Chevrolet[a] is anAmerican automobile division of the manufacturerGeneral Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, fromsubcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the prominence and name recognition of Chevrolet as one of General Motors' global marques, "Chevrolet" or its affectionate nicknameChevy[b] is used at times as a synonym for General Motors or its products, one example being theGM LS1 engine, commonly known by the name or a variant thereof of its progenitor, theChevrolet small-block engine.
Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941),Arthur Chevrolet (1884–1946) and oustedGeneral Motors founderWilliam C. Durant (1861–1947) started the company on November 3, 1911[2] as the Chevrolet Motor Car Company. Durant used the Chevrolet Motor Car Company to acquire a controlling stake in General Motors with areverse merger occurring on May 2, 1918, and propelled himself back to the GM presidency. After Durant's second ousting in 1919,Alfred Sloan, with hismaxim "a car for every purse and purpose", picked the Chevrolet brand to become the volume leader in the General Motors family, selling mainstream vehicles to compete withHenry Ford'sModel T in 1919 and overtakingFord as the best-selling car in the United States by 1929 with theChevrolet International.[3]
Chevrolet-branded vehicles are sold in most automotive markets worldwide. InOceania, Chevrolet was represented byHolden Special Vehicles (HSV), having returned to the region in 2018 after a 50-year absence with the launching of theCamaro andSilverado pickup truck (HSV was partially and formerly owned by GM subsidiaryHolden, which GM retired in 2021). In 2021,General Motors Specialty Vehicles took over the distribution and sales of Chevrolet vehicles in Oceania, starting with the Silverado. In 2005,Chevrolet was relaunched in Europe, primarily selling vehicles built byGM Daewoo of South Korea with the tagline "Daewoo has grown up enough to become Chevrolet", a move rooted in General Motors' attempt to build a global brand around Chevrolet. With the reintroduction of Chevrolet to Europe, GM intended Chevrolet to be a mainstream value brand, while GM's traditional European standard-bearers,Opel ofGermany andVauxhall of theUnited Kingdom, were to be moved upmarket.[4] However, GM reversed this move in late 2013, announcing that the brand would be withdrawn from Europe from 2016 onward, with the exception of theCamaro andCorvette.[5] Chevrolet vehicles were to continue to be marketed in theCIS states, includingRussia. After General Motors fully acquired GMDaewoo in 2011 to createGM Korea, the last usage of the Daewoo automotive brand was discontinued in its nativeSouth Korea and succeeded by Chevrolet.
History
On November 8, 1911, the Chevrolet Motor Car Company was incorporated.[6] It was founded by Swiss race car driver and automotive engineerLouis Chevrolet with his brotherArthur Chevrolet,William C. Durant and investment partners William Little (maker of theLittle automobile), formerBuick ownerJames H. Whiting,[7] Edwin R. Campbell (son-in-law of Durant) and in 1912R. S. McLaughlin CEO of General Motors inCanada. Former Buick officers were also employed, including Curtis R. Hatheway as secretary.[6]
Durant was dismissed from his senior management position at General Motors in 1910, a company that he had founded in 1908.[8] In 1904 he had taken over theFlint Wagon Works andBuick Motor Company of Flint, Michigan. He also incorporated the Mason and Little companies. As head ofBuick, Durant had hired Louis Chevrolet to drive Buicks in promotional races.[9] Durant planned to use Chevrolet's reputation as a racer as the foundation for his new automobile company. The first factory location was inFlint, Michigan at the corner of Wilcox and Kearsley Street, now known as "Chevy Commons" at coordinates43°00′31″N83°42′36″W / 43.00863°N 83.70991°W /43.00863; -83.70991 (Chevy Commons), along the Flint River, across the street fromKettering University.
One of the technical advancements Chevrolet benefited from was the implementation of anoverhead valve engine from the very beginning, as the company was developed by the former owner ofBuick, which had patented the overhead valve and cross-flow cylinder design as being more efficient than the conventional use of theflathead engine.
Actual design work for the first Chevy, the costlySeries C Classic Six, was drawn up by Etienne Planche, following instructions from Louis. The first C prototype was ready months before Chevrolet was actually incorporated. However, the first actual production was not until the 1913 model. So in essence there were no 1911 or 1912 production models, only one pre-production model was made and fine tuned throughout the early part of 1912. Then in the fall of that year the new 1913 model was introduced at theNew York auto show.
Chevrolet first used the "bowtie emblem"[10] logo in 1914 on the H series models (Royal Mail and Baby Grand) and The L Series Model (Light Six). It may have been designed from wallpaper Durant once saw in a French hotel room.[11] More recent research by historian Ken Kaufmann presents a case that the logo is based on a logo of the "Coalettes" coal company.[12][13] An example of this logo as it appeared in an advertisement for Coalettes appeared in the Atlanta Constitution on November 12, 1911.[14] Others claim that the design was a stylizedSwiss cross, in tribute to Chevrolet's home country.[15] Over time, Chevrolet used several different iterations of the bowtie logo at the same time, often using blue for passenger cars, gold for trucks, and an outline (often in red) for cars that had performance packages. Chevrolet eventually unified all vehicle models with the gold bowtie in 2004, for both brand cohesion as well as to differentiate itself fromFord (with its blue oval logo) andDodge (who has often used red for its imaging), its two primary domestic rivals.[16]
1929 Chevrolet Firebrigade, Porto
Louis Chevrolet had differences with Durant over design and in 1914 sold Durant his share in the company. By 1916, Chevrolet was profitable enough with successful sales of the cheaperSeries 490 to allow Durant to repurchase a controlling interest inGeneral Motors. After the deal was completed in 1918,[17] Durant became president of General Motors, and Chevrolet was merged into GM as a separate division. In 1919, Chevrolet's factories were located atFlint, Michigan; branch assembly locations were sited inTarrytown, N.Y.,Norwood, Ohio,St. Louis, Missouri,Oakland, California,Ft. Worth, Texas, andOshawa, Ontario General Motors of Canada Limited. McLaughlin's were given GM Corporation stock for the proprietorship of their Company article September 23, 1933 Financial Post page 9.[18] In the 1918 model year, Chevrolet introduced theSeries D, aV8-powered model in four-passengerroadster and five-passengertourer models. Sales were poor and it was dropped in 1919.
