In 2013, General Motors made the decision to withdraw Chevrolet from the mainstream European market, and shortly thereafter, the automaker did the same in Russia, a region historically connected to its European sales. Nevertheless, GM has always left the door open to the possibility of returning to the European market with a more robust Chevrolet lineup at some point in the future. Now, a recent trademark filing seems to point to GM’s possible future plans for the continent.
GM Authority recently uncovered a GM trademark filing made for the Chevy Spark with the AGEPI, the intellectual property office of the Republic of Moldova. The filing, made on May 31st, 2024, covers “motorized land vehicles, namely automobiles” (translated from Romanian). While Moldova is a small country on Europe’s eastern edge, its cultural and historical ties to Russia, including the fact that a small portion of its population speaks Russian, add an interesting dimension to this filing.
The compact and affordable Chevy Spark was discontinued in most global markets years ago, as well as the United States, with production ending after the 2022 model year. Which begs the question – why would GM file to trademark the Spark, and in Moldova no less? As a relatively minor market, Moldova wouldn’t typically be the first place to launch a major automotive brand initiative, especially with a model that’s no longer in production. However, with Moldova’s recent political leanings toward the European Union and its cultural connections to the former CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries, this trademark filing may signify more than just a brand placeholder.
Currently, the only Chevrolet model officially available in Europe is the C8 Corvette, available in Stingray and Z06 trims. However, these performance-oriented models are a far cry from the affordable and practical Spark, and the recent filing raises questions about whether GM may be testing the waters for a broader return to Europe for the Chevrolet brand.
Only time will tell if GM is serious about returning to the mainstream European market with the Chevrolet brand, or if this filing is simply a legal formality. Either way, it’s a move worth watching. Stay tuned.
Comments
Well, it’s assumed that they registered their trademark just for protection. GM’s strategy to re-enter Europe revolves around the Cadillac brand, so they won’t consider selling Chevy in Europe…
And if they’re thinking of reintroducing Chevy cars to Europe, using the Matiz(Daewoo) trademark would do better than Spark. Sadly, Chevy cars are still more recognized in Europe under the Daewoo brand.
GM relying on Cadillac to conquer Europe, in a sea of BMWs, Benzes and Audis is the dumbest thing I’ve almost ever heard (stupidity is a national epidemic these days).
Don’t be so hard on yourself beta.
@Den If protecting the trademark is the goal, why the Spark, of all things? Why not a different nameplate, and why now? There are many things that aren’t lining up with the “protecting the trademark” theory.
My sister wants a new Spark and I sadly had to tell her the bad news.
I do hope that GM gets back into Europe. How can a brand be acknowledged as a car brand if it is mainly a US brand? Internationalize! Caddy – are you kidding me? Go in with a good bread-and-butter car that many people will hopefully purchase. (I like the looks of the pictured spark!)
Lets become really international again!
At least GM Daewoo doing very well in Europe.