There are certain institutions so engrained in the American consciousness that can we forget how they even began. GMC has become so synonymous with American automotive power that it’s easy to forget the company – like so many other twentieth century success stories – began with nothing more than a dream. In this case, the dream was shared by two brothers, who aimed to manufacture commercial trucks that could traverse every corner of the country.
At Rick Bokman Inc., we have a deep respect for and fascination with the historic building blocks that led us to GMC’s prestigious present. Today, we examine the early years of GMC, including their formation, acquisition, and wartime efforts.
The Formative Years: 1900 – 1912
GMC is currently a division of General Motors, and has been under the Detroit-based automotive manufacturing company’s umbrella for the duration of our lifetimes. From 1911 to 1943, GMC was the General Motors Truck Company, and later operated as the GMC Truck & Coach Division from 1943 to 1998. But there was a brief window when GMC wasn’t associated with General Motors at all. When the company was founded in 1900 by brothers Max and Morris Grabowsky, the acronym stood for the “Grabowsky Motor Company.”
However, the Grabowsky name wouldn’t stay attached to the company for long. In 1902, the brothers built the Rapid: the first commercial truck operated in Detroit. Accordingly, the company was renamed the “Rapid Motor Vehicle Company.” Despite its rudimentary design, the Rapid caught the attention of Durant-Dort Carriage Company owner William Durant, who had previously overseen Buick’s ascension. Though the country didn’t realize it yet, Durant was constructing the architecture for what would become General Motors.
Durant purchased RMVC in 1909. Two years later, he also bought the Reliance Motor Car Company – another early commercial vehicle manufacturer. The two companies merged under Durant’s General Motors banner and changed their name to “General Motors Truck Company,” consolidating all GM truck production in Pontiac, Michigan. By the time GMC made its debut at the New York Auto Show in 1912, auto enthusiasts were craning their necks to witness the rise of America’s next great company.
Pressing on Through Wartime: 1914 – 1945
GMC’s momentum continued rolling into 1916, when commercial truck driver William Warwick loaded his wife and daughter into their 1.5-ton GMC truck to drive a shipment of Carnation Evaporated Milk from New York to Seattle and back. In doing so, GMC became the first truck to cross the country in under 32 days. Suddenly, GMC was in pole position to take control of the American trucking market.
Unfortunately, World War I was well underway by then, and it had other plans for the burgeoning company. Like Buick, Ford, and the majority of American manufacturers, GMC put its domestic plans on hold and began shifting its focus towards producing military vehicles. By 1918, nearly 90% of GMC truck production was dedicated to military vehicles. In all, GMC provided the U.S. Army with over 8,500 vehicles throughout World War I – comprised mainly of troop carriers, aviation support vehicles, and ambulances.
The decades between wars proved fruitful for the enterprising company. In 1923, GMC trucks were sent overseas to Japan to aid the recovery and reconstruction effort following the Great Kanto earthquake. In 1926, General Motors began branching out into other modes of transportation, acquiring bus and taxicab manufacturer Yellow Coach and starting production on GMC buses. Yellow coach was rebranded as Yellow Truck & Coach Manufacturing Company, and all General Motors manufacturing operations were placed under it. In 1943, after purchasing the remaining interest in YT&CMC, GM renamed the company GMC Truck and Coach Division – which it would continue to be known as throughout the greater part of the century, until it was officially shortened to GMC in 1998.
When the United States entered World War II, GMC once more turned their attention to military vehicles. As if to illustrate their growth over the preceding two decades, GMC would produce over 600,000 military trucks throughout World War II – a stark contrast to the 8,500 vehicles they supplied to U.S. Armed Forces during World War I.
Following the war, GMC continued their work on expanded truck design they had begun in the 1930’s, which resulted in the company’s earliest SUVs: the GMC Suburban and GMC Yukon.
Become Part of the GMC Legacy Today
There’s so much more to GMC’s rich story that we’ll dive into another day: the introduction of the Sierra and the shift from commercial to personal use trucks in the 1960’s, GM’s rounded line truck series of the 1970’s, the sales explosion of the 1980’s, the Acadia’s arrival in 2007… the list goes on.
For the time being, you can become a part of GMC’s history when you shop at Rick Bokman Buick GMC Cadillac. From the 2024 GMC Terrain crossover to the all-new Hummer EV, our inventory is loaded with the latest in new and pre-owned GMC trucks and SUVs. See for yourself how these vehicles pay homage to GMC’s past, while guiding it towards a future of limitless possibility.
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