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GM tried to fill all niches. Did they ever try to fill the motorcycle niche? Brands like BMW, Honda, and Suzuki all build both cars and motorcycles. While the USA would not be a prime market for two wheeling, they could make Europe and Asia their target market. Their range could go as low as a Vespa type scooter, up to a small efficient starter bike, and graduate to a Caddy level bike like the Honda Gullwing.
As far as I know, neither GM nor Ford ever ventured into the motorcycle market.
GM did make a lot of buses under both the GMC and Yellow Coach names, and--of course--they have (or had?) a locomotive division.
Ford made some of the earliest airliners, the Ford Tri-Motor (alias The Tin Goose).
But--no motorcycles for either one.
However, during the Model-T and Model-A period, Ford dealers were required to carry and sell Kingsford Charcoal.
No joke!
Because the framing of car bodies in those days utilized wood, there was always a lot of scrap wood produced at auto plants. Being a very practical sort, Henry Ford gave his engineers the task of figuring out how to make a profitable product from the waste wood. The result was charcoal briquets!
IIRC, Kingsford was the last name of either one of the Ford engineers or perhaps a relative of Ford.
Okay--our class in automotive trivia is dismissed for today!
GM made refrigerators at one point. I want to say it was Frigidaire. Ford made TV sets under the Philco line.
You are correct about both companies!
I had forgotten about those endeavors.
For that matter, Chrysler was the prime contractor on the Atlas rocket, as well as some other missiles. And, Chrysler also made some excellent air conditioners for the home, under the name AirTemp.
G.M. and Ford produced aircraft parts, armament, trucks, shells, diesel engines and electric motors among others for the war effort.
All of the car companies, large and small, made various parts and products for the US during WWII. These included artillery shells, aircraft engines, sub-assemblies for tanks and trucks, and even little things like steel cases for first-aid kits.
And, to their shame, GM's Opel factories produced armaments for the Nazis. While it could be argued that they were "captives" of the Nazi regime, it was a fact that GM received very large sums from Hitler and company for their "help" with his war effort. Thus, it was extremely distasteful to a lot of folks when GM put in a claim against the US Govt after the war for the cost of rebuilding the Opel factories that had been bombed by the US in order to put them out of action. GM won that claim, and collected 10s of millions of $$ for the destruction of their Nazi armament factories.
Last edited by Retriever; 02-04-2012 at 03:57 PM..
All of the car companies, large and small, made various parts and products for the US during WWII. These included artillery shells, aircraft engines, sub-assemblies for tanks and trucks, and even little things like steel cases for first-aid kits.
I'm almost certain they made whole tanks. I seem to remember one being a Chrysler specifically, and others having GM engines. Then after the war, when the imports came in to conquer our market, the Big 3 had to spin off and sell those divisions. Like General Dynamics, for instance purchased the pieces of GM and Chrysler devoted to defense. But yeah, companies like Detroit Diesel used to be part of GM. So all your buses, commerical trucks, trains probably had something to with or was a part of the Detroit 3 at some time.
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