GM Brands Reach Historic High In Quality Dependability Ranking

General Motors News Release

DETROIT – For the first time, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac all rank in the top 10 among brands in the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study.

"GM’s customer-driven approach to quality and dependability is breaking through," said Grace Lieblein, vice president, Global Quality. "Dependability is a top purchase consideration and key to customer loyalty. These awards reflect our commitment to provide customers with the best overall experience in the industry."

The 2015 study tracks 2012 model year vehicles in their third year of ownership.

Buick ranks second among all brands, Cadillac ranks fourth with Chevrolet and GMC ranking 10th (in a tie.)

Chevrolet ranks higher than before in this study, led by Malibu as the segment leader in the highly competitive Midsize Car segment. For the third year in a row, the Chevrolet Camaro ranks highest in the Midsize Sporty Car segment.

The GMC Sierra LD and Chevrolet Silverado LD rank first and second in the Large Light Duty Pickup segment. The Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD rank first and second in the Large Heavy Duty Pickup segment.

GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban all rank in the top three of the Large SUV segment. These models also filled the top three positions in the Large SUV segment in the 2014 JD Power Initial Quality Study, in which the 2014 Chevrolet Suburban and 2014 GMC Yukon ranked highest in a tie, along with the 2014 Chevrolet Tahoe.

Model Highlights by Brand

Chevrolet

Malibu – Segment Award, Midsize Car

Camaro – Segment Award, Midsize Sporty Car (third consecutive year)

Silverado HD – Segment Award, Large Heavy Duty Pickup

Tahoe – Ranks Second, Large SUV

Suburban – Ranks Third, Large SUV

Silverado LD – Ranks Second, Large Light Duty Pickup

Buick

LaCrosse – Segment Award, Large Car

Enclave – Ranks Second, Midsize SUV

GMC

Sierra LD – Segment Award, Large Light Duty Pickup (second consecutive year)

Yukon – Segment Award, Large SUV (second consecutive year)

Terrain – Segment Award, Compact SUV

Sierra HD – Ranks Second, Large Heavy Duty Pickup

Cadillac

SRX – Ranks Third, Midsize Premium SUV

Hendrick Way: Continued Expectation To Hit Moving Target Of Excellence

It's a common saying that "Excellence Is A Moving Target."

It's also an appropriate saying in the world of Rick Hendrick, who has been able to enjoy excellence throughout time in the face of many continually evolving and changing obstacles.

His Hendrick Motorsports racing operation is the best in the business. It has been argued that Hendrick driver Jeff Gordon is the best driver in NASCAR history because of his incredible longevity at the highest level of achievement in spite of seemingly constant rules changes, multiple driver styles and personalities, track and equipment makeovers and the occasional change in crew memberrs.

The Hendrick Automotive Group, an empire of nearly 100 dealerships nationwide, has been able to hold its rank at the top of its industry because of its ability to maintain the status quo in an industry that has been confronted by more change and reconsruction than perhaps any other walk of life over the last 10 years.

Both Hendrick Motorsports and the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall are in the process simultaneously of marking the end of one era and beginning of another. In spite of the uncertainty of the unknown, of the coming of new faces and implementing of new business strategies, you can count on the usual excellence to continue - because that is the Hendrick Way.

That already has been evident this month in Daytona Beach, Fla. - site of Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup season-opening Daytona 500. Gordon will begin his final season of full-time racing in a very familiar position - the pole position.

No matter that he is stepping aside for the newest young gun, Chase Elliott, to take his place in the No. 24 Chevrolet starting next season, Gordon has maintained excellence.

Even at age 43, after 92 career victories and four series championships, with enormous wealth in hand, Gordon enters his final season holding himself to the same standard of excellence that he had when he won his first championship in 1995 - the year Elliott was born.

Even though he may feel it is time to retire and hand the reigns to a 19-year-old hotshot who is set to inspire other future racers the way Gordon has inspired throughout his career, Gordon intends to keep his standard of excellence and work ethic to the very end.

