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Earlier inventions such as the electric light bulb, the telephone, the radio, and the automobile opened new possibilities and dreams for people around the world. As demand for automobiles in particular grew to unexpected heights in the 1920s, General Motors set a rapid pace of product and marketing innovation.

GM first set itself apart with the electric self-starter, invented by the legendary inventor and researcher Charles "Boss" Kettering and introduced by Cadillac in 1912. The self-starter is still widely considered the most significant automotive innovation of the twentieth century.

Just a few years later, the General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) established an entirely new business called retail finance.

With the 1927 LaSalle, the first car to be designed from the ground up by a professional designer (the celebrated Harley Earl, the father of automotive design), GM ushered in a new era of cars that represented far more than a means of transportation.

Under the famed business strategy of "a car for every purse and purpose," the GM brands and their vehicles became a statement and reflection of the consumer’s personal pride and aspirations.

With Chevrolet added to the family in 1918; Vauxhall in 1925; and Opel in 1929, GM offered more brands and types of vehicles than any other automaker. Within a period of less than ten years, the company opened new assembly plants in more than a dozen countries, including China, Japan, and India.

General Motors had become a global icon.

Video Courtesy of General Motors Archive