Beginning also in 1919,GMC commercial grade trucks were rebranded as Chevrolet, and using the same chassis of Chevrolet passenger cars and building light-duty trucks, sharing an almost identical appearance with GMC products. Until 1921, Chevrolet Corporate headquarters were located at 57th and Broadway in New York City until April when the office was relocated to the General Motors Building atCadillac Place in Detroit.[19] In January 1921 a General Motors management survey recommended that the Chevrolet Division be cancelled, butAlfred P. Sloan Jr. recommended that the division be saved andWilliam S. Knudsen, a former Ford employee who oversaw production of the Model T,[19] was made Vice President of Operations and performance improved[19] In May 1925 the Chevrolet Export Boxing plant atBloomfield, New Jersey was repurposed from a previous owner whereKnock-down kits for Chevrolet, Oakland, Oldsmobile, Buick and Cadillac passenger cars, and both Chevrolet and G. M. C. truck parts are crated and shipped by railroad to the docks atWeehawken, New Jersey for overseas GM assembly factories.[19]
Chevrolet continued into the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s competing with Ford, and after theChrysler Corporation formedPlymouth in 1928, Plymouth, Ford, and Chevrolet were known as the "Low-priced three".[20] In 1929 they introduced the famous "Stovebolt" overhead-valve inline six-cylinder engine, giving Chevrolet a marketing edge over Ford, which was still offering a lone flathead four ("A Six at the price of a Four"). In 1933 Chevrolet launched theStandard Six, which was advertised in the United States as the cheapest six-cylinder car on sale.[21] During theGreat Depression theChevrolet Master introduced a streamlined appearance, showingArt Deco influences and before and after the World War II era, theChevrolet Deluxe andChevrolet Fleetline found many buyers.
Chevrolet had a great influence on the American automobile market during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1953 it produced theCorvette, a two-seater sports car with a fiberglass body. In 1957 Chevy introduced its first fuel injected engine,[22] theRochester Ramjet option on Corvette andChevrolet Bel Air passenger cars, priced at $484 ($5,419 today).[23] In 1960 Chevrolet joined the newly popular "compact car" market by introducing theCorvair, with a rear-mounted air-cooled engine. In 1963 one out of every ten cars sold in the United States was a Chevrolet.[24]
During the 1960s and early 1970s, the standard Chevrolet, particularly the deluxeChevrolet Impala series, became one of the United States' best-selling lines of automobiles in history. During that era, the mid-sizedChevrolet Chevelle which was used to introduce theChevrolet Monte Carlo, and the economically pricedChevrolet Nova, which was the basis for theChevrolet Camaro, all were commercially successful and included family sedans, practical station wagons, and sporty coupes and convertibles. As the popularity of small, fuel efficient imported vehicles began to find buyers in the US during the 1970s and 1980s, theChevrolet Vega was introduced while theChevrolet Chevette was the result of international collaboration. By the mid-1980s, the Vega was gone and the Chevette was about to be discontinued.
The basicChevrolet small-block V8 design has remained in continuous production since its debut in 1955, longer than any other mass-produced engine in the world, although current versions share few if any parts interchangeable with the original.[citation needed] Descendants of the basic small-block OHV V8 design platform in production today have been much modified with advances such as aluminium block and heads, electronic engine management, and sequential port fuel injection. Depending on the vehicle type, Chevrolet V8s are built in displacements from 4.3 to 9.4 litres with outputs ranging from 111 horsepower (83 kW) to 994 horsepower (741 kW) as installed at the factory. The engine design has also been used over the years in GM products built and sold under thePontiac,Oldsmobile,Buick,Hummer,Opel (Germany), andHolden (Australia) nameplates.
In 2000, Chevrolet brought back the iconicImpala, although unlike its predecessors, this car was a mid-sized front-wheel drive four door sedan. It was produced until 2020, and the last generation (2014-2020) was larger and classified as a full-size passenger car. In 2005,General Motors re-launched the Chevrolet marque inEurope, using rebadged versions of theDaewoo cars produced by GMKorea.[25]
The Chevrolet division largely recovered from the economic downturn of 2007–2010 through launching new vehicles and improving existing lines.GM began developing more fuel efficient cars and trucks to compete with foreignautomakers. In late 2010 General Motors began production of theplug-in hybridChevrolet Volt, sold as theOpel/Vauxhall Ampera inEurope,[26] which received multiple awards including the 2012North American Car of the Year,European Car of the Year, andWorld Green Car of the Year. The Volt/Ampera family was the world's best sellingplug-in electric car in 2012 with 31,400 units sold.[27] TheOpel/Vauxhall Ampera wasEurope's top selling plug-in electric car in 2012 with 5,268 units, representing a market share of 21.5% of the region's plug-in electric passenger car segment.[28][29] Combined global Volt/Ampera sales passed the 100,000 unit milestone in October 2015.[30] As of June 2016[update], the Volt family of vehicles ranks as the world's all-time top selling plug-in hybrid, and it is also the third-best-selling plug-in electric car ever, after theNissan Leaf and theTesla Model S.[31] Volt sales in the American market passed the 100,000 milestone in July 2016.[32]
As of 2010[update] Chevrolet had operations in over 140 countries, and global sales in 2011 set a record with 4.76 million vehicles sold worldwide.[39]
Mexico has a mix of Chevrolet models from different GM brands and platforms branded as Chevrolet. The models come from Chevrolet USA, GM Korea, Mexico and other origins.Examples of Opel-sourced vehicles are Vectra, Astra, Corsa, Meriva, Zafira and Captiva (Opel Antara). Mexico also has some cars of its own, such as theChevy C2, which is a reworked older-generation Corsa B. Vehicles based on US platforms are the Avalanche, the Suburban, the Equinox, the Tahoe, the Cheyenne (which is similar to the Silverado), the Aveo, the HHR, the Traverse, the Malibu, the Camaro and the Corvette. TheChevrolet Optra, assembled in South Korea by GM Korea, was also sold in Mexico. The second-generation Epica was sold as a business-only vehicle. In the past, GM also assembled theSuburban andAvalanche in Mexico for export to other markets, chiefly the U.S. and Canada.[citation needed]
Asia
China
In 2009 China became Chevrolet's third-largest market, with sales of 332,774 vehicles, behind only the United States and Brazil (1,344,629 and 595,500 vehicles respectively).[43] By 2010, Chevy sold just over half a million, with the Cruze being its best seller there.[44] A total of 673,376 locally-manufactured Chevrolets were sold in China in 2018 (down from a record of 767,001 in 2014).In 2018, Chevrolet held just 2.90% share of the Chinese market (down from a record market share of 5.33% in 2012).[45]
The best-selling Chevrolet models in China by 2019 were the Cavalier (~ 10 000 units per month). Malibu (~ 3500 units per month), Equinox (~ 2000 units per month), Cruze - at one time the best-selling model (~ 1500 units per month), Sail (~ 1200 units per month), new Orlando (~ 1000 units per month), Malibu XL (~ 800 units per month), Trax (~ 100 units per month), Lova RV (~ 100 units per month), representing just 9 of the staggering total of 628 (sic) models of passenger cars being produced in China by February 2019.[46]
Until 2003, GM India—originally a joint venture withHindustan Motors, sold theOpel Corsa,Opel Astra and theOpel Vectra. Launched by GM's India operations, Chevrolet officially began business in India on June 6, 2003. The Corsa and Astra were built at a plant inHalol, Gujarat.