Just as Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports are embracing this time of transition as an opportunity to write another chapter for the record books, so, too, is the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall.

After more than two decades of operatng its business from downtown Durham, the dealership is set to move to a $25-million state-of-the-art facility across the street from the Southpoint mall - one of the busiest and most successful retail malls in the Southeast, situated on the second-busiest intersection of road in the state.

The new Hendrick Southpoint, which will sell and service a complete line of General Motors vehicles out of multiple showrooms and service centers, will represent Hendrick's largest investment in a dealership facility.

You can not only count on the excellence to continue at the Southpoint location, but you can count on it to rise to a new level.

That's the Hendrick Way.

Hendrick Durham Auto Mall Helps Camaro Keep Pace In 5-Decade Rivalry With Mustang

Fifty years ago today - Jan. 27, 1965 - marked the debut of the Shelby GT350, a version of a Ford Mustang sports car developed by American auto racer and car designer Carroll Shelby.

Since then, the Chevrolet Camaro and the Mustang have endured a fierce rivalry for muscle-car dominance. Drive a Camaro today at Hendrick Durham Auto Mall and discover its power for yourself.

"For five decades, the Camaro and the Mustang have been battling it out in every possible setting," said Mark Reuss, executive vice president, GM Global Product Development. "These two cars have been striving to beat each other on the track, on the drag strip and on the streets. That competition is a big part of why both cars are so amazing, and so popular."

The Shelby GT350 featured a 306 horsepower V-8 engine and remained in production through the end of the 1960s. It has held value as a collector's item.

The GT350R is a more hardcore version of the Shelby GT350. The first 2016 GT350R, with VIN 001, sold for $1 million recently at the Barrett Jackson collector-car auction in Arizona. The Ford Motor Company originally planned to put the rights for the first Mustang Shelby GT350 up for sale but at the last minute decided to sell the rights to the first GT350R

The first Mustang rolled off the assembly line in 1963. Three years later, Chevrolet introduced the Camaro as a direct competitor to the Mustang and created one of the most enduring rivalries in the automotive industry.

"The new Camaro hit the ground running, and it's been a battle royale ever since with the bowtie vs. the blue oval," Ken Gross, a preeminent automotive journalist for 40 years, recently was quoted as saying. "Chevy readily admits its Camaro is constantly getting better, thanks to intense competition from Ford."

On June 28, 1966, during a press conference in Detroit’s Statler-Hilton Hotel, then-Chevrolet General Manager Pete Estes announced a new car line with a name that Chevrolet chose in keeping with other car names beginning with the letter C: Corvair, Chevelle, Chevy II, and Corvette.

When the new Camaro name was announced, reporters in attendance asked Chevrolet product managers what "Camaro" meant. The answer: "a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs."

Four distinct generations of the Camaro were developed before production ended in 2002. The nameplate was revived on a car that evolved into the fifth-generation Camaro in 2009.

The Camaro, which has a V6 and V8 engine, has been a big seller at the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall. As the dealership prepares for its move to a new multi-million-dollar state-of-the art facility in the Souhtpoint area of Durham, the Camaro is part of its "Moving Sale."

So, come get one at a great price and keep the rivalry alive.

Thank You, Mr. Michelin, For Adding Value To GM, Hendrick Durham Auto Mall Inventory

Thank you, Mr. Michelin - and happy birthday.

On this date 162 years ago - Jan. 16, 1853 - Andre Michelin was born in Paris, France. In 1888, at age 35, he founded with his brother the Michelin Tire Company, which invented the pneumatic tire found today on many vehicles at the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall.

Michelin is one of the three largest tire manufacturers in the world, along with Bridgestone and Goodyear. In addition to the Michelin brand, the company also owns the BF Goodrich tire brand.

Hendrick Durham Auto Mall sells a complete General Motors product line that includes Buick, GMC, Cadillac and Chevrolet vehicles. Adding to the value of those brands - all of which enjoyed historic success in 2014 - is the fact that they can be equipped with Michelin tires, considered the premier tire brand in America.

