History
In 2003, China became the second largest single market for General Motors, selling 201,188 vehicles, an 81.6% percent increase over the previous year. In that year Shanghai GM achieved a 13% market share in mainland China, second only to Volkswagen Group China among foreign carmakers. Sales dropped in 2004 when the company retired the Buick Sail and the release of its replacement, the Chevrolet Sail, was delayed to February, 2005, knocking General Motors Shanghai to seventh place in mainland China market share. Shanghai General Motors market share climbed back to nearly 9.8 percent, placing Shanghai GM among the top three passenger car manufacturers in mainland China.
In May 2005 Shanghai GM completed construction of a new assembly plant, the South Plant, at its facility in eastern Shanghai's Pudong district, more than doubling its annual production capacity to 320,000 vehicles.
Shanghai GM was the top passenger vehicle producer in China in 2006, with sales of 413,400 vehicles. In 2011, Shanghai GM sold 1,200,355 vehicles in the Chinese market. Shanghai GM is the largest joint venture GM has in China.
In September 2006, General Motors launched the Chevrolet Corsa Plus in Chile, a version of the 4-door Opel Corsa with a 1.6L engine, making it the first export market to receive a vehicle manufactured by Shanghai GM.
In February 2010, SAIC acquired an additional 1 percent stake in the joint venture for US$85 million and assistance in securing a US$400 million line of credit to boost SAIC's total share of Shanghai General Motors to 51%.
Read more about this topic: Shanghai GM
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“American time has stretched around the world. It has become the dominant tempo of modern history, especially of the history of Europe.”
—Harold Rosenberg (1906–1978)
“The steps toward the emancipation of women are first intellectual, then industrial, lastly legal and political. Great strides in the first two of these stages already have been made of millions of women who do not yet perceive that it is surely carrying them towards the last.”
—Ellen Battelle Dietrick, U.S. suffragist. As quoted in History of Woman Suffrage, vol. 4, ch. 13, by Susan B. Anthony and Ida Husted Harper (1902)
“We are told that men protect us; that they are generous, even chivalric in their protection. Gentlemen, if your protectors were women, and they took all your property and your children, and paid you half as much for your work, though as well or better done than your own, would you think much of the chivalry which permitted you to sit in street-cars and picked up your pocket- handkerchief?”
—Mary B. Clay, U.S. suffragist. As quoted in History of Woman Suffrage, vol. 4, ch. 3, by Susan B. Anthony and Ida Husted Harper (1902)