Photo: Chevrolet
At one point, General Motors used to be the world’s most popular automaker thanks to expansive dealership and manufacturing networks. Europe was one of the markets that helped the biggest of the Big Three in Detroit become the corporate behemoth it was not that long ago, but all these efforts went amiss after a series of bad management and business decisions.
The biggest fault in General Motors’ European presence was Opel, which has been losing money every single year since 1999. After billions of dollars went down the drain, chief executive officer Mary Barra decided to call it quits, selling Opel and British division Vauxhall to Groupe PSA.
Following the sale of Opel and Vauxhall, the French supergroup vaulted into second place in Europe as far as market share is concerned, right after the Volkswagen Group. With careful planning and reorganization, the perpetually money-losing carmaker could turn a profit by the end of 2020.
The thing is, where does this leave General Motors? Barra told the Detroit Automotive Press Association that the company is considering a return to Europe, highlighting that “nothing keeps us from going back.” As per the most powerful woman in the automotive industry, “an appropriate return” is most desirable. “If we don’t see a path to generate appropriate returns we’re going to invest where we see better opportunities,” Barra added.
What about the cryptic wording? Well, that’s a reference to “transformative products” General Motors will roll out in the following decade, vehicles with all-electric powertrains and self-driving technology. As for the brands that could re-establish GM in the Old Continent, it’s anybody’s guess if Chevrolet will be coming back or something else is in the pipeline.
On the flip side, bear in mind that chevroleteurope.com is still online, and the choice of products is a-OK for the most driving-minded enthusiasts among us. The Camaro and Corvette aren’t enough strenghten General Motors' market share in Europe, though, so here’s hope the volume-oriented products that may or might not come in the 2020s will be worth the wait.
Following the sale of Opel and Vauxhall, the French supergroup vaulted into second place in Europe as far as market share is concerned, right after the Volkswagen Group. With careful planning and reorganization, the perpetually money-losing carmaker could turn a profit by the end of 2020.
The thing is, where does this leave General Motors? Barra told the Detroit Automotive Press Association that the company is considering a return to Europe, highlighting that “nothing keeps us from going back.” As per the most powerful woman in the automotive industry, “an appropriate return” is most desirable. “If we don’t see a path to generate appropriate returns we’re going to invest where we see better opportunities,” Barra added.
What about the cryptic wording? Well, that’s a reference to “transformative products” General Motors will roll out in the following decade, vehicles with all-electric powertrains and self-driving technology. As for the brands that could re-establish GM in the Old Continent, it’s anybody’s guess if Chevrolet will be coming back or something else is in the pipeline.
On the flip side, bear in mind that chevroleteurope.com is still online, and the choice of products is a-OK for the most driving-minded enthusiasts among us. The Camaro and Corvette aren’t enough strenghten General Motors' market share in Europe, though, so here’s hope the volume-oriented products that may or might not come in the 2020s will be worth the wait.
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