Buick vehicles are known for their luxury, which includes available Michelin tires.

The Michelin company announced two months ago - November of 2014 - that it had plans to open a plant in North America dedicated to the manufacture of airless tires called "Tweels."

A punctured tire can cause a bad, not to mention expensive, day for many vehicle owners and drivers. Michelin's proposed $50 million plant will be used to make the Michelin X Tweel Airless Radial Tire and others for commercial and agricultural applications - a move toward eliminating the possibility of tires that puncture.

Happy Birthday, American Motors Corporation

Say what you want about General Motors vehicles. You cannot say they are unattractive.

Since the days of Bill Mitchell - perhaps America's most famous automobile designer - GM has placed extraordinary emphasis on the design and styling of its product line. You can see that for yourself when you examine and drive the latest and greatest inventory at the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall.

Mitchell was responsible for creating or influencing the design of more than 72.5 million automobiles produced by GM, including such landmark vehicles as the 1938 Cadillac Sixty Special, the 1949 Cadillac Coupe DeVille, the 1955-57 Chevrolet Bel Air, the 1963-65 and 1966-67 Buick Riviera, the 1961-76 Corvette Stingray, the 1975-79 Cadillac Seville and the 1970-81 Chevrolet Camaro

Since then, GM's vehicles have continued to get more and more beautiful. Recent redesigns of the Cadillac SRX and Chevrolet Equinox, Malibu and Impala are testament to that, as well as the creation of elegant new products like the GMC Terrain and Buick Encore.

The appealing pricepoints and low-maintenance qualities of GM vehicles have been well-documented reasons that many consumers choose GM vehicles for their purchases and other transportation needs. But the aesthetic qualilty of all the vehicles across all the GM brands has been moving to the top of the appeal meter.

Anyone who believes any GM vehicle is unattractive needs to just remember back to the days of the now-defunct American Motors Corporation.

It is appropriate that we go back there today because it was on this day in history - Jan. 14, 1954 - that the American Motors Corporation was founded. The company was formed by the merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company, which at the time was the largest corporate merger in U.S. history.

AMC was known for producing such beauties as the Pacer and the Gremlin. Remember those? The nmuber of people who drove those vehicles with pride has got to be small.

If you Google "Ugliest Cars In America," pages and pages of artlcles and lists appear. Prominently featured on most of those lists are the AMC Pacer and AMC Gremlin. Those cars were ugly.

The Pacer has been described as a fishbowl. It was the widest car on the road, with room in the backseat for four people to sit side by side, but also was terribly heavy and slow. It was in production for just five years - between 1975 and 1979 - and its unconventional styling was commonly cited in its lack of success.

The AMC Gremlin, meanwhile, is ranked on many lists of the 50 worst cars of all time by several measures. But you will be hard-pressed to find an uglier vehicle. It was manufactured for just eight years, from 1970-1978, at the same Kenosha, Wisconsin, plant that rolled out the Pacer.

Unlike the Pacer, the Gremlin today has a following among old car hobbyists and collectors of historic vehicles. In some cases, the Gremlin enjoys a cult-like following in today's collectible car market.

Perhaps we can credit the founding of the American Motors Corporation 61 years ago today for influencing and adding to the beauty of today's vehicle designs and styles. Certainly GM engineers have taken note and used the many years since to tweak and add to the beauty of Cadillacs, Buicks, GMCs and Chevrolets.

We should all be thankful for that.

2015 Vehicle Sales Could Increase To 17 Million

From www.media.gm.com

DETROIT – General Motors Co. CEO Mary Barra said last week that the company expects light vehicle sales in the United States to reach a range of 16.5 million to 17 million units in 2015.

The last time industry sales reached 17 million units was in 2001. The industry delivered 16.5 million light vehicles last year.

