GM Colmotores

GM Colmotores is a car company based in Bogotá, Colombia. Established in 1957 as Fabrica Colombiana de Automotores S.A. (Colmotores), they began manufacturing, under license, British Austins. In 1965, Chrysler Corporation took a 60% stake in the company, which manufactured Chrysler cars under license until 1979. In 1979, General Motors took control of the company, purchasing a 77.4% stake.

General Motors - Colombiana de Motores S.A.
TypePrivate
IndustryAutomotive
FoundedJuly 27, 1956 (1956-07-27)
Headquarters
Bogotá
,
Colombia
ProductsAutomobiles
ParentGM
DivisionsChevrolet
WebsiteChevrolet Colombia

In 1981, the company was renamed GM Colmotores. Since then it has manufactured, under license, a variety of General Motors, GM Daewoo, Isuzu, Qingling Motors, and Suzuki vehicles for the local market, all sold under the Chevrolet name. The company has production facilities in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela, imports models from Chevrolet built by GM in the US and GM Korea built in Korea.

History

As often happens with large projects, the creation of GM Colmotores emerged from the vision of a handful of Colombian businessmen, led by German Montoya Velez. After many conversations, financial calculations and had to overcome obstacles that men whose common goal was, before the trade to create company in Colombia, were crystallized his desire: the July 27th, 1956 was founded the Fabrica Colombiana de Automotores S.A. (Colmotores), whose articles of incorporation are logged a month later, on 25 August of that year, with an initial capital of five million pesos, contributed several regions, particularly Antioquia, Cundinamarca, Caldas and the Coast.

The initiative of Mr. German Montoya could not be more plausible: that same year, 1956, the National Government was preparing to meet the objective of import substitution and expanding the domestic market. Also had to issue a decree exempting from income taxes, property, import and procurement of raw material for ten years, the industries that consume material produced in Paz del Rio steel mill. They were all favorable conditions which brought together a group of shareholders on this thought.

The production began operating under the chairmanship of Santiago Trujillo and general manager German Montoya, and its construction was completed in late 1961. By then the company had negotiations with the British Motor Corporation to assemble vehicles in Austin Colombia. Moreover, the national government the same year the production of cars in the country. The industrialists to take care of that activity were to a promising prospect, which included new incentives such as exemption from taxes on profits and assets to be devoted to the importation of necessary equipment.

In February 1962, Dr. Alberto Lleras Camargo, President of the Republic, inaugurated the plant Colmotores, and Auxiliary Bishop of Bogotá, Bishop Emilio de Brigard, blessed the staff and facilities. Then began the production of vehicles, cargo trucks Austin 2.5 and 6 tons for passenger vans and campers in two versions, short and long. Four years later he had produced nearly 4,000 units.

Then came the changes, adjustments imposed by the challenges of developing an enterprise of great ambitions, in much quixotic. Faced, first, the failure of the Government of the incentives for the automotive industry, which led, of course, financial difficulties Colmotores shareholders. In 1965 the International Chrysler company acquired 60% of the shares of Colmotores, the company began calling Colmotores-Chrysler, and the following year began the manufacture and sale of Dodge cars and Simca, and appeared in the domestic market the first car produced in Colombia, the Coronet 440 and Dodge trucks of 1-7 tons.

Fourteen years would last the permanence of Chrysler in Colombia. But in 1972 came the oil crisis, which affected the world economy and forced to take further decisions on exploration and consumption. It was created to organize producers and exporters of oil, OPEC, and the automotive industry introduced the use of compact cars engine light and low power consumption.

Chrysler had extreme financial difficulties that led it to reduce its international operations to focus on North America. The Colombia and Venezuela operations were acquired by General Motors Corporation. The era of General Motors, Colmotores definitive can be summarized in the words of his manager: "The company is Colombia in its character, but the Joint Venture has been the basis of their progress". Indeed, in 1979 General Motors Corporation took over the shares owned in Colmotores Chrysler International. Thus began a marriage that is now more than 20 years of productive achievements.

At the time when General Motors purchased the plant in the country Colmotores merged the Presidency and the Directorate-Management on a single charge, which took German Montoya Vélez until 1983, and now occupied by Paul Ross. Deleted the word "Chrysler" from its name, to return to his original name Fabrica Colombiana de Automotores S.A. (Colmotores). Subsequently, from 1991, and to give a clear corporate image before the public became General Motors Colmotores S.A.

Among his achievements we must mention the concept of total quality, which the company began to set, with futuristic sense, years before being given the opening, and in anticipation that this mechanism is opened step in Colombia. Within that total quality goal, GM Colmotores considered human talent as their most important resource, and has been involved in training programs that are oriented towards the philosophy of quality, awareness of competition in the market, improving continuous, permanent search of Total Customer Enthusiasm.

Today Colmotores GM has assembled 45 vehicle versions in 12 different platforms, placing first in the Colombian automotive history and also one of the top positions among the largest companies in the country. It has also contributed significantly to the economic and social development of the country by high job creation, technical and financial support to the growth of the auto parts industry and considerable contribution to the national treasury in taxes and contributions.

Dealers

Autoniza: Gerente General - Juan Pablo Lince Continautos : Gerente General - Carlos Montoya Automotores Llano Grande: Gerente General - Luis Hernan Silva Sinning Caesca: Gerente General - Orlando Rojas Country Motors: Gerente General - Roberto Alcocer

Models

Current assembled/Built

Former assembled/Built

Imported

Upcoming

Assembled/Built

Imported

Employment generation

To contribute to overcoming poverty and the country's peace process, GM Colmotores says that it donates cash and kind to the development of technical training programs and employment generation for vulnerable populations and / or affected by violence .


References
  1. Mantilla, Óscar Julián Restrepo (2018-01-07). "Chevrolet Monza: Un sedán con clase y estilo para los colombianos". El Carro Colombiano (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-01-31.
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