1864-Ransom E Olds born.
1866-William Durant born.
1890-Olds Gasoline Engine Works established.
1891-Olds builds his first car.
1896-Olds complete his first gas powered car.
1897-Olds Motor Vehicle Company incorporated.
1899-Olds Motor Works incorporated.First factory biult specifically for automobiles,Detroit Automobile Company formed with Henry Ford super intendent.
1900-Detroit Automobile Company goes belly up.
1901-Henry Ford Company for med November 30.Henry Ford given one-sixth share and named chief engineer.Ford leaves after only three months,takes with him the name and $900.
1902-Curved dash Olds wins 100-mile non stop race.Formed Henry Ford Company reorganizes it self as Cadillac.Henry Leland chief engineer.Buick's first car completes 230-mile round-trip test run.
1903-Olds "Pirate" racer is first car to exceed 60 mph first production Cadillac.
1904-R.E.Olds resigns from Oldsmobile.
1905-Two Olds start from New York City to Portland Oregon,in the first transcontinental auto race both finishing the 4000-mile trek.
1907-Henry Leland introduces precision measurement in high volume parts in order to produce interchangeable parts in Cadillac.
1908-General Motors established.Buick,Oldsmobile,Cadillac,Oakland,Carter car and Elmore,together with Reliance and Rapid trucks.Cadillac wins Dewar Trophy for its succes in interchangeable parts.
1910-Cadillac first manufacturer to offer closed bodies as standard equipement.Durant ousted as president.
1911-First success full electric self-starter installed in a Cadillac.Durant incorporates Chevrolet Motor Company.
1914-Cadillac first in U.S. to produce a V8 wather-cooled engine.
1917-Chevrolet V8 introduced
1918-Chevrolet joins General Motors.First Chevrolet truck.
1919-General Motors Accetance Corporation organized GM institute opened a part time training school.
1920-Billy Durant leaves Chevrolet.
1923-Four-wheel brakes appeared on 1924 Buick's Ethyl gazoline developed in GM reaserch laboratories, first sold commercialy.
1924-General Motors Proving Ground established in Milford, Michigan. First GM vehicle assembled abroad (Denmark).
1925-Vauxhall Motors Ltd.acquired by General Motors,Chevrolet's "Stovebolt Six"introduced.
1927-Chevrolet captures top sales in all but four of the next 55 years.Art & Colour Studio Section established.
1929-Adam Opel A.G.Germany acquired by General Motors.
1930-V16 engine introduced.
1931-V12 engine introduced.
1932-Pontiac Motor Division established.
1933-No-Draft Ventilation developped by fisher body introduced on all GM cars.Individual front wheel call Knee Action.
1937-V12 engine production stopped.
1939-Hydra Matic, first completely automatic shift transmission introduced by Detroit Transmission Division on 1940 Oldsmobiles.First turn signal in the automotive developed by Buick.V16 engine production stopped.
1940-25,000,000 th vehicle made by General Motors.
1947-Train of tomorrow featuring the famous Astra Domes started 2 1/2-year tour of the U.S. and Canada.
1948-Cadillac and Oldsmobile introdused first high-compression V8 engines.GM's Holden introduced in Australia.
1952-Power steering offered by Cadillac,Oldsmobile and Buick.
1953-Corvette introduced featuring first molded plastic body to be produced in quantity.
1954-50,000,000 th US made GM vehicle.GM introduced first gas turbine automobile built and tested in U.S.
1955-GM powerama attracted 2,218,412 visitors in its showing on the Chicago lake front.Chevrolet introduces small block V8.
1956-GM technical center dedicated.
1959-Corvair introduced.
1964-GM futurama at New York world's fair attracts 15,681,000.1965 front wheel drive Toronado introduced.
1966-GM announced new energy absorbing steering column as standard on all models. Camaro introduced front wheel drive Eldorado introduced.
Return