"The U.S. economy and vehicle sales have been rebounding since 2009, and we believe there is still plenty of room for the auto industry to grow," Barra said. "The strength of the labor market, better job security and the recovery in home prices have consumers feeling pretty good about the future, so we expect people will continue to replace their older cars and trucks. The recent sharp drop in fuel prices and rising incomes should only add to their confidence.

"The most important change we see coming is the return of younger and first-time buyers to the market."

Reportedly, the largest number of expected vehicle consumers in 2015 will be Millenials - the demographic cohort following Generation X.

There are no precise dates when the "Millenial" generation starts and ends. Researchers and commentators use birth years ranging from the early 1980s to the early 2000s.

Strong real GDP growth is expected to create new job opportunities in 2015 – as many as 200,000 new jobs per month. That should drive higher labor force participation and better job prospects for recent college graduates.

Third party studies reinforce this view, including the National Association of Colleges and Employers, which said in its Job Outlook 2015 report that employers plan to hire 8.3 percent more new college graduates from the Class of 2015 for their U.S. operations than they did from the Class of 2014.

"A growing jobs market and new vehicles that exceed expectations for fuel economy and high technology are the best ways to rekindle the love affair America’s youth have historically had with cars and trucks,"Barra said.

Barra said Chevrolet is particularly well positioned to attract new customers in 2015 since it has reentered the mid-size pickup segment with the Colorado and launched seven small cars and crossovers in the last four years.

These include the Spark, Sonic and Cruze, which all posted their best annual sales in 2014, as well as the Trax, which began arriving in showrooms in December.

The Trax is a small SUV that offers seating for five with available all-wheel drive and EPA-estimated fuel economy of up to 32 mpg on the highway. It also offers an available 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot and Siri Eyes Free control of the audio system with compatible smart phones.

The emerging small-SUV segment in the United States is estimated to grow more than 80 percent in the next few years. Trax is on sale in 67 global markets, where it has generated approximately 188,000 sales since its 2012 introduction.

Elvis, Basketball, and the all-new Canyon

Eighty years ago today - Jan. 8, 1935 - Elvis Presley was born. The impact his life and music have had on American culture is remarkable.

Sixty yeaars ago today - Jan. 8, 1955 - WUNC-TV, Channel 4 in Chapel Hill, signed on the air as North Carolina’s first "educational station" with opening-night programming that featured a telecast of the freshman and varsity basketball games between North Carolina and Wake Forest. Who could have predicted the influential public television network that station has become?

On the same night that WUNC went on the air for the first time, the Furman basketball team set the NCAA record for most points scored in a game (154), and the Georgia Tech basketball team ended Kentucky's 10-year, 130-game home winning streak.

Those are events that many people in the Triangle area of North Carolina remember and talk about today. Elvis remains many people's favorite performer. WUNC is many people's favorite TV station and UNC their favorite basketball team.

But today - Jan. 8, 2015 - General Motors has joined the conversation of people's favorite things and the relevance of today's date. Next year at this time, people may be driving to basketball games and listening to Elvis songs in their new favorite truck.

General Motors today introduced the 2015 Canyon Nightfall Edition – a stylized, blacked-out edition of the brand's all-new premium midsize truck that blends a dramatic appearance with popular features and accessories.

The Canyon Nightfall Edition will be offered on SLE crew-cab models, either 2WD or 4WD, in Onyx Black and available in the first quarter of 2015. In addition to standard equipment on the SLE, the Canyon Nightfall Edition will include:

*Unique black grille

*Black assist steps

*Factory spray-in bedliner

*18-inch multi-spoke aluminum wheels with Dark Argent painted inserts

*Polished exhaust tip

*Automatic climate control

*Remote start

Said Duncan Aldred, vice president of GMC Sales and Marketing, in a press release: “The new Canyon Nightfall Edition expands the Canyon lineup and gives style-conscious customers another choice. Importantly, customers get the great looks of the Canyon Nightfall Edition and its unique content at a greater value than ordering the features separately."