In 1999, Opel was rebranded to Chevrolet as a coincidence of Chevy's entry toIndonesia. Chevrolet stopped selling cars and ceased production in Indonesia by the end of March 2020.[47]
Japan
From 1995 to 2000Toyota in an agreement with GM sold the third-generation model Chevrolet Cavalier as theToyota Cavalier in Japan in exchange for theGeo/Chevrolet Prism in an effort to avoid additional restrictions on their exports to the US. The OHVChevrolet Stovebolt engine was used and reverse-engineered by Toyota when they created theToyota Type A engine when GM had a factory manufacturing GM cars in Japan atOsaka Assembly during the 1920s. In the mid-2000s, Suzuki imported and marketed theChevrolet TrailBlazer and theChevrolet Optra wagon in Japan. Suzuki, a GM partner, also assembled and marketed the Chevrolet MW microvan. The MW was originally a rebadged Suzuki Wagon R+ and later a rebadged Suzuki Solio. Suzuki had also marketed theChevrolet Cruze subcompact in the past.
Previously, it had also marketed the Starcraft versions of theG-Van andChevrolet TrailBlazer. Mitsui Bussan Automotive had been importing and distributing certain GM models since 1992, but will cease their GM import business in November 2011, as GM Japan wants to consolidate the distribution channels. The Chevrolet models that have been imported by Mitsui will no longer be sold once existing inventories are depleted. As of 2022, General Motors Japan imports and distributes the Camaro and right-hand-drive Corvette in Japan.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan-based Allure Group of Companies and Uzbekistan-basedUzAuto Motors opened an assembly plant for the manufacture of Chevrolet-branded cars in March 2020, in the city ofKostanay. As of 2024, the vehicles are assembled fromsemi-knocked-down orcomplete-knocked-down kits. Assembly of the Chevrolet Onix fromcomplete knock-down kits commenced at the plant in March 2024. A separate dealer inAlmaty, authorized by GM, imports and sells the Tahoe and Traverse.[48]
Kyrgyzstan
Uzbekistan-basedUzAuto Motors and Kyrgyz supplier DT Technikis are opening an assembly plant near Bishkek in the summer of 2024. Components will initially be imported from Uzbekistan, with plans to build components independently in the coming years. The plant will assemble Chevrolet and Isuzu vehicles. The Chevrolet brand has been licensed from GM. The plant will assemble 10,000 cars fromsemi-knocked-down kits within the first twenty months, with increased production expected. The Chevrolet Cobalt compact sedan will be the first Chevrolet-branded vehicle to be assembled at the plant, with plans to expand to many other models in the coming years.[49]
In 2018, Naza Quest Sdn Bhd ceased to distribute new Chevrolet vehicles in Malaysia, but continues to provide warranty support and aftersales service for existing Chevrolet customers.[51]
Middle East
In the Middle East, Chevrolet-badged cars, trucks, SUVs, and crossovers are sourced from GM Korea (in South Korea) and GM in North America. Formerly, some models were sourced from GM Holden in Australia. The Middle Eastern market has a separate division calledChevrolet Special Vehicles, which (as of December 2007) sourced the high-performance 400 bhp (300 kW) CR8 sedan fromHolden Special Vehicles. TheHolden Commodore was badged as the Chevrolet Lumina in the Middle East, as well as South Africa. The longer wheelbaseHolden Caprice was sold as theChevrolet Caprice in the Middle East. The Middle East fleet (particularly Saudi Arabia) includes the likes of the Groove, Captiva, Blazer, Tahoe, and Traverse in the SUV/crossover category, and the Silverado in the truck category.[52] Previously, the Cruze, Malibu, Sonic, and Avalanche, among other models, were offered in the Middle East.
GM withdrew from the Philippines in 1985 and returned in 2000. During Chevrolet's absence in the market, many cars like theChevrolet Suburban and theChevrolet Astro have been imported new in the country via grey-market and sold to retailers.
In 2018, the Corvette was added to the roster, making it the most expensive vehicle in the lineup. It is legally imported, as the government has seized and destroyed expensive vehicles that were bought into the country illegally.[56] In 2019, the Camaro returned to the Philippines with a 2.0-liter turbo engine at 275 hp and 398Nm to compete with the Ford Mustang[57] ever since it was introduced in 2010.[58]
South Korea
Many global-market Chevrolet vehicles are designed and manufactured byGM Korea of South Korea, but they had been sold under theDaewoo Motors brand in South Korea until February 2011. The Daewoo brand was fully replaced by Chevrolet in March 2011. All Daewoo products relaunched under the Chevrolet brand, with the release of theChevrolet Camaro,Chevrolet Orlando andChevrolet Aveo. In 2015, the Impala was added to the lineup as Chevrolet began importing the American-built sedan to South Korea for the first time.[59] In 2018, Gunsan plant was shut down on May 31 and VIDAMCO plant inHanoi,Vietnam was sold by Vinfast in June.[citation needed]Chevrolet Cruze andChevrolet Orlando was discontinued on May 31. AlsoChevrolet Captiva discontinued in July 2018. Their best-selling vehicle isChevrolet Spark andChevrolet Malibu.[citation needed]
General Motors is currently exploring cost-cutting options as part of its restructuring plan. One of these options involves expanding the Rayong, Thailand plant to add additional capacity to export Colorados to the US. This would allow the Shreveport, Louisiana plant to be closed (where the Colorado is also produced). This scenario is plausible only if a free-trade agreement is signed between the U.S. and Thailand, as the Americantariff on imported pickup trucks from non-FTA countries is currently 25%. TheUnited Auto Workers is the most vocal opponent to a change in the tariff structure.
In addition to the Colorado pickup trucks, General Motors began assembling Chevrolet Captiva sport utility vehicle in its Rayong plant during June 2007. The Thai-assembled Captiva is based on THETA platform under the program code C100. Also produced at the General Motors' Rayong plant are the Chevrolet Aveo (launched in September 2009 under the platform T100) and Chevrolet Cruze (launched in November 2010 under the platform GLOBAL DELTA).
Chevrolet stopped selling its vehicles throughout Thailand in 2020, and sold the Rayong plant to Great Wall.[61] Aftermarket sales, repairs and warranties will be honored for its Thai customers through authorized shops.[61]
Uzbekistan
UzAuto Motors (formerly GM Uzbekistan and Uz-DaewooAuto) is an automotive manufacturer owned by the Government of Uzbekistan. It is based inAsaka, Uzbekistan. It manufactures vehicles under the marques Chevrolet and Ravon, for domestic sales and export. GM Uzbekistan was partly owned (25%) by General Motors and, in 2019, it was acquired by the Government of Uzbekistan and renamed UzAuto Motors.
General Motors Uzbekistan, orGM Uzbekistan, became the new name ofUz-Daewoo Auto in March 2008 as part of a new joint venture owned by Uzavtosanoat JSC (75%) and General Motors Corporation (25%) with a factory inAsaka producing a variety of Chevrolet models.[62] In the 2010s, the Damas (N150), Matiz (M150), Nexia (N150), Spark (M300), Epica, Malibu, and Captiva were assembled at the plant.
Australia
Even though the Australian market of today mainly consists of Australia's own automotive companies alongside European and Asian automobile brands, Australia once had its fair share of American cars as well.
