The Back End: June 2009

A LOOK BACK

GM and Chrysler

1955 Dodge La Femme and 1959 Cadillac convertible (above)

1932 Buick hood ornament (above) and GM E-Flex fuel cell (below)

1903 one-cylinder engine used in early Cadillacs

1965 Chevrolet Corvair, which was panned by Ralph Nader in his book Unsafe at Any Speed

1969 Dodge Charger

1960s Chrysler ad campaign

GM founder William C. “Billy” Durant

Walter P. Chrysler, with a 1924 Chrysler Six

The Dodge brothers

Dealer’s Day in Court Act

Saturn, Saab become part of GM lineup.

1962 Plymouth Fury

2004 Oldsmobile Alero

1895: Auto registrations in the United States: 4.

1897: Oldsmobile begins.

1908–1909: GM begins, incorporating Buick, Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Elmore, Oakland (later, Pontiac), and others.

1918: GM buys Chevrolet.

1920: New-car sales: 1.9 million units per year.

1924: First Chrysler introduced.

1927: New-car dealerships: 53,125.

1928: Chrysler buys Dodge, introduces Plymouth and DeSoto.

1929: New-car sales: 4.45 million units.

1949: New-car dealerships: 49,173.

1950: New-car sales: 6.5 million units.

1956: Dealer’s Day in Court Act helps spur state laws to strengthen dealer franchise agreements.

1968: Auto registrations: 100 million.

1971: New-car dealerships: 30,300.

1979: New-car sales: 10.7 million units.

1983: Chrysler repays $1.5 billion federal loan early.

1985: Saturn Corp. begins.

1986: New-car dealerships: 24,825.

1987: Chrysler buys American Motors, including Jeep.

1989: GM acquires Saab.

1995: New-car sales: 14.8 million units.

1998: Daimler “merges” with Chrysler; GM buys Hummer.

2000: New-car sales: 17.4 million units.

2001: Plymouth discontinued.

2004: Last Oldsmobile built.

2006: Auto registrations: 244 million units.

2007: Daimler sells Chrysler to Cerberus Capital Management.

2008: New-car sales: 13.2 million units.

2009: New-car dealerships: 20,010 as of January 1. Chrysler plans to cut 789 dealers. GM sheds Saab, Saturn, Hummer, and Pontiac brands, and plans to cut some 1,100 dealers.