The distinctive appearance of the Canyon Nightfall Edition reflects customer preferences for personalization and features that support different lifestyle interests. More than 40 percent of the initial orders for Canyon include at least one selection from the comprehensive collection of accessories GMC developed for the truck. The Canyon accessories portfolio includes the available GearOn™ system for optimal cargo management, as well as bed protection, styling enhancements and trailering components.

"The Canyon is a lifestyle enabler," Aldred said. "Its accessories lineup matches lifestyles of all types."

According to the General Motors Web site, additional standard content on the Canyon Nightfall Edition will include:

*Rear-vision camera

*Eight-inch-diagonal Color Touch radio with GMC IntelliLink

*OnStar with 4G LTE and its standard built-in Wi-Fi hotspot (includes three-month/3GB data trial, whichever comes first)

*Two USB ports for charging located on the rear of the center console in addition another USB port inside the console

*Multi-color driver information center display

*Soft-touch instrument panel with aluminum trim

*Auto-dimming inside rearview mirror

*Remote keyless entry

*Tilting and telescoping steering column

*Leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls

*SiriusXM satellite radio (includes three-month trial)

*Automatic locking rear differential (4WD models)

*17-inch aluminum wheels

Canyon was named Autoweek’s Best of the Best truck for 2015. It offers the segment’s best horsepower and EPA-estimated fuel economy: 200 horsepower (149 kW) and 27 mpg highway (2WD) from a standard 2.5L I-4; and 305 horsepower (227 kW) and 26 mpg (2WD) from an available 3.6L V-6. The V-6 engine enables a segment-leading 7,000-pound trailering rating.

GMC has manufactured trucks since 1902. But the excitement and appeal of its trucks has been renwewed and invigorated by today's exciting announcement.

Elvis would be proud.

Ingenuity Helps Improved Sales Numbers For GM, Hendrick Durham Auto Mall

A higher level of ingenuity at General Motors has contributed to a higher level of sales of GM vehicles, perhaps setting the stage for a record-seting 2015 for America's top automaker and the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall.

General Motors and its dealerships nationwide, which includes the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall, enjoyed their best December for sales in seven years last month.

An item commonly found on an infant’s changing table contributed to that result.

The baby diaper helped GM engineers simulate snow year-round, ensuring that heating systems in cars like the 2015 Chevrolet Cruze can warm their interiors quickly and efficiently.

Packed snow can prevent air from entering the inlet panel at the bottom of the windshield, obstructing the flow of air into the heating system and reducing the amount of air it can push out. This can lead to less-efficient warming of the car’s interior and windshield defrosting.

"The last thing anyone wants to do when it’s freezing cold out is scrape their windshield," said Nicholas Jahn, GM Vehicle Thermal Systems engineer. "The testing we perform on the Chevrolet Cruze with the diaper material allows us to maximize the car's heating capabilities."

According to a news release from General Motors, Jahn stumbled upon his diaper-based testing method in the middle of summer, during a swim with his daughter. He noticed that when her diaper came into contact with water, it multiplied in size.

Turns out that sodium polyacrylate – the absorbent material found in diapers – starts as a powder but turns into a snow-like substance when saturated.

In Jahn’s test, according to the GM news release, he sprinkled the reusable snow onto the air inlet vents along the bottom of the Cruze's windshield, then started the car and let it idle. After a few minutes, he removed the inlet panel and inspected how much "snow" was sucked into the system and how much of the intake vents remained blocked.

Before discovering the material, Jahn had to rely on Mother Nature to provide snow, or find a schedule opening at one of GM’s state-of-the-art climatic wind tunnels. Just submerging a diaper in water solved that dilemma.

A more efficient heating system is particularly important and beneficial for those who use the OnStar Remote Key Fob services, which allow drivers to remotely start their car from anywhere with a cellular connection. As part of the OnStar Basic Plan, Remote Key Fob services - remote start, lock, unlock and activate horn and lights – is free for five years on all new, properly equipped GM vehicles.

The benefits of Onstar as well as sales of the heat-efficient Cruze helped GM dealers nationwide record retail sales figures last month that were up 23 percent compared to December of 2013.