Bodies for the local assembly of Chevrolets were built in Australia as early as 1918[63]: 11 and by 1926 the newly created General Motors (Australia) Pty Ltd had established assembly plants in five Australian states to produce Chevrolet and other GM vehicles using bodies supplied byHolden Motor Body Builders.[64]
The merger of General Motors (Australia) Pty Ltd with the troubled Holden Motor Body Builders in 1931 saw the creation ofGeneral Motors-Holden[65] and the ongoing production of various GM products including Chevrolet. GMH departed from traditional US body styles with the release of the ChevroletCoupe Utility in 1934[63]: 4 and the Chevrolet "Sloper" Coupe in 1935.[63]: 5 Post-war production recommenced in 1946.[66] From 1949 Australian Chevrolets were to be locally assembled from components imported from Chevrolet in Canada although local production of the Coupe Utility body continued until 1952.[67] 1968 was the last full year of Chevrolet assembly in Australia.[68]
Classic Chevrolet models such asBel Air, Biscayne,Impala etc., are still found in many states around Australia. From the early 1970s to the early 1980s the Chevrolet name was also used on various light commercials in Australia. These ranged from the LUV (a rebadged Isuzu KB) to the third-generation C-series trucks. From 1998 to 2001 theChevrolet Suburban was sold in Australia as the Holden Suburban, which is expected to return under the Chevrolet badge with the twelfth generation models.
Chevrolet and Holden share a number of models and model names including Malibu, Caprice, Colorado, Volt, Spark/Barina Spark, Sonic/Barina, Cruze, Equinox, and VF Commodore/Chevrolet SS. TheHolden Commodore (VF) was exported from Australia to the United States as theChevrolet SS until Holden ended production in May 2017 during its transition to a distribution platform of vehicles that are sourced from GM's American and international plants that is expected to badge as Holden vehicles.[69]
In 2018, the Chevrolet brand returned to Australia and New Zealand with the launch of the Camaro 2SS Coupe and the Silverado 2500HD/3500HD. These vehicles retained the Chevrolet badge and nameplate, and converted to RHD in Australia. In addition to the relaunch,Holden Special Vehicles added the Camaro and Silverado to their performance lineup.[70]
With the Holden brand retired in 2021, GM continues to export Chevrolet models to the region under the "General Motors Specialty Vehicles" network, in order to expand more American models in that region.[71] The imported Silverado pickup trucks are re-manufactured as right-hand-drive vehicles in Australia before distribution. Chevrolet is also looking at making the Camaro part of the V8 Supercar Series in 2023, where it would succeed the Holden ZB Commodore after its contracts with both Holden and the teams involved with the series expire in 2022.[72]
In Australia and New Zealand Chevrolets are often called Chevs as well as Chevys.
Chevrolet Firenza CanAm 302, South African homologation special
In South Africa, Chevrolet was GM's main brand name until 1982, with a number ofVauxhall Motors andHolden derivatives being built under the Chevy name from 1965. In the 1970s, the advertising jingle"braaivleis, rugby, sunny skies and Chevrolet"[73] (adapted from the US "Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pies and Chevrolet") came to epitomise the ideal lifestyle of white male South Africans.Holden in Australia used the jingle "Football, Meat Pies, Kangaroos and Holden cars". Originally, Chevrolets wereCKD kits of US models assembled in their plant inPort Elizabeth. However, since South Africa was right-hand drive and the US was left-hand drive, along with encouragement by the South African government to use local content, Chevrolets such as theBiscayne were eventually made entirely in South Africa, along with GM's "own car for South Africa": theRanger.
By the 1970s, larger South African Chevrolets were based on AustralianGeneral Motors-Holden's models, the Kommando being based on theHolden Kingswood[74] and theConstantia on theStatesman,[75] while the smaller Firenza was based on theVauxhall Viva. TheChevrolet Nomad sold in South Africa was entirely different from the Nomad sold in the US; whereas the American Nomad was originally conceived as astation wagon version of the Corvette and eventually became the station wagon version of the Bel Air, the South African Nomad was an SUV of truck proportions before SUVs were popular. Due to local content laws the cars usually received different engines than in their home markets.
However, these were replaced byOpel models like theRekord,Commodore, andSenator, and in 1982 the Chevrolet brand name was dropped in favour of Opel. Because of the political climate at the time, GM decided to divest from South Africa in 1986, and a local group eventually bought out GM's South African operations (including the Port Elizabeth plant) and renamed the companyDelta Motor Corporation, which concentrated on Opels, Isuzus, and Suzukis, built under licence.[citation needed]
However, thanks to an improved political climate in the 1990s, GM decided to reenter South Africa, eventually buying out the whole of Delta. In 2001, the Chevrolet name made a comeback, used on theLumina, a rebadgedHolden Commodore, and later on, on the Daewoo range of cars. Current Chevrolets (2013) include the Spark Lite (a rebadgedDaewoo Matiz), Spark (a third-generation Matiz based on the 2007 Chevrolet Beat),Aveo Sedan and Hatch, the Sonic Sedan and Hatch (the second generationAveo), Cruze Sedan and Hatch (underpinned by the front-wheel drive GM Delta II platform), the Lumina Sedan (including theUte model), the Chevrolet Orlando (a five-door, seven-seat compact MPV manufactured by GM Korea under the Chevrolet division for worldwide markets), the Chevrolet Captiva a mid-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) developed by GM Daewoo (now GM Korea) the South Korean subsidiary of General Motors (GM) and sold under the Chevrolet brand, the Chevrolet TrailBlazer (a mid-size sport utility vehicle produced by the Chevrolet division of American automaker General Motors and based on a pickup truck chassis in this case the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado), and a pick-up version which was previously based on theOpel Corsa known as the Corsa Ute; but the current model which in collaboration with GM Brazil who developed it, is the Chevrolet Utility which is based on the Chevrolet Agila platform (a vehicle developed in Brazil and built in Argentina).[citation needed]
In 2017, GM withdrew from South Africa, with its truck division and its plant changing hands to Isuzu while at the same time ending all sales and the dealership network of the Chevrolet brand. GM worked with both Isuzu and PSA (the new owners of Opel, which GM spun off the division to) to ensure existing customers receive parts and technical support during and after the company exit the country.[76][77]
Until 2005,Chevrolet Europe sold a few models, mostlyUnited States domestic market (USDM) models modified to suit European regulations. Among them were the Chevrolet Alero (which was a rebadgedOldsmobile Alero) and the Chevrolet Trans Sport (which was aChevrolet Venture with the front end of thePontiac Trans Sport). Among other models sold were theCamaro, theCorsica/Beretta, theCorvette, the Blazer, and theTrailBlazer. North American–built Chevrolet Impala V8 sedans have also been available in Europe in recent years, marketed as both large family sedans and more economically priced alternatives as high-performance executive cars.[citation needed]
From 2005 all models fromGM Daewoo were rebranded as Chevrolet in Europe. In the rest of the world, most Daewoo models have worn the Chevrolet badge since 2003.[citation needed] Exceptions include the use of theSuzuki badge in the United States and Canada, thePontiac badge in Canada, theHolden badge in Australia and New Zealand, and theBuick badge in China.
