General Motors Company, also known as GM, is a United States based automaker with headquarters in Detroit, Michigan.

GM was the worlds 18th largest corporate entity and third largest automaker as ranked by 2008 revenues on the Fortune Global 500. Ranked by global unit sales for 2008, it was the worlds second largest automaker. GM manufactures cars and trucks in 34 countries, recently employed 244,500 people around the world, and sells and services vehicles in some 140 countries.

On June 1, 2009 General Motors filed for Chapter 11 (Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code) bankruptcy proceedings from which it emerged on July 10, 2009 in a reorganization in which a new entity acquired the most valuable assets. GM is now majority owned by the United States Treasury (United States Department of the Treasury) and Canadian governments, with the US government investing a total of $57.6 billion under the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

While no GM shares are currently available to the public, the company plans an initial public stock offering (IPO) (Initial public offering) in 2010.

GM plans to focus its business on its four core US brands ? Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC (GMC (automobile)). In Europe, following a period of negotiation to sell a majority stake in its Opel and Vauxhall (Vauxhall Motors) brands, GM decided to retain full ownership of these operations.