The Cruze was among seven GM vehicles - along with the Chevy Equinox, Sonic and Spark, the GMC Terrain, and the Buick Enclave and Encore – that posted their best annual sales total in 2014.

GM’s unique three-pickup strategy – with new models spanning the light-duty, heavy-duty and mid-size segments – drove combined deliveries to a 43-percent increase over December of 2013. It marked the best December for the Silverado since 2005.

Five GM vehicles – the Chevrolet Corvette and Spark, the Buick Enclave and Encore, and the GMC Sierra – had their highest December sales in history.

Chevrolet, Buick and GMC retail deliveries were up 25 percent, 28 percent and 29 percent, respectively, compared with a 10 percent increase for the industry as a whole.

Chevrolet had its best December retail sales since 2005. Buick and GMC, meanwhile had their best December retail sales result since 2004.

Every Buick car and crossover posted a sales increase, with the largest gains posted by the Enclave, up 53 percent, for its best month in history.

All that leads to 2015, in which General Motors and the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall expect to continue to upward trend of sales.

In Durham, a brand-new, state-of-the art facility in a new location across the street from the Streets of Southpoint - among the busiest retail shopping malls in the Southeast - continued ingenuity and product development by GM engineers, improved inventory and a favorable economy all combine to present much excitement and expectation for the new year.

Sharing Significant Automotive News On Historically Significant Date

Today's date, Jan. 2, is a significant date in American history. Many events happened on this date over the years that have had much social and societal impact.

It seems fitting that we take today to tell you about significant news regarding General Motors and Hendrick Durham Auto Mall and the vehicles they build and sell. Perhaps the information will have a positive impact on you as you enter 2015 with your transportation needs in mind.

First, a look back:

Jan. 2, 1945 - The University of Kentucky men's basketball team started an incredible 130-game home-game winning streak that stretched all the way into 1955.

Jan. 2, 1960 - John F. Kennedy announced his candidacy for the Presidency.

Jan. 2, 1965 - The New York Jets of the National Football League signed Joe Namath out of the University of Alabama to be their quarterback. He later famously guaranteed victory in his first Super Bowl appearance and delivered on the promise.

Jan. 2, 1974 - President Nixon signed into law the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act, setting a new national maximum speed limit of 55 miles per hour. The act was intended to force Americans to drive at a fuel-efficient speed and curb the U.S. appetite for foreign oil. But people showed they preferred driving fast to conserving fuel, and Congress repealed the act in November of 1985.

Jan. 2, 1990 - Alan Hale, Sr., who played "Skipper" on the popular sitcom "Gilligan's Island," died of cancer at the age of 71.

That brings us to today, when we share with you the announcement of several significant GM awards in the realm of safety and value.

Spark, Volt, Equinox Top Safety Picks

The 2015 Chevrolet Spark, Volt, Malibu and Equinox have been named 2015 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Picks.

The designation goes to models that achieve an acceptable rating in the challenging small overlap front test – introduced in 2012 – and a good rating in each of the Institute’s four other crashworthiness evaluations: moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints.

IIHS is a nonprofit organization wholly supported by auto insurers. For 2015, the number of models earning the Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ awards rose from 39 to 71 compared to a year ago.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world's largest car brands, selling more than 4.9 million cars and trucks a year.

The Hendrick Durham Auto Mall sold an average of about 52 Chevrolets a month in 2014, with the Equinox leading the way. Sales of the Equinox continue to grow year over year becauuse of its value and safety.

Canyon Named Top Truck For 2015

GMC Canyon has been named Autoweek’s best truck for 2015. Editors praised the all-new premium midsize truck for its design, utility, features and "perfect size."

Autoweek’s annual Best of the Best awards are based on the evaluations of eight vehicle finalists selected for their performance, design, build quality, value and significance. A three-day test session at Michigan International Speedway by the editors determined the awards, which include one car and one truck.

