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62 GM Innovations

Insight Into What Happened to General Motors

— November 7, 2008 — Autos
General Motors Corp. was been hit with a $2.5 billion loss in the third quarter, and now the automotive giant fears bankruptcy, as early as the beginning of 2009.

General Motors is going so far as to say “Detroit would collapse unless Washington gave it billions to help it buy Chrysler,” according to CNN Money who also confirmed “GM said Friday it could run out of cash by year-end, absent an improvement in its fortunes.”

How did this happen to GM? Were they too focused on expanding in the SUV and truck market? They were working on the electric Chevy Volt, but that’s just one car, and so far, there aren’t any zipping around on real roads.

They were innovative, and cutting edge: they connected with bloggers, even flew them to events… they even dressed in drag to try to understand their female consumers more.

With brands like GMC, Chevrolet, Pontiac, Saturn, Buick, Cadillac, GM Daewoo, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Saab, Vauxhall, and Wuling, there is huge pressure on the line.

To try and make sense of it, the slideshow below highlights some of the innovations we’ve seen from General Motors, from unique marketing approaches to fascinating car models. We’ve also included some interesting General Motors branded-projects created by customers to illustrate brand engagement, and to flesh out the study, have added not-so-flattering items , like Hummer-haters, to help explain the General Motors downfall.
5.6
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
61
Laser Enhanced Windshield
Laser Enhanced Windshield
GM Tech for Aging Boomers
<
60
GM Goes Greener
GM Goes Greener
SUV Factories Close, Selling Hummer Brand
<
59
Grow Your Own Hummer
Grow Your Own Hummer
Increases 600% In Size
<
58
Posh Festival Keepsakes
Posh Festival Keepsakes
Bandstand Toy Vauxhall Corsas
<
57
Radical Change in Selling Used Cars
Radical Change in Selling Used Cars
eBay and GM Team Up
<
56
Leaked Photos of Swedish SUV
Leaked Photos of Swedish SUV
Saab 9-4X (NAIAS 2008)
<
55
Key Breathalyser Prevents DUIs
Key Breathalyser Prevents DUIs
Saab Alcokey
<
54
Global Warming A Hoax?
Global Warming A Hoax?
GM's Bob Lutz Talks To Colbert
<
53
2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid
2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid
50% Fuel Saving
<
52
Product Simulation Game
Product Simulation Game
Chevrolet Prisma Test Life
<
51
Using Shoes to Sell Cars
Using Shoes to Sell Cars
Chevy Traverse Ad Exploits Compulsive Shoppers
<
50
Chevy Malibu Inspires Fashion
Chevy Malibu Inspires Fashion
Malibutique Style
<
49
2008 Cadillac CTS Revealed
2008 Cadillac CTS Revealed
<
48
GM Wins Green Car of the Year
GM Wins Green Car of the Year
Chevy Tahoe
<
47
Crossover Concept Cars
Crossover Concept Cars
Chevrolet Orlando Turbodiesel Spotted in Paris
<
46
Pint-Sized Concepts
Pint-Sized Concepts
GM Triplets & VW Up!
<
45
SAAB Aero-X Concept Car
SAAB Aero-X Concept Car
400HP Rocket
<
44
Angular Hybrid Concepts
Angular Hybrid Concepts
Saab 9x Air
<
43
Christmas-Edition Hummer
Christmas-Edition Hummer
Complete With Fireplace
<
42
Hybrid Taxis in Dubai
Hybrid Taxis in Dubai
Chevrolet Tahoe and Malibu Cabs
<
41
556 HP Hummer GT Rockets to 140 mph
