GM's first century

It is something to be celebrated when an automotive manufacturer can look back on 100 years of continuous operation. GM's archrival Ford celebrated its centenary back in 2003 and now it's GM's turn to whoop it up.

In 1908, most car companies were operating out of workshops and production line methods were the exception rather than the rule.

GM was never quite that 'backyard', being formed from the amalgamation of already established brands -- Buick, Oldsmobile, Cadillac, and Oakland (later Pontiac) -- under the one umbrella. Chevrolet came later, as did Opel, Vauxhall and Holden in foreign markets.

The corporation is compiling a history from the beginning (and earlier, since it also features information on the founding brands), under the leadership of visionary president, Alfred P. Sloan.

On its website, GMNext.com, the corporation is building a history from 1908 to the present day, relying on personal anecdotes as vignettes to flesh out what could otherwise be a dry-as-dust series of historical articles.

The project is named 'The Generations of GM Wiki' and anyone is welcome to supply information that will add value to the site. To collaborate on the project, visitors to the site are asked to register a valid email address at www.gmnext.com and navigate to the 'Wiki' tab at the top of the page. This will allow submissions of text, images, video to be posted, provided they pass scrutiny by the site's moderators.

"We welcome everyone to share their stories and build a rich and continuously evolving history of GM’s people and products", said Steve Harris, Vice President of GM Communications.

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