During the mid-2000s, theCorvette andCadillac range were marketed in Europe through a separate distribution channel operated by Netherlands-based Kroymans Corporation Group but following its bankruptcy in 2010,[78] General Motors established a new Swiss based subsidiary to relaunch Chevrolet in Europe and add the Corvette, Camaro and Malibu models to the European range.[79]
From the beginning of 2016, General Motors reduced its presence in Europe only to itsiconic models, such as theCorvette, in order to strengthen itsOpel andVauxhall brands. Although announcing that they will maintain a broad presence in Russia and theCommonwealth of Independent States,[80] General Motors later reduced their line-up to the iconic models in Russia, and more, the Opel division also exited the Russian market in 2015, while also abandoning production at theirSaint Petersburg plant.[81] As of March 2016, only the US-builtCorvette Stingray andTahoe,[82] as well as the Russian-builtNiva,[83] were being offered on the Russian market.
Chevrolet sales in Western and Central Europe[nb 1] ranged around 200,000 units per year since 2005, peaking at 216,160 units in 2007, while the market share achieved its highest of 1.28 percent in 2012.[86] In Russia, sales grew constantly over the same period, from 67,000 units in 2005 to 205,040 units in 2012,[87] Chevrolet holding a market share of 6.84 percent and being the top import car brand.[88] In 2012, the top markets for Chevrolet in Europe, by the number of registrations, were Italy (31,150), Germany (29,694), France (24,613), Turkey (18,492) and Spain (15,165).[86] The best selling model during the same year was theAveo (54,800), followed by theSpark (47,600) and theCruze (40,500).[86]
Currently, as of 2022, only the Corvette Stingray is available in most countries in Europe.[citation needed] In theCommonwealth of Independent States countries where Chevrolet vehicles are officially sold, the vehicles are mostly or wholly sourced from Uzbekistan-basedUzAuto Motors, a former General Motors-Uzbekistan joint venture.[citation needed] UzAuto Motors is now astate-owned enterprise with a license to assemble and sell Chevrolet-branded vehicles in several CIS member nations.[citation needed] Chevrolet vehicles are also assembled in Kazakhstan fromsemi-knocked-down kits supplied by UzAuto Motors[citation needed].
Poland
Kubuś – insurgent armored car inWarsaw Uprising on the chassis of a civilian Chevrolet 157 truck
Between the autumn of 2007 and the beginning of 2011, theChevrolet Aveo was produced at theFSO plant inWarsaw, in collaboration with the Ukrainian companyUkrAVTO, in both hatchback and sedan body styles.[90] Between 2005 and 2014 GM sold some 60,000 cars under Chevrolet brand that represented 0.5–1% market share compere to Opel's 7% market share each year.[91]
Russia
GM-AvtoVAZ was a joint venture between GM and the Russian companyAvtoVAZ established in 2001, which produced theChevrolet Niva, an SUV especially designed for the Russian market and conditions. The venture ended in December 2019, after AvtoVAZ acquired all General Motors' stake in it.[92] General Motors also operated theGM Avto factory, located inSaint Petersburg and opened in 2008.[93] It was upgraded in 2012 and has produced theOpel Antara andChevrolet Captiva SUVs, theChevrolet Cruze from late 2009,[94] and theTrailBlazer from semi-knocked down kits.[95] It ceased production in July 2015,[96] before Chevrolet's exit from the Russian market at the end of the year. In collaboration with the Russian companyGAZ, the second generationChevrolet Aveo was produced at the plant inNizhny Novgorod for the Russian market, starting from the beginning of 2013,[97] until 2015.[98] Chevrolet vehicles were also produced at theAvtotor plant, located inKaliningrad. The models produced here were theLacetti,Aveo,Epica,Captiva,Orlando andTahoe.[99][100] As of December 2017, theChevrolet Tahoe,Chevrolet Camaro,Chevrolet Corvette, andChevrolet Niva were officially available for sale in Russia.[citation needed] In the first quarter of 2022, there were two distinct sales channels in Russia for Chevrolet vehicles. The first, operated by General Motors, sold the Tahoe and the Trailblazer. The second sales channel sold economical mass-market Chevrolet-branded vehicles assembled byUzAuto Motors in Uzbekistan.[citation needed] Both sales channels stopped selling Chevrolet vehicles in Russia in April 2022 due to U.S. and South Korean sanctions resulting from theRusso-Ukrainian War.[citation needed]
South America
Historically, many Latin American-market vehicles from GM were modified derivatives of older models from GM's North American and European operations. The currentS-10 andBlazer exemplify this strategy.[citation needed] However, more modern vehicles are now being marketed as market conditions change and competition increases. Besides those older models made in Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, andMercosur countries, Korean-sourced cars fromformer Daewoo factories in some markets also get Korean- and U.S.-made Chevrolets on top of their local line-ups.[citation needed]
In 1924,General Motors de Argentina, the local GMsubsidiary, started importing Chevrolet Double Phaeton models which were welcomed with great demand. In 1925, in order to reduce costs in the Argentine market, General Motors decided to manufacture in Argentina and started producing a sedan, a roadster, a truck chassis and the Chevrolet Double Phaeton, now called "Especial Argentino", a model exclusively designed for the Argentine market. Sales increased and soon theOldsmobile,Oakland andPontiac units were incorporated to the assembly line.[citation needed]
When theSecond World War broke out the operations were complicated. In 1941 the Chevrolet number 250,000 was made, but the shortage of products made car production impossible.[citation needed] The last Chevrolet went out of the plant in August 1942.[citation needed] In order to avoid the total stoppage, the company made electrical and portable refrigerators and car accessories amongst other items.[citation needed] After the war, GM started producing the Oldsmobile and Pontiac lines and later Chevrolet was added.[citation needed]
In 1959, manufacturing plants are enlarged and set up to produce cars, pick-ups and trucks. On January 25, 1960, the first Argentine Chevrolet pick-up was introduced. The following year the national government approves the investment plan for 45 million dollars which included a plant of 12,000 m2. On March 12, 1962, the firstChevrolet 400 was made based on the North AmericanChevy II. The original plan considered a national integration of 50% during the first year of production; this amount had to be 90% in 1964 with a production of 15,000 units. By 1969, the Chevy line, derived from the American Chevy Nova, was presented.[citation needed]
In the middle of the seventies, General Motorsmarket share was reduced sharply from 9% in 1976 to 2% in 1978. Losses exceeded $30 million and the head company in the USA decided to halt production activities in Argentina.
