Happy birthday, General Motors

Born in the USA

16 September is a big day in the world of global car manufacturing. And not just this year but every year, because in 1908 that was the day that General Motors was founded.

The firm was established as a holding company, which first acquired the Buick brand, closely followed by Oldsmobile. Over the course of the next few years, the enterprise expanded by buying other brands, including Cadillac, Oakland (which would go on to become Pontiac), and the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company (which morphed into GMC). And, of course, Chevrolet.

Since then, the firm has grown to become the global monolith it is today, and indeed it was the largest car company in the world until 2008, when it was usurped by Toyota.

GM also owns the AC Delco parts brand, and is getting into the world of self-driving cars through Cruise LLC.

So GM looks pretty good for a 114-year-old, and there aren’t many brands of a similar age that are as forward-looking. The company plans to end sales of fossil-fuelled vehicles by 2035 and to be carbon-neutral by 2040.

So, in no particular order, here are 20 of the most significant cars GM has launched throughout its life, from the 20th century. All we can say is, roll on the next 114 years.

1. Chevrolet Suburban (1934-2022)

These days, the Chevrolet Suburban may well be a huge SUV aimed at families, but it wasn’t always that way.

For a start, a car bearing the Chevrolet Carryall Suburban name first appeared in 1934, making the Suburban name the longest-running in the entire automotive world. Second, it would be fair to argue that the original Carryall Suburban was actually the world’s first MPV, because it fulfilled a number of ‘carryall’ briefs.

It was carryall for people, because you could get eight folk into it. And it was also a carryall for stuff, because it could quite easily double up as a van or commercial truck.

Chevrolet Suburban (cont.)

Indeed, Chevrolet’s adverts of the time highlighted the fact that business users would be able to cut their transportation costs in half, simply because the Suburban was so flexible – you could take out the seats and turn it into a van if necessary.

Under the bonnet lay a 194cu in (3.2-litre) straight-six that drove the rear wheels through a three-speed manual gearbox.

Since then, the name has continued in an unbroken line to this very day, and although the Suburban of today might be able to go further off road, it’s unlikely to be as capable when it comes to carrying people and their stuff as the original.

2. Cadillac Series 452 V16 (1930-’37)

People generally associate the name Cadillac with attributes such as luxury, space, excessive styling and chrome (lots of that). What people don’t generally associate the name with is being a pioneer.

But that’s what it is, because in 1930 Cadillac was focused on being a luxury car maker extraordinaire, and to that end it was intent on building the most luxurious engine it could think of.

The 7.4-litre V16 was that motor. No one else in the United States had produced a V16 up to that point.

Cadillac Series 452 V16 (cont.)

The 452 (because the unit was 452cu in) was a tall engine, thanks to its V angle of just 45 degrees, and it developed 165bhp.

This gave the luxury sedans and roadsters in which it was installed the ability to top 80mph. And this in an era when dirt roads were still commonplace.

The first cars were shown at the New York Automobile Show in January 1930, and received a great deal of interest, despite hitting the market mere months after the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

3. Chevrolet Bel Air (1955-’57)

If there was a league table of iconic movie cars, then the Chevy Bel Air would have to be up there.

It has appeared in a number of big-name films, such as American Graffiti, Dr No, Dirty Dancing, Thunder Road – and lesser-known B-movie outings such as Thunderbolt and Lightning and 1989’s Catch Me If You Can.

General Motors’ advertising campaign for the car called it ‘The Hot One’, which gives you an idea of who it was aimed at.

Chevrolet Bel Air (cont.)

To that end, the car featured a new 4.3-litre (262cu in) V8 that produced 162bhp, although buyers could also specify the ‘Power Pack’ option that increased output to 180bhp, and a ‘Super Power Pack’ that upped it to 195bhp.

And it had drum brakes all round – yikes.

For 1957, the car gained extra chrome and a tweaked bodyshell, while inside seatbelts and a padded dashboard could be added. The engine was also increased in size to 4.6 litres (281cu in), and now produced 283bhp.

4. Cadillac Eldorado (1959-’60)

The Cadillac Eldorado may have been named after the fabled City of Gold, but it’s fair to say the main metal it showcases is chrome. A lot of chrome.

But the chrome wasn’t actually the main talking point.

The styling is what got people conversing because it was just so… out there.

