GMC has grown to become one of General Motors’ shining stars. In a market clamoring for pickup trucks and crossovers, GMC has an answer with premium intentions to boot. But, have you ever wondered what “GMC” actually stands for? Or where the truck brand came from?
The Detroit Free Press put together a handful of fun facts about the brand and you may even be surprised to learn GMC built electric trucks in its infancy.
GMC was first founded by the Grabowsky brothers in Detroit in 1902. Though, GMC, as we know it today, was comprised of two companies:  Rapid Motor Vehicle Co. and Reliance Motor Co. The former built delivery trucks, while the latter company built both cars and trucks. General Motors purchased both companies and renamed it one unit: General Motors Truck Company in 1909. The “GMC” logo was first used in 1911 and the company formally become GMC in 1913.
In the beginning, GMC wasn’t powered by fossil fuels, either. In 1912, GMC built electric trucks powered by batteries. They could haul 1,000 pounds to 6 tons. In 1931, the company began using Detroit Diesel engines. That same year, Chevrolet and GMC’s overlap took place. For decades, GMC vehicles would be virtually identical to Chevrolet models until recently. GMC has been positioned as upmarket from Chevrolet pickups and SUVs.
Speaking of present day and GMC’s premium push, 29.9 percent of GMC sales are of Denali sub-brand vehicles. Even more fascinating: 60 percent of all Yukon and Yukon XLs sold are Denalis. To this day, GMC is GM’s third-largest brand globally, behind Chevrolet and Buick. It’s GM’s second-largest brand by sales volume in the United States.
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GMC had their own gasoline engines up until 1968 when small block Chevy’s were used. GMC trucks had a line of BIG V6 gas engines, where as Chevrolet’s biggest gas engine was the 292 up until the 366/427 big block was used in both Chevrolet and GMC
My brother had a 1965 GMC with a 305 V6, Years later I had a ’72 C10 that came with the 307 V8 w/4spd. granny 1st gear. it was a crawler, you could side step the clutch (idling) in first (granny) and it would just lunge forward and keep rolling.
I thought everyone knew that GMC stands for God’s Mechanical Curse. Just so everyone knows I’m only kidding.
It stands for General Motors Company? Gee, I thought it was:
Geostationary Meerkat Cuddles.
Get Mom’s Car
General Mossadegh’s Coup (That’s one for our CIA friends)
Galloping Monster Cans
Sacramento’s Geographic Managed Care
Gay Men Carousing
Giggling Midwife Cannibalism
Giant Military Calamity
If you mean Galloping Monster Cans on the mainly male drivers, erhm, no thanks! LOL.
No, you got it wrong, it’s Gotta Mechanic Coming.
To bad they now build their GMC Terrain in Mexico…those who say what’s the difference at least in Canada where they build the twin ‘Equinox’ they pay their workers a fair wage, Union benefits & they trade fair with USA. This Mexico deal is corporate greed.
The union at the Nox factory in Canada has gone on strike over wage & benefits!
“Unifor leaders were working to secure new investment at the CAMI plant amid Terrain production relocating, and also brought forth shop floor issues,
and wage and benefit improvements to the table. After the layoffs, the CAMI plant employs about 2,450 workers.”
Improving “wage & benefits” are not the primary objective of these negotiations.
It is about saving jobs and hopefully adding new / increasing production at the plant(s).
Read more: http://gmauthority.com/blog/2017/09/general-motors-canada-employees-strike-at-cami-plant-responsible-for-2018-chevrolet-equinox-production/#ixzz4t3gyaJjf
I don’t think you understand the vastly different economies.
They pay more in Canada because it’s a hell of a lot higher cost of living than Mexico. It’s all proportional. If the wage was that crappy in the Mexican plant, why would they work there?
Their average pay at the plants is $8.24 an HOUR with benefits. Minimum wage is roughly $3.94 a DAY in Mexico. That seems like good pay to me.
How many hours a day do they work in Mexico. Is That eight hour 10 hour or 12 hour day? $8.24 an hour at GM is that a union job?
GMC with Terrain and Buick with Envision are making really fat margins for the General.
Long term, GM is headed for overcapacity during the next downturn with Mexican and Indian plants. This mirrors what happened with Opel with Poland and low wage Spain.
Plants running at capacity, even with high labor costs, tend to turn a profit.
I supported the bailout for the American, not Mexican, worker.
Both Mexico and the U.S are “American”, or part of the Americas.
No one really says “American” without referring to the US though. If someone calls a Canadian or a Mexican an American, it’s an insult.
I think that would actually be a complement.
Lol, no.
As a Canadian, it’s insulting.
We don’t want you you hosers either eh!
Don’t get me started on the snow backs that run across Lake Erie Ice in the winter to come steal our jobs. Lol!
In Mexico they do pay less but their cost of living is much lower.
Some one making $35k in Mexico are able to live well. But in Canada the wages and social programs have driven the cost of living to where a average house in Toronto can cost $750,000 to over a million dollars.
Just raising wages will never get people ahead. If you want to get ahead you need to reach out and improve you life, educaton and line of work.
There are no free rides to the top. Many think it is always easy but many who made it payed a lot of dues working seven day weeks, going through 3 divorces and moving around the world to where. Ever they were sent.
The union promise more wages that in turn raise prices and then toss on the generous social programs taxes go up and then you find you are right back where you started.
Today we have more millionaires than ever but being a millionaire only makes you middle class anymore.
GMC also had big V6 diesel motors for the bigger medium and Heavy Duty trucks
Fascinating facts and history!
Garage Mechanics Companion
Got Muddy Car
Lol. Truth hurts…..the butthurt down voters don’t clean their GMCs. 🙂
The 305 V5 was a monster engine and while it was nice to have their own engine it was a bit HP heavy in a half ton. It made a great Mid size truck engine.
GMC took the 305 and put two of them together for the semi trucks and made a 610 v12. Street rod guys are on a he look for these rare engines.
It’s my understanding that GMC Sierra trucks have a higher purchase and resale value than Silverado trucks because of the perception of it being a better truck!
Profession grade….right?
New England Patriots professional or New York Jets professional?
Not “better” but “fancier”. GMC wants to be uplevel from Chevrolet with the shinier trinkets with the same running gear.
Not really.
It has higher resale due to a higher price.
Better trim options like in the Canyon with a stitched padded dash, real aluminum trim. Heated wheel, vented sears etc.
Also better marketing that created the Denali image. People know the Denali cost more so it has a little more statusvyo it’s image for he owner. That is just the thing Cadillac is fighting for but it takes time and improved product to pull it off.
GMCis the one division that GM got it nearly right.
Really.
Better trim options like in the Canyon with a stitched padded dash, real aluminum trim. Heated wheel, vented sears etc.
Shinier trinkets, a little glitz and gloss.
Where it counts you get the same engine, transmission, running gear as the Chevrolet.
Like my biker nephew would say “chrome don’t get you home”.