556 HP Hummer GT Rockets to 140 mph
<
40
Desert Outdoor Art
Desert Outdoor Art
Cadillac Ranch
<
39
Hummer HX Concept (NAIAS 2008)
Hummer HX Concept (NAIAS 2008)
<
38
Segway-Friendly Concept Car
Segway-Friendly Concept Car
Chevy E-Flex
<
37
Candy Covered Cars
Candy Covered Cars
'Vault for Vauxhall' Promo
<
36
GM Hydrogen Fuel Cell Luxury SUV
GM Hydrogen Fuel Cell Luxury SUV
Cadillac Provoq (CES 2008)
<
35
Eco-Friendly Hummer O2 Concept
Eco-Friendly Hummer O2 Concept
<
34
Most Powerful & Expensive Vette
Most Powerful & Expensive Vette
2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
<
33
Golf Ball Painting
Golf Ball Painting
Tiger Woods Paints Buick "Art Rivera" Campaign
<
32
Personified Car Parts
Personified Car Parts
Chevrolet Repairshop Ads
<
31
HUMMER 02 Concept
HUMMER 02 Concept
Enviro Truck Wins LA Auto Show's Design Challenge
<
30
100 Equinox Fuel Cell Cars Hit The Road
100 Equinox Fuel Cell Cars Hit The Road
Chevy Project Driveway
<
29
Chunky Concept Cars
Chunky Concept Cars
Chevy Orlando at Paris Auto Show 2008 (UPDATE)
<
28
Electric AMP Converted Supercars
Electric AMP Converted Supercars
2009 Saturn Sky
<
27
Car Dealer Downsizing
Car Dealer Downsizing
Hummers Replaced by Smart and Vespa
<
26
Fergie's Hummer On eBay
Fergie's Hummer On eBay
Proceeds For The Planet
<
25
Leather Magazine Covers
Leather Magazine Covers
Chevrolet Soho Campaign
<
24
Hummer Haters Unite
Hummer Haters Unite
FUH2 Gallery of H2 Images
<
23
World's First Hybrid Pickup Truck
World's First Hybrid Pickup Truck
2009 Chevy Silverado
<
22
Painting with Remote Control Toy Cars
Painting with Remote Control Toy Cars
Chevy Camaro by Ian Cook
<
21
GM Vehicles Become Movie Stars (Transformers)
GM Vehicles Become Movie Stars (Transformers)
<
20
NAIAS
NAIAS
Chevrolet Camaro Convertible World Premiere
<
19
Urban Pick-Up Trucks of 2010
Urban Pick-Up Trucks of 2010
The Pontiac G8 ST
<
18
Crude Vauxhall Ad is YouTube Hit
Crude Vauxhall Ad is YouTube Hit
C'Mon Penis Extension
<
17
Chevrolet Volt
Chevrolet Volt
GM's Blockbuster Battery Car
<
16
Cadillac Gets Sporty
Cadillac Gets Sporty
2009 Cadillac CTS-V With Corvette Engine
<
15
GM Dresses In Drag
GM Dresses In Drag
Understanding Female Drivers
<
14
First Plug-in Electric Car in Market
First Plug-in Electric Car in Market
Chevy Volt Hybrid Races To The Top
<
13
Wooden Cars II
Wooden Cars II
Opel Car Actually Drives
<
12
Full Size Remote Control Cars
Full Size Remote Control Cars
Remote Control Hummer H3 (crashed)
<
11
Hummer Snow Cruisers
Hummer Snow Cruisers
The H2 Snowmobile
<
10
Car Shoes
Car Shoes
Opel Agila Heels
<
9
Classic Cars Are Back
Classic Cars Are Back
The New Holden EFIJY
<
8
Convertible SUVs
Convertible SUVs
ASC Cosmos Brings The Open Sky to the HUMMER H3
<
7
Rebranding Experiments
Rebranding Experiments
Bentley-Bodied HUMMER
<
6
Chevy Camaro Evolution
Chevy Camaro Evolution
From 1967 to the 2010 Camaro
<
5
Pimp My Cop Car
Pimp My Cop Car
The World's Fastest Police HUMMER
<
4
Billboards Made of Money
Billboards Made of Money
Chevrolet Aveo Penny Billboard Disappears in Minutes
<
3
Reviving Iconic Car Models
Reviving Iconic Car Models
2010 Chevy Camaro Black at SEMA
<
2
Amphibious Muscle Cars
Amphibious Muscle Cars
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Boat
<
1
Plastic Surgery Obsession Ads
Plastic Surgery Obsession Ads
Chevrolet Jabs
<