From the three-tiered and jewel-shaped front grille to the enormous rear fins, complete with dual bullet-shaped rear lights, the 1959 Eldorado was an exercise in excess.

Cadillac Eldorado (cont.)

Then, of course there were the dimensions.

The Eldorado measured more than 5.7 metres from tip to tail, and there was a full 3.3 metres just between the front and rear wheels.

To give that some perspective, an entire Mini Cooper of the day could have sat between the Eldorado’s axles, with room to spare.

If ever a car deserved the term ‘land yacht’, then this fourth-generation Cadillac Eldorado is that car.

For the day, its luxury kit was staggering, including air suspension, electric door locks, six-way electrically adjustable seats, two-speed wipers and powered windows. All backed up by the woofle of a 6.4-litre (391cu in) V8. Too cool.

5. Oldsmobile Cutlass Turbo-Jetfire (1962-’63)

In the early 1960s, the American motoring public was in love with V8s.

However, those same people were also fans of having money in their pockets, and V8s tended to demand rather a lot of petrol, so smaller V8s became a bit more desirable. Unfortunately, they weren’t that fast, so a solution had to be found.

Oldsmobile went to industrial-turbocharger manufacturer Garrett, and asked the firm to add a turbo to its 215 V8. This engine, which the company called the Turbo Rocket, produced 215bhp and 300lb ft of torque, so gave the Cutlass quite a spring in its step.

Oldsmobile Cutlass Turbo-Jetfire (cont.)

However, the Cutlass Turbo-Jetfire could be temperamental, and had to have a separate tank filled with a mixture of methanol and distilled water that was sprayed into the intake manifold to lower combustion temperatures.

If this tank ran dry, the car would produce less power, and the tank had to be filled quite a lot.

Often, owners simply forgot, and then complained about the performance of their cars.

6. Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Mk2 (1963-’67)

The second-generation Corvette was the sort of car that made people just stop and stare as it rumbled past.

Designer Larry Shinoda used a Mako Shark as inspiration, as well as a 1959 Corvette race car concept called the XP-87.

Coupé versions of the second-generation car also featured a sloping ‘boat-tail’ rear end and a split back window, although the latter feature was dropped after just one year because chief engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov said it impaired rearward vision too much.

However, one way to avoid this was to go for the convertible model, which was actually cheaper than the coupé.

Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Mk2 (cont.)

Over the course of the car’s life, power climbed from 360 to 430bhp, and engine sizes increased to 7.0 litres (427cu in), which was plenty in a car made from glassfibre panels.

And customers were also offered the option of exhaust side pipes, which gave the car extra noise and presence, even if calf burns were an ever-present risk.

Oh, and in 1965, GM chose to fit the Corvette with four-wheel disc brakes, which was not a moment too soon given the pace on offer.

7. Pontiac GTO (1964-’67)

The letters GTO mean different things depending where you are in the world.

If you’re in Europe, they conjure images of red Ferraris, either blasting through the Italian countryside or competing at Le Mans. If you’re in the United States, they evoke memories of Pontiac’s entry into the muscle-car world in the early 1960s.

The GTO was actually the product of Pontiac working its way around General Motors’ policy of limiting engines in the A-body Intermediate Pontiac Tempest and LeMans models to 330cu in (5.4 litres).

The company saw a future in a version with bigger engines and more performance, which would appeal to a more youthful market, so the 6.4-litre (391cu in) GTO was born.

Pontiac GTO (cont.)

Initially, it was an option package on the Tempest, and the GTO version vastly outperformed sales estimates, even with the somewhat staid styling.

The iconic stacked headlights only appeared when the car was facelifted for 1965.

In 1966, the GTO became a model in its own right, and sales continued to rocket with almost 100,000 sold, across the hardtop, coupé and convertible body styles.

8. GM Electrovan (1966)

General Motors: pioneer. No, really. The American conglomerate was the first car maker in the world to develop a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.

It made sense, because fuel cells played a pivotal role in the space race, and were instrumental in getting NASA to the moon. GM was determined to also develop a delivery van that could match its fossil-fuelled counterparts for performance and range.

It was a partial success – and was hailed as one of the most forward-thinking transport solutions of 1966.

GM Electrovan (cont.)

A partial success? Well, yes, because while it could travel a good 150 miles between refills, the refuelling process was considered somewhat risky and, on top of that, the size of the fuel cell meant the van had only two seats and couldn’t really carry much in the way of stuff, rather defeating the object.