"Of the hundreds of vehicles Autoweek tests each year, only a relative few truly stand out from the rest," said Autoweek editor Wes Raynal. "The GMC Canyon is not only one of the best new vehicles on the market, it’s one of the most important, signaling an exciting return to the mid-sized truck segment."

Canyon, on sale now at the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall, starts at $21,880. It comes in three trim levels, Base, SLE and SLT, with extended cab and crew cab body styles.

GMC has manufactured trucks since 1902. The brand has evolved to offer more fuel-efficient trucks and crossovers, including the Terrain small SUV and Acadia crossover

Barra Named Forbes' 'Crisis Manager Of Year'

Fortune Magazine has named GM CEO Mary Barra "Crisis Manager of the Year."

Barra took over GM in January of 2013 with celebrity-like media coverage, ranging from lifestyle magazines to auto tabloids.

"Over the past year Barra has presided over perhaps the most challenging time in the automaker's 106-year history," Fortune’s Ben Geier wrote about why Barra is Crisis Manager of the Year.

Barra was announced as Dan Akerson’s successor last December. She started as CEO on Jan. 15. Prior to leading the company, she was executive vice president of global product development, purchasing and supply chain, and held several other executive, engineering and staff positions.

On Birthday Of America's 1st Freeway, HDAM Helps Ease Stress Of Traffic Gridlock

Next time you’re stuck in traffic, excessively burning fuel as you idle on the freeway during your morning commute, you can thank Dwight Eisenhower.

You also can thank General Motors and the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall for manufacturing and selling a multitude of highway-friendly vehicles that can add to your comfort and decrease your fuel expense as you experience the world’s second-longest interstate highway system behind China.

The United States Interstate Highway System runs a total length of 47,714 miles. About one-quarter of all vehicle miles driven in the country are on interstates. The cost of construction for all those miles of roadway has been estimated at upwards of $425 billion.

North Carolina has the largest state maintained highway network in the United States.

Today marks the 74th birthday of America’s first freeway - the Arroyo Seco Parkway, which opened Dec. 30, 1940, in California. At the time, it was considered an engineering marvel, reducing travel time between Los Angeles and Pasadena from 27 to 12 minutes.

The six-lane, six-mile long highway was designed for 27,000 automobiles a day. These days, it carries more than 122,000 cars daily.

Although the concept of an interstate highway system was proposed in Congress in 1939, it wasn't until Eisenhower became President in 1953 that he made the revitalization of national highways a goal for his first term. Having spent time on the Autobahn during his military service in Germany, Eisenhower believed the U.S. also could benefit from an equally effective roadway system.

Well, turns out the creation of the U.S. Interstate Highway System gave way to the creation of a phenomenon known as Gridlock – a traffic jam in which no vehicular movement is possible.

Gridlock, in turn, led to depleted gas tanks as cars and trucks idled their way to empty, a chaion of events that continues to this day.

Fortunately, General Motors and the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall have teamed up to offer some of the most fuel-efficient vehicles in history to help ease the anxiety and expense of traffic jams and Gridlock.

General Motors builds 24 models of vehicle that can achieve an EPA-estimated 30 miles per gallon or better on the highway. All of those vehicles can be purchased at the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall, including the car with the best highway mileage of any gas engine in America - the 42 mpg Chevrolet Cruze Eco.

Furthermore, GM and the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall are offering incentives on the Cruze that can knock 20 percent off the sticker price.

Other vehicles in the GM arsenal against highway congestion and aggravating commutes are the Chevy Volt, an electric car that can achieve the equivalent of 98 miles per gallon, the Buick Lacrosse with eAssist technology, and the Chevy Spark. The eAssist Lacrosse and Spark both can surpass 40 mpg on the highway.

Although exceeding the speed limit is a factor in fuel efficiency, people may not be aware that automobiles can burn more than half a gallon of fuel for every hour spent idling. That is where the GM eAssist technology, which also can be found on the Chevy Malibu, makes such a difference.

On the open road, once they get moving again after the latest round of Gridlock, drivers want to make up for lost time