The History Of GMC | Tampa, FL

Early Days of GMC

General Motors was founded in 1908 and purchased the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company and the Reliance Motor Car Company in 1909. The Rapid Motor Vehicle Company was founded by Max Grabowsky, who developed some of the first pickup trucks ever. The Rapid and Reliance companies formally merged in 1911, and 1912 marked the year that the name “GMC Truck” appeared on the first mass-produced truck. In GMC’s early years, its struggled financially and eventually fired William Durant, the founder of GM. Upon leaving, Durant founded Chevrolet, which he brought under the GM umbrella when he bought back into GM in 1917. Today, Chevrolet is GM’s best-selling brand, offering a range of award-winning sedans, SUVs, and trucks. Through the first couple decades of GMC Truck, it became known for its innovative, powerful trucks. Overtime, the automaker continued to develop its trucks and sales slowly grew. With the outbreak of WWII, GMC became a major supplier for the U.S. military and provided the armed forces with over 600,000 trucks.

GMC Today

GMC was known as “GMC Truck” until 1996. Today, the brand is still synonymous with exceptional and durable trucks, with GMC and Chevrolet trucks consistently mirroring each other in key ways. However, the GMC name is now oriented towards the premium and luxury market — providing exceptional power and capability alongside upscale finishes and features — and offers vehicles beyond the truck segment. The 2018 GMC model lineup includes trucks, SUVs, crossovers, and vans and features well-beloved models like the Sierra 1500, Acadia, Terrain, and Yukon.

GMC’s modern vehicles are the culmination of more than 100 years of automotive engineering experience. That’s the kind of history and heritage that pays off and that we’re proud to represent at Rivard Buick GMC.