Oh, and the tanks had a worrying propensity for rupturing, which would take the shine off anyone’s day. And a 0-70mph time of around 30 secs is in the ‘are we there yet?’ territory.

Nevertheless, the Electrovan showed that GM could boldly go where no one had gone before.

9. Oldsmobile Toronado Mk1 (1965-’70)

The 1960s was a time when creative engineers were allowed much more leeway to come up with the next big thing – and the Oldsmobile Toronado is a case in point.

Funky styling? Check. Huge dimensions? Check. Pop-up headlights? Check. Thundering V8 motor? Check. Rear-wheel drive? Err, nope. Indeed, Olds chose to buck the accepted thinking and put the 385bhp from the 7.0-litre (427cu in) V8 through the front wheels. Bring on that wheelspin.

In fact, Firestone had to develop a new tyre specifically for the Toronado, called the TFD (Toronado Front Drive). It had stiffer sidewalls to cope with the extra weight and stress of the Toronado’s drivetrain.

Oldsmobile Toronado Mk1 (cont.)

And it worked! Testers of the day reported that the Toronado handled just as well as its rear-drive contemporaries, and did so without the ever-present threat of uncatchable oversteer.

Better still, the Toronado could accelerate from 0-60mph in just 7.5 secs, so traction off the line can’t have been bad at all.

10. Chevrolet Camaro Mk1 (1966-’69)

General Motors could only watch with envy as Ford grabbed a whole chunk of sales with its Mustang, a car that had well and truly caught the imagination of a public desperate for a sports coupé.

After all, GM only had the Chevrolet Corvair as a rival, and negative publicity had caused its sales to plummet.

But all the while, GM was plotting its own pony-car contender, and in 1966 it revealed the Chevrolet Camaro.

The name was apparently lifted from a French-English dictionary and denotes a friend or comrade. It was front-engined and rear-wheel drive, making it a direct rival for the Mustang.

Chevrolet Camaro Mk1 (cont.)

Engine options ranged from a 3.8-litre (232cu in) straight-six up to a 6.5-litre (397cu in) V8, and although this generation was on sale for only three years, it was available as both a two-door coupé or a two-door convertible.

People loved it, and in its first year more than 220,000 found homes (although Ford sold 480,000 Mustangs at the same time).

The Camaro was revised in 1968 with a new air inlet system called Astro Ventilation (the space race was big news in those days), revised lights, new shock absorbers and new leaf springs.

And if the standard power units weren’t enough for you, you could generate a Central Office Production Order (COPO) car with a 425bhp 7.0-litre (427cu in) V8.

11. Pontiac Firebird Mk1 (1967-’69)

The only car originally planned to be launched as an F-body coupé was the Chevrolet Camaro. Meanwhile, Pontiac wanted to sell its own sports car, which was based on the Banshee concept of 1964, complete with pop-up headlights.

Indeed, the car was visually similar to the Opel GT, and was eventually used as a design that would become the Corvette C3.

However, Pontiac was told the car would take sales from the Corvette C2, so as a consolation it was allowed to develop its own version of an F-body muscle car to take on the Ford Mustang.

Designers had only a few months to prepare the forthcoming Firebird, but did a neat job of making the car a Pontiac, with slickly integrated bumpers and sleeker tail-lights than the Camaro.

Pontiac Firebird Mk1 (cont.)

Engines ranged from a 3.8-litre (232cu in) straight-six up to a 6.6-litre (403cu in) V8, plus a ‘Ram Air’ version with extra bonnet scoops, uprated valve springs, a hotter camshaft and high-flow cylinder heads.

Then, towards the end of the model’s life, an optional package was offered with suspension and steering upgrades plus visual enhancements – this was called the Trans Am package after the racing series. The rest is history.

12. Lunar Roving Vehicle (1971)

It’s fair to say that the car was king in the United States of the 1960s.

So, it stands to reason that when a space agency based in the US wants to explore the Moon, it’s going to develop a vehicle to get around on the lunar surface. And that’s exactly what happened.

General Motors’ Defense Research Laboratories was tasked with the development of the bits that would get the vehicle around, such as the wheels, the electric motors and the suspension, while Boeing took care of the navigation systems and the electronics. Boeing also built the vehicles.

Lunar Roving Vehicle (cont.)