The Chevrolet trademark reappeared in 1985 for the production of the pick-up in its versionsC-20 andD-20. In 1995, a plan for the manufacturing destined for export specially to Brazil and other countries ofMercosur materialized with the building of a new facility nearRosario, Santa Fe, for the production of the Opel-basedChevrolet Corsa and the Suzuki-basedChevrolet Grand Vitara 4x4.[101]
In Brazil, theChevrolet Opala was based on the GermanOpel Rekord and AmericanChevrolet Nova from the late 1960s, continuing in production until the early 1990s, when it was replaced by a version of theOpel Omega. The basic version had a 151 four-cylinder engine with 82 hp and 143.2 lb-ft. The top-of-the-line version was called Opala SS and used the GM engine 250-S inline six-cylinder and possessed solid lifters with 171 hp and 278.5 lb-ft, which led to the record-breaking South American speed road cars in 1976, with 118.36 mph (190.47 km/h), beating the Puma GTB (which also used the GM 250 engine inline six-cylinder, but without solid lifters) and the Brazilian version of the Dodge Charger R / T 318 and Ford Maverick V8 302 quadrijet. Other smaller Chevrolets in Brazil, such as theKadett andMonza, were based on theOpel Kadett andAscona respectively.[citation needed]
Chevrolet's product line-up in Brazil comprised some exclusive designs like the Corsa "B" basedCelta, which was sold in Argentina under the Suzuki brand, theAstra, and a Brazilian-designedVectra based on theOpel Astra H. The passenger car range currently includes the Cruze, the Captiva, the Agile hatchback,Chevrolet Onix. The latest home-grown product is the Chevrolet Prisma MKII, released in 2013.
Utility andfour-wheel drive vehicles line-up includes the S-10, the Blazer, and theMontana. The Montana is a compact pickup truck, based on the Agile, that is also sold in other Latin American markets. From the 1960s to the mid-1980s, there was also a large station wagon, derived from theC10 truck (somewhat similar to theSuburban), called theVeraneio.
Chile
Chile has a mix of Chevrolet models from different GM brands and platforms branded as Chevrolet. The models come from Chevrolet USA, GM Korea, Mexico, India and other origins. Chevrolet production in Chile began in 1962, although at first through local partners (in this case, Avayu with the Nova II). TheChevrolet C/K truck was manufactured in Chile between 1975–88.[citation needed]
Ecuador
Chevrolet has been operating inEcuador for 80 years. GM Ecuador sells US Chevrolets alongsideGM Korea sourced models. It also sells the 1983Suzuki Supercarry under the Chevrolet name, and the Isuzu Rodeo was sold as the Chevrolet Rodeo throughout the 1990s.
Venezuela
InVenezuela, Chevrolet has been operating since 1948, when truck production began inCaracas. In 1979 production moved to a plant inValencia that was purchased fromChrysler. Chevrolet assembled more than 1,500,000 vehicles in its first 50 years in Venezuela.
Colombia
The Colombian Automotive Factory SA (Colmotores) was founded in 1956 and initially produced vehicles in Austin; in the 1960s, Simca and Dodge automobiles (its first car manufactured was a Coronet 440); and then, in 1980, began producing Chevrolet cars. Currently,[when?] Colmotores has more than 75% of the domestic market, with models from GM Korea and Suzuki. Particularly worthy of mention[according to whom?] is the Aveo, Optra and the Spark.
Trinidad and Tobago
Since the early 1920s, Chevrolet cars and trucks were marketed in this country. The Master Deluxe Sedan of the late 1930s was considered to be a pinnacle of luxury. All cars sold through the local dealer, Neal and Massey (also franchisee for Vauxhall and Buick), were right-hand-drive, and imported from Canada and Australia. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, GM maintained a market presence with the Bel Air, Impala and Fleetline. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Australian Holden DeVilles badged as Chevrolet Caprices were sold, though a few "Islander" limited edition American Chevrolet Caprices were imported. Neal and Massey gave up the GM franchise in 1974 and the brand left the market.
During the period 1998–2001, Southern Sales Ltd. imported the Chevy Monza and Joy. Based on the Opel Corsa platform and assembled in Mexico, these were the cheapest new cars available. Poor build quality, unprofessional dealer service, and a limited spare parts supply saw these cars exit the market with only a few units being sold.
In 2003, the local Renault dealer marketed the Aveo sedan and hatchback, as well as the Optra sedan (a rebadged Suzuki Forenza), with limited success.
A more intensive marketing campaign by a subsequent Chevrolet dealer, Lifestyle Motors, met with moderately more success. The models available were the Chevrolet Colorado (Isuzu D-Max twin), Spark (micro-car based on the Daewoo Matiz), Aveo sedan and hatchback, Optra sedan, hatchback and wagon, the Captiva SUV, and the Epica large saloon. In March 2011, the Cruze was added to the lineup and features a 1.8 litre gasoline engine. It bridged the gap between Optra and Epica models. Once the Optra was phased out, a 1.6 litre Cruze was made available.
Chevrolet teams in the NASCAR Cup Series currently use the Camaro ZL1 1LE, while Xfinity teams run the Camaro SS andNASCAR Craftsman Truck Series organizations race with the Silverado.
Chevrolet replaced Oldsmobile as the General Motor brand at theIndyCar Series from 2002 to 2005.Hélio Castroneves won the Indianapolis 500 andSam Hornish Jr. the championship, but the American brand had little success the next years.
Chevrolet returned to IndyCar in 2012. After several years ofHonda being the only engine provider, Chevrolet rejoined the series in 2012. Major teams includeTeam Penske,KV Racing,Chip Ganassi Racing andCFH Racing who all use Chevy engines. Chevrolet won several races including the Indianapolis 500 in 2013, 2015, 2018–2019, 2023–2024, as well as seven drivers championships.
Tudor United SportsCar Championship
TheCorvette runs in the GT LeMans class for Tudor United SportsCar Championship, which was, until 2014, theAmerican Le Mans Series in the GT class, when ALMS merged with Grand-Am to form Tudor United SportsCar Championship.Corvette Racing started in 1999 at the Daytona 24-hour race and has since won eight consecutive ALMS GT1 manufacturers and team championships and seven ALMS GT1 drivers' titles.[103] The Corvette also takes part in the French24 Hours of Le Mans race.[104]
FIA World Touring Car Championship
In 2005, when the Chevrolet brand was re-launched in Europe, Chevrolet took part in theWTCC with a version of theLacetti, developed by the UK-basedRay Mallock Ltd (RML). In 2009 theCruze replaced the Lacetti[105] and won the Drivers' and Manufacturers' championship from 2010 to 2012.
In May 2012, Chevrolet replacedAudi as the official automotive sponsor of the English football teamManchester United.[107] From the start of the 2014–15 season Chevrolet became the team's principal shirt sponsor.[108] The deal is contracted to run for seven years, worth a world-record $560 millionUSD.[109]
In July 2012, Chevrolet and English Premier League football teamLiverpool F.C. announced a four-year partnership that made Chevrolet the official automotive partner of the club. The deal ended two years prematurely, in 2014, following GM pulling the Chevrolet brand out of Europe. GM's subsidiary in the UK,Vauxhall Motors, took over from Chevrolet as the club's automotive sponsor.
