. government because its German factories were bombed by U.S. forces during

6840-518: The war. Effective January 28, 1953, Charles Erwin Wilson , then GM president, was named by Dwight D. Eisenhower as United States Secretary of Defense . In December 1953, GM acquired Euclid Trucks , a manufacturer of heavy equipment for earthmoving , including dump trucks , loaders and wheel tractor-scrapers , which later spawned the Terex brand. Alfred P. Sloan retired as chairman and

6930-472: The world economy and forced to take further decisions on exploration and consumption. It was created to organize producers and exporters of oil, OPEC, and the automotive industry introduced the use of the compact car's engine light and low power consumption. Chrysler had extreme financial difficulties that led it to reduce its international operations to focus on North America . The Colombia and Venezuela operations were acquired by General Motors in 1979 when

7020-399: Was also a stripped-down Polara Special available as either a four-door sedan or station wagon. 1970 was the last year that the Polara would be available in a convertible body style (with a scant 842 produced, making it extremely rare today), and Dodge would never again offer a full-sized convertible. The early 1970 production featured a "medallion" rear bumper. This bumper was pictured in all of

7110-637: Was also a version of this model in sedan and station wagon built in the 1970s in Argentina of the same car known as the Dodge 1500 until Volkswagen took over Chrysler Fevre Argentina SAIC, including the tooling for the car, in 1980. From then until 1988, the car was sold in Argentina as the Volkswagen 1500 (not to be confused with the Type 3 , also sold as the Volkswagen 1500 in most markets, including

7200-549: Was completed in late 1961. By then the company had negotiations with the British Motor Corporation to assemble vehicles in Austin Colombia. Moreover, the national government the same year the production of cars in the country. The industrialists to take care of that activity were to a promising prospect, which included new incentives such as exemption from taxes on profits and assets to be devoted to

7290-490: Was consolidated into GM on May 2, 1918, and the same year GM acquired United Motors , a parts supplier founded by Durant and headed by Alfred P. Sloan for $ 45 million, and the McLaughlin Motor Car Company , founded by R. S. McLaughlin , became General Motors of Canada Limited. In 1919, GM acquired Guardian Frigerator Company , part-owned by Durant, which was renamed Frigidaire . Also in 1919,

7380-560: Was eventually discontinued in 2004, seven years after it had become the first American car brand to turn 100. In May 2004, GM delivered the first full-sized pickup truck hybrid vehicles , the 1/2-ton Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra trucks. These mild hybrids did not use electrical energy for propulsion, like GM's later designs. Later, the company debuted another hybrid technology, co-developed with DaimlerChrysler and BMW , in diesel-electric hybrid powertrain manufactured by Allison Transmission for transit buses. Continuing to target

7470-580: Was introduced on January 21, 1962. In 1963, a lower specification version was offered, the Dodge 880 . Among the B-Bodied 1962 Dodges was a bucket-seated sporty model called the Polara 500 . It was available as a two-door hardtop and a convertible, and a four-door hardtop was added in December. Standard equipment included a 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS) 361 cu in (5.9 L) V8 with four-barrel carburetion and dual exhaust. Positioned beneath

7560-452: Was now Dodge's top model. The previous mid-sized Dodges that were sold under the names Polara 500, Polara, 440, and 330 continued in production under the name Dodge Coronet , their wheelbase shrinking to 117 inches (2,972 mm). These Polaras were criticized for low fuel economy, with owners of 383 cu in (6.3 L) cars achieving an average of 13.8 mpg ‑US (17.0 L/100 km; 16.6 mpg ‑imp ). In

7650-566: Was replaced by Michael Simcoe . In 2006, GM introduced a bright yellow fuel cap on its vehicles to remind drivers that cars can operate using E85 ethanol fuel . They also introduced another hybrid vehicle that year, the Saturn Vue Green Line . In 2008, General Motors committed to engineering half of its manufacturing plants to be landfill-free by recycling or reusing waste in the manufacturing process. Continuing their environmental-conscious development, GM started to offer

7740-608: Was succeeded by Albert Bradley in April 1956. In 1962, GM introduced the first ever turbocharged production car in the world in the Oldsmobile Cutlass Turbo-Jetfire. Two years later, the company introduced its " Mark of Excellence " logo and trademark at the 1964 New York World's Fair . The company used the mark as their main corporate identifier until 2021. GM released the Electrovan in 1966,

7830-523: Was taken over by General Motors. All of them under the "Chevrolet" brand: To contribute to overcoming poverty and the country's peace process, GM Colmotores says that it donates cash and kind to the development of technical training programs and employment generation for vulnerable populations and/or affected by violence. General Motors General Motors Company ( GM ) is an American multinational automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit , Michigan, United States. The company

7920-554: Was the 225 cu in (3.7 L) slant-6 with optional 318 cu in (5.2 L), 383 cu in (6.3 L), and 440 cu in (7.2 L) V8s available. The 1969 Dodge Polara models offered a unique "Super-Lite" option, which placed a single quartz auxiliary "turnpike beam" headlamp in the driver-side grille. The 1969 CHP Polara held the record on the Chrysler test track in Chelsea, MI, until 1994 for

8010-626: Was the first automobile manufacturer in Colombia when they started to assemble cars in their factory in Bogotá in 1962. Since its establishment, Colmotores has produced nearly 1.5 million vehicles. The first initiative to the manufacturing of vehicles in Colombia came from the Dugand brothers who established "Dugand Hermanos & Cia. Ltda" in Barranquilla , producing some Volkswagen and Studebaker models but they had to close soon after because of

8100-558: Was the first retail car sold with a passenger airbag . Thomas Murphy became CEO of the company, succeeding Richard C. Gerstenberg in November 1974. GM installed its first catalytic converters in its 1975 models. From 1978 to 1985, GM pushed the benefits of diesel engines and cylinder deactivation technologies. However, it had disastrous results due to poor durability in the Oldsmobile diesels and drivability issues in

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