The vehicle (also known as the Moon Buggy) was light, at just 210kg (463lb) and featured unique lightweight hubs with a ‘tyre’ made from woven strands of steel.

In the end, three Lunar Roving Vehicles went to the Moon, on the Apollo 15, 16 and 17 missions; one was driven for around 17 miles, the next for 16 miles and the last for 22 miles. It had an official top speed of 8mph, but Apollo 17 commander Eugene Cernan managed to get his to do 11.2mph, giving him the lunar land speed record.

All three Lunar Roving Vehicles that went to the Moon remain there.

13. Oldsmobile Toronado Mk2 (1971-’78)

The original Oldsmobile Toronado is undeniably a bit of a looker, like a greatest hits of 1960s styling cues. The big wheels, sloping rear end, pop-up lights at the front of long bonnet – yup, everything’s there.

The second-generation car? Well, it’s fair to say aerodynamics weren’t at the top of the design list – or even on the design list.

Still, the Toronado Mk2 had other benefits, such as the fact that it had high-mounted tail-lights at the bottom of the rear window and, between 1974 and ’76, it featured an experimental run of driver and passenger airbags, plus a knee-protection system for the driver.

Oldsmobile Toronado Mk2 (cont.)

It also had front disc brakes as standard, while a rear-wheel anti-lock braking system was an option.

And this was despite the fact that neither the 6.6-litre (403cu in) nor 7.5-litre (458cu in) V8 motors breathed much fire any more thanks to the stringent anti-smog laws – in 1971 the latter unit produced 350bhp but in 1972 this had fallen to 250bhp.

By 1976 this was 215bhp.

14. Pontiac Trans Am (1970-’81)

Yes, the Trans Am name first appeared as an option package on the first-generation Firebird, but when the second-generation car appeared the Trans Am became a model in its own right.

The Firebird Mk2 was an altogether swoopier-looking machine, and was available with a choice of 6.6-litre (403cu in) V8 motors, one with 335bhp and one with 345bhp.

Early cars featured a prominent ‘bull nose’ front end, as well as the iconic shaker hood scoop. It wasn’t until 1973 that the well-known phoenix logo (colloquially known as the screaming chicken) became big enough to cover the entire bonnet.

Pontiac Trans Am (cont.)

The car was always fairly popular, but in 1977 it was catapulted into the limelight with its starring role in the film Smokey and the Bandit, which was the second-highest earning movie in the US in 1977, behind only a small project with the name… Star Wars.

The black-and-gold colour scheme of the car in Smokey and the Bandit (called the Y82 Special Appearance Package) was actually launched in 1976, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Pontiac, but after the movie appeared it was always known as the ‘Bandit’ paintjob and remained popular until the model was replaced in 1981 with a modern Trans Am that would go on to TV stardom in the show Knight Rider.

15. GMC Vandura Mk3 (1971-’96)

The GMC Vandura, also known as a Chevrolet G-Series van, was a completely redesigned for the third generation, and moved to a front-engined configuration – hence the addition of a front bonnet.

It certainly proved popular with van users, because it stayed on sale for the next quarter of a century. Yes, a full 25 years.

GMC Vandura Mk3 (cont.)

It also proved that vans could be cool, because where most tended to be used by those up to no good on TV shows around the world, the GMC Vandura gained worldwide fame by being the preferred mode of transport of a certain group of soldiers of fortune. 

Yes, the A-Team, if you could find them, normally cruised around in a customised black GMC Vandura.

In reality, the van on the show was powered by a 4.1-litre (250cu in) straight-six and the stunt drivers struggled to make it do the stunts for the show. Indeed, they had to put down liquid even to get it to spin its rear wheels.

16. Buick Grand National GNX (1987)

Buick Regal. Sounds grand, but in reality the big saloon was most famous for being brown and carrying TV cop Kojak in the front passenger seat 1970s – in much the same way as The Sweeney’s bronze Ford Consul transported Detective Jack Regan around the same time.

The Regal was no performance car. Neither was the second-generation model, so in 1982 Buick launched the Grand National, based on the Regal Sport Coupe, to take advantage of its NASCAR participation. However, its 125bhp was rather tame.

Buick Grand National GNX (cont.)

Then the 1984 model got a turbocharged 3.8-litre (232cu in) straight-six that produced 203bhp. Better. It was punchy, and could keep up with similar V8 models.

