GM hits 100 years at the AutoShow
Chevrolet prepares for next century of trucks with the new 2019 Silverado
One hundred years ago, visitors to the Canadian International AutoShow would have seen a totally different collection of auto manufactures on display. They also would have seen one of the newest, General Motors of Canada.
Today few of the original exhibitors exist but General Motors of Canada will display for the 100th time, truly a remarkable achievement.
Founded in 1907, the McLaughlin Motor Car Company contracted with Buick to supply powertrain and running gear for a body and chassis built by McLaughlin, a former carriage manufacturer. It began building Chevrolet’s in 1915 and incorporated as the General Motors of Canada Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors, in 1918.
The Chevrolet that McLaughlin began building in 1915 was a Brass Era Automobile known as the Chevrolet Series 490, denoting its starting price as a head-to-head competitor to Fords Model T. It had an overhead valve 171-cubic-inch four-cylinder engine on a McLaughlin-designed and built body.
General Motors president William C. Durant in 1918 wanted a pickup to add to their line and redesigned the series 490 to form a light delivery half a ton. It was in fact a bodiless Chevrolet 490 car equipped with stronger rear springs. Mounted with a pickup box or panel body, it proved an agile and economical light delivery truck for the many small businesses popping up across the country in the boom years after the First World War.
Over the years Chevrolet has earned a reputation for building a solid and reliable truck. In 1999, it introduced the Silverado series, including the 2001 model with a 6.6litre Duramax Diesel engine that broke new ground in horsepower, torque and fuel economy and helped GM triple its market share by 2002.
With 100 years of past experience, Chevrolet is preparing for the next 100 years of trucks with the 2019 Silverado.
Today, trucks are not just for work, they provide a versatile platform that carries your tools to the job site, your boat to the lake and your camper to the campsite, yet are equally as happy making a trip to the plaza for last-minute items.
For 2019, the Silverado 1500 has eight trim levels, three cab styles, three box sizes, and nine special editions. With most of these combinations, you can choose among four powertrains and whether you want two-wheel or four-wheel-drive.
With nine different editions there is a 2019 Silverado that fits your lifestyle. There is even a Centennial addition featuring heritage bowtie emblems.
Expected to be available later in the year, the variety of options available ensures that what is anticipated to be a hot seller will establish that your truck will be unique.
While Buick is not expected to be showcasing any new models at this year’s show, there will be the 2018 Buick Encore, Envision and Enclave in the SUV style and Regal and LaCrosse sedans.
Chevrolet has done a makeover on the popular Chevy Traverse for 2018.
The Cadillac CTS-V Sedan is the most powerful Cadillac ever built. With 640 HP it can go from zero to 96 km/h in 3.7 seconds. Coupled with an eight-speed automatic transmission, it has a top speed of 322 km/h.
Its 6.2-litre supercharged V8 is the same engine you will find in a Corvette, meaning Cadillac is targeting the CTS-V Sedan to the Corvette lover who is “married with children.”
Performance and Cadillac are nothing new. In1950, Briggs Cunningham entered the Le Mans 24-hour race in a special bodied Cadillac Series 61. The French fans took one look at the strange sight and gave it a nickname, “Le Monster.”
Le Mans rules at the time required the chassis of the car to be from a stock automobile and Briggs took a look at the Cadillac Series 61, a luxury car, and got ideas based on its new V8.
Stuck in a sand bank for four laps, Le Monster battled back to a well- earned 11th-place finish in Cadillac’s first 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Le Monster’s 2018 equal is the Cadillac DPi-V.R prototype. It will be raced by three teams, including the 2017 championship-winning Wayne Taylor Racing. Caddy will be racing head-to-head against teams from Mazda, Acura and Nissan. The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar season started last month with a pole for the No.10 Cadillac at Daytona’s Rolex 24.
On display in the GM exhibit, the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPiV.R has a race-prepared version of the CTS-V Sedan engine. For 2018, Cadillac engineering is back on track. The DPi-V.R will leave Toronto following the show to compete in the 12 Hours of Sebring on March 17 in Sebring, Fla., and will return to Canada at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park near Bowmanville, Ont., July 5-8 for the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix. Grab a good look at the show while it’s standing still.