The Chevrolet bowtie logo was introduced by company co-founderWilliam C. Durant in late 1913. According to an official company publication titledThe Chevrolet Story of 1961, the logo originated in Durant's imagination when, as a world traveler in 1908, he saw the pattern marching off into infinity as a design on wallpaper in a French hotel. He tore off a piece of the wallpaper and kept it to show friends, with the thought that it would make a good nameplate for a car. However, in an interview with Durant's widow, Catherine, published in a 1986 issue ofChevrolet Pro Management Magazine, Catherine recalled how she and her husband were on holiday inHot Springs, Virginia, in 1912. While reading a newspaper in their hotel room, Durant spotted a design and exclaimed, "I think this would be a very good emblem for the Chevrolet." Unfortunately, at the time, Mrs. Durant didn't clarify what the motif was or how it was used. Ken Kaufmann, historian and editor ofThe Chevrolet Review, discovered in a November 12, 1911, edition of theAtlanta Constitution newspaper, an advertisement from the Southern Compressed Coal Company for "Coalettes", a refined fuel product for fires. The Coalettes logo, as published in the ad, had a slanted bowtie form, very similar to the shape that soon became the Chevrolet icon. The date of the paper was just nine days after the incorporation of the Chevrolet Motor Co. One other explanation attributes the design to a stylized version of the cross of theSwiss flag. Louis Chevrolet was born in Switzerland atLa Chaux-de-Fonds,Canton of Neuchâtel, to French parents, on Christmas Day 1878. An October 2, 1913, edition ofThe Washington Post seems, so far, to be the earliest known example of the symbol being used to advertise the brand.[110][111]
The first bowtie logo without embedded text first appeared in 1985, as part of the Heartbeat of America ad campaign.[112] In 2004, Chevrolet began to phase-in the gold bowtie that serves as the brand identity for all of its cars and trucks marketed globally, where previously the logo was blue for passenger cars and gold for trucks.[113]
Typography
TheKlavika Condensed font was designed by type design studio Process Type Foundry under the art direction of Aaron Carámbula for General Motors marketer FutureBrand as part of Chevrolet's 2006 redesign. After the expiry of the exclusivity period, the commercial version of the font (Klavika Condensed) was released to the public in the fall of 2008.[114] In the Young Creative Chevrolet corporate identity guidelines, Klavika is listed for use in all communication materials.[115] Klavika was phased out beginning in 2012 and replaced by Knockout (fromHoefler & Frere-Jones[116]) while the campaign was still ongoing. Currently,Goodby, Silverstein & Partners is utilizing the typeface familiesLouis, a group of simplified, legible grotesque gothics named after co-founder Louis Chevrolet, andDurant, a roman group, just as simplified and legible, named after co-founder William Durant, on print, television and Chevrolet's website advertisements.[117]
100th anniversary
As part of Chevrolet's 100th anniversary in 2011, a dedicated channel was created by the American internet basedPandora Radio station, playing the Top 100 songs mentioning the brand.[118] Beginning on November 3, 2011, Chevrolet celebrated the countdown to its 100th birthday by encouraging its customers and fans to tell their Chevy stories, vote for their favorite Chevrolet cars and trucks, and take the birthday party to their communities with the help of Chevrolet and its dealers.[119]
A feature-length documentary titled 'Chevy100, An American Story', produced by Roger Sherman, was premiered on November 3, 2011 at Detroit Institute of Arts in downtown Detroit, featuring drivers, collectors, restorers, racers and journalists with a passion for cars and trucks.[120] In honor of the 100th birthday of Chevrolet, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Chevrolet and Indianapolis businessman David Ring have arranged to properly mark the grave of Arthur Chevrolet, brother of Chevrolet co-founder Louis Chevrolet.[121][122]
Earlier marketing efforts touted efficiency combined with savings – ("enormous buying power", 1914; "Quality at low cost", 1923, "A Six for the Price of a Four", 1929),[124] interspersed with what could be described as "loftier" messages (positioning the automobile –and Chevy by extension—as "Man's conquest of time", 1923).[125] Of the marketing campaigns from more recent decades, "See the U.S.A. in Your Chevrolet" (used in the 1950s and 1960s) was one of the longest lasting.[126] In 1949, Chevy sponsored "Inside USA" on CBS; while this was a short-lived show, the tune created for it got new life in 1951, when Chevy began sponsoring the Dinah Shore show and Shore sang it at the close of every show.
A selection of Chevrolet's more recent marketing campaigns includes the following:
100-Hour Endurance and Economy Run (early 1920's)[127]
Chevy Runs Deep (2010–2013; United States):[128] A series of TV commercials were produced with Goodby, Silverstein and Partners, and was unveiled during the week of 2010 MLB World Series. Early commercials include 'Chevrolet: Anthem', 'Chevrolet: Dogs and Pickups', 'First Car', 'Chevrolet: Coming Home', 'Chevrolet Volt: Anthem', which positioned Chevy as a brand that is part of the American fabric in song, culture and in most of our pasts in one way or another.[130]
Chevrolet is the Car (2011–2012; South Korea, Japan)
Driving Our World Forward/I'm proud (2011-; Canada):[131] Chevrolet Sonic and Chevrolet Orlando ads were produced by Toronto-based production company Holiday Films.[132] In Quebec, the brand introduced a new tag line: 'I'm proud'. The campaign included commercials in Mandarin, Cantonese, Tamil, Punjabi and Hindi languages.[133] French version of the Antham ad also uses alternate slogan 'Chevrolet, et fier de l'être.'[134] The fully integrated campaign includes TV, print and outdoor elements as well as extensive social media. The General Motors brand also held live events, including a concert in Toronto, presentations by parenting expert Nanny Robina and 'mompreneur' Erica Ehm, and a live yoga session. Mike Speranzini, director of advertising and communications for General Motors Canada, claimed that by leveraging the fact that Chevrolet is a global brand, consumers are seeing it in a more favourable light.[135] Slogan in other languages include: 'Driving me (and) your world' (驅動你我的世界) (Mandarin Chinese,[136] Cantonese Chinese[137])
Love. Life. Chevrolet (2012–present; South Korea, Japan)[138] As part of the Cruze campaign (in association with MacLaren McCann, Canada), outdoor vinyl materials, recycled seatbelts and bicycle inner tubes were made into messenger bags, laptop sleeves, and oversize totes.[139][140][141]
Live Better. (2012–present; United States)
What do you #playfor (2012–present; Global Campaign): Chevrolet sponsors Manchester United replacing Aon as the shirt sponsor. The campaign slogan, "What do you #playfor?" attempts to engage users on social media. Chevrolet also launched multiple sites across the globe under the main Chevrolet Football Club website.
Find New Roads (2013–; United States, Canada, Latin America): The slogan replaced the previous Chevy Runs Deep tag line, after Chevy Runs Deep campaign had been criticized as ineffectual. External applications of 'Find New Roads' was set to begin globally later in the first quarter of 2013.[142][143][144] The first Find New Roads commercial, a 90-second commercial titled 'Dog & Doe' (produced by Commonwealth) featuring Chevrolet Volt, Spark, Sonic, Impala, Corvette Stingray, was premiered during 2013 Grammy Awards.[145][146] The campaign was expected to cover 13 product launches for 2013 in the U.S. and 20 introductions throughout the world.[147] In 2018, South Korea added a new slogan called "Find New Roads"+"다시 힘차게 달리다". Now they use "Find New Roads" again.
Strong (2013-2019, Silverado Trucks): Using theWill Hoge song of the same name. Started with the launch of the 2014 Silverado in the summer of 2013.[148]
Controversy over reliability claims
Chevrolet's advertisement promoting reliability has been pulled after recent backlash.In the advertisement (which is part of their "Real People. Not Actors" campaign), Chevrolet spokesperson Potsch Boyd claims that "based on a recent nationwide survey (byIpsos), Chevy is more reliable than Toyota, Honda, and Ford." However, Chevrolet included a disclaimer stating that the survey was based on 2015 model year vehicles; several of these vehicles have been updated (facelifted and/or redesigned) since then. According to theDetroit Free Press andDetroit News, Ford, Honda and Toyota all challenged the accuracy of the claim. Furthermore, these claims were challenged byConsumer World, which noted that independent studies byJ. D. Power andConsumer Reports contradicted them.[149]
Marketing agency
FutureBrand, anInterpublic Group of Companies company, has been working with General Motors since 2000,[150] who also involved the commissioning of a font that was later sold as Klavika Condensed, as part of re-design of Chevrolet in 2006.
In 2010, General Motors replaced the advertising agencyCampbell Ewald, also of Interpublic Group of Companies, with Publicis Worldwide. Campbell-Ewald had served Chevrolet since 1919.[151] In May 2010 Chevrolet's advertising account was awarded to Goodby, Silverstein and Partners.[152]
As part of the attempt to attract 18- to 24-year-old drivers, General Motors hired MTV Scratch.[153] Some of the collaboration results include Chevy ads showing their cars skydiving, bungee jumping, doing other stunts.[154] The commercial was produced with consultations from students from UCLA, Pepperdyne and high schools.[155] Some of the footage was later used inChevrolet Sonic ad titled 'Stunt Anthem' during Super Bowl XLVI.[156]
In March 2012, two competing agencies, San Francisco-based Goodby, Silverstein and Partners (part of Omnicom Group), and New York-based McCann Erickson Worldwide (part of Interpublic Group), joined to form an equal joint venture company called Commonwealth to handle most of Chevrolet's ads. Prior to the joint venture, Goodby, Silverstein and Partners performed marketing in the US, including the "Chevy Runs Deep" campaign; McCann handled Chevrolet ads in China, Latin America, Mexico, Canada and other markets. Commonwealth handled and supervised creative work worldwide out of Detroit for all markets except China, India and Uzbekistan, where GM has joint auto-making ventures. McCann continued to handle ads in China and India, and Uzbekistan will be contracted as needed.[157] MacLaren McCann continued on as AOR for the entire GM brand in Canada, but the Chevrolet brand will act as a "spoke" to Detroit's creative hub, with content and messaging flowing through Commonwealth, but adapted for the Canadian market.[158]
Performance Marketing Group Incorporated manages Chevrolet Racing's experiential marketing properties for its at-track activation platforms in conjunction with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the IZOD IndyCar Series, and the American Le Mans Series with Team Corvette.[159]
Chevrolet-only naming attempt
In 2010, a memo signed by Chevrolet sales and service vice president Alan Batey and General Motors marketing division vice president Jim Campbell was sent to Chevrolet employees at its Detroit headquarters, instructing employees to only use Chevrolet when addressing the brand, in order to present a consistent brand message. A postscript to the memo says a sort ofcuss jar - a plastic "Chevy" can - has been placed in the hallway. "Every time someone uses 'Chevy' rather than Chevrolet", the note said, the employee is expected to put a quarter in the can. The proceeds were to be spent on "a team building activity". Paul Worthington, head of strategy forWolff Olins, said that the branding effort ran counter to a trend in which corporate names had become more casual.[160]
Ian Beavis of Nielsen Automotive Group said that marketers cannot control what consumers call their products, but nicknames do not work in new markets where Chevrolet is trying to get a start.[161] Following the release of the memo, General Motors published a statement claiming the note was in no way discouraging customers or fans from using the Chevy name.[162][163][164] Following the 2010 memo incident, Chevy Runs Deep campaign remains to use the 'Chevy' name, while Driving Our World Forward and Find New Roads campaigns uses the 'Chevrolet' name.
Watches
In 2007, General Motors allowed AJS-Production SA to register the Louis Chevrolet trademark for a line of premium quality Swiss watches watch marketed under the Louis Chevrolet brand name. Although the watches bear the name of Louis Chevrolet, they are not marketed or produced in association with General Motors.[165]
The watch brand pays tribute toLouis Chevrolet, co-founder of the Chevrolet automobile company, whose father was a watchmaker and in his childhood helped his father at the workbench. The collection was calledFrontenac, the name inherited from the race car company founded by Louis Chevrolet. The Chevrolet watch collection comprises automatic, manually wound and quartz models, equipped withETA andRonda movements.
The Louis Chevrolet Frontenac watches, manufactured inPorrentruy, the Swiss Jura region, feature the styling cues suggested by the Chevrolet cars. The collection was developed while applying the same materials as used in the car industry. Pearled appliques on the Chevrolet watches' dials remind the metal forms of the old dashboards. The number "8", Chevrolet's racing number, is sported on the case back.[166]
Branding by other manufacturers
In December 2019, after AvtoVAZ acquired General Motors' stake in their former GM-AvtoVAZ joint venture and as part of the deal, AvtoVAZ kept using the Chevrolet branding for the Niva models.[92] The Chevrolet branding by AvtoVAZ continued until August 2020, when it was replaced withLada.[167]
^Link, Stefan J. (2023).Forging Global Fordism: Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, and the Contest Over the Industrial Order. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. p. 37.ISBN978-0-691-20797-1.
^Jeff Cobb (November 4, 2015)."GM Sells Its 100,000th Volt in October".HybridCars.com. Archived fromthe original on November 8, 2015. RetrievedNovember 4, 2015.About 102,000 units of the Volt/Ampera family have been sold worldwide by the end of October 2015.
^Cobb, Jeff (August 10, 2016)."Global 10 Best-Selling Plug-In Cars Are Accelerating Forward".HybridCars.com.Archived from the original on August 11, 2016. RetrievedAugust 13, 2016.As of June 2016[update], cumulative global sales of the top selling plug-in electric cars were led by the Nissan Leaf (over 228,000), followed by theTesla Model S (129,393), Votl/Ampera family (about 117,300), Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (about 107,400), Toyota Prius PHV (over 75,400), BYD Qin (56,191), Renault Zoe (51,193), BMW i3 (around 49,500), Mitsubishi i-MiEV family (about 37,600) and BYD Tang (37,509).
^Cobb, Jeff (July 26, 2016)."Top-Selling Chevy Volt Crosses 100,000 US Sales Milestone".HybridCars.com. Archived fromthe original on July 28, 2016. RetrievedJuly 26, 2016.As of June 2016[update], around 117,000 units of the Volt/Ampera family have been sold globally, including close to 10,000 Opel/Vauxhall Ampera variants sold in Europe. Volt sales in the American market passed the 100,000 milestone in July 2016.
^Shaw, Hollie (October 14, 2011)."Chevy repositions".Financial Post. Business.financialpost.com.Archived from the original on February 26, 2013. RetrievedMarch 16, 2013.
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