Then in 1987 came the GNX, which had 276bhp, deep black paint, a large-capacity intercooler and black alloy wheels. It could cover the quarter-mile dash in 12.7 secs, which was on par with the supercars of the day from Italy and Germany. Not to be sniffed at.

All of a sudden, the Buick’s performance was looking decidedly regal.

17. GMC Syclone (1991)

Talk about a one-hit wonder – but what a hit.

The GMC Syclone was, in effect, only on sale for one year, but in that year it humbled even the supercars of the day for acceleration.

And that was on the way back from the hardware store with a load bay full of tools. Well, as long as that load weighed less than 500lb (227kg), because the Syclone couldn’t carry any more than that. It was a truck, but not a great truck.

It was based on the GMC Sonoma pick-up, but was fettled by a company called Production Automotive Services and sold through GMC dealers.

GMC Syclone (cont.)

Under the bonnet lay a turbocharged 280bhp 4.3-litre (262cu in) V6, which powered all four wheels through a four-speed automatic transmission. It could cover the 0-60mph dash in a fraction more than 4 secs, and would travel the quarter-mile in 13.4 secs.

But the Syclone could not only go, it could also stop, because it was the world’s first pick-up with four-wheel anti-lock brakes.

And that was pretty much it. It was great at traffic-light dashes, but paid the price for its bluff shape thereafter. It could haul loads, but not heavy ones. And it could carry only two people.

So while it was a one-hit wonder, it was also a bit of a one-trick pony. But when the timing was right, it was quite the trick.

18. Hummer H1 (1992-2006)

If ever there was a car that defined the term ‘rugged’ the Hummer H1 is that car. It’s a riot of straight lines and 90-degree angles, and looks like the sort of car a designer might have penned for Action Man. When they were 10.

The only curves on the thing are the wheels and the headlights.

Still, if a go-anywhere vehicle is what you desire, then the Hummer H1 can suffice – not for no reason was it the preferred mode of transport for the US Army for many years. Oh, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Hummer H1 (cont.)

Various engines were offered, ranging from the smallest, a 5.7-litre (348cu in) petrol V8, up to a 6.6-litre (403cu in) turbocharged V8 diesel.

It excelled off road, and was claimed to be able to ford water 76cm/30in deep. It was also able to clamber its way up a 56cm/22in step. Indeed, it had a system that positioned the driveshafts higher for extra ground clearance.

19. General Motors EV1 (1996-’99)

Electric cars were all the rage – in 1890. Indeed, until 1900 the land speed record was held by an EV. Okay, it was just 14mph, but still.

London was also awash with electric taxis, nicknamed ‘hummingbirds’ because of the noise they emitted.

But then recharging and range issues, together with the internal-combustion industry getting its ducks in a row, meant fossil-fuelled vehicles took over.

Then, in 1990 General Motors used the LA Auto Show to reveal the Impact, a battery-electric vehicle with a top speed of 183mph.

General Motors EV1 (cont.)

GM had real production intent for the vehicle, and so it went on sale as the EV1 in a lease-only package from 1996-’99.

Evidence of GM’s bullishness was in the fact the car had a GM badge, and not one from the conglomerate’s many sub-brands.

Unfortunately, GM couldn’t make the EV1 profitable and, despite customers’ protests, took most of the cars back at the end of the leasing agreements, before sending the majority to the crusher. Remarkable foresight followed by remarkable short-sightedness. Shame.

20. Cadillac Escalade Mk1 (1999-2000)

By the end of the 1990s, it was clear that the automotive current was flowing in the direction of SUVs.

And not rough-tough off-roaders such as the Jeep Wrangler. No, people wanted the full-on luxury experience while enjoying a lofty driving position and the sort of dimensions and weight that engender a feeling of impregnability and safety.

Given that Ford-owned Lincoln already had an SUV in the shape of the Navigator, Cadillac needed to get in on the game – the Escalade was its entry to the marketplace.

Cadillac Escalade Mk1 (cont.)

The first Escalade was little more than a fettled GMC Yukon Denali with lots of luxury touches such as leather trim, power-adjustable seats, three-zone climate control, keyless entry and Bose audio.

Under the bonnet lay a 5.7-litre (348cu in) V8 petrol engine linked to a four-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel-drive system. It wasn’t until the second-generation Escalade appeared in 2002 that a rear-wheel-drive version was offered.

Buyers lapped it up, to the extent that the Escalade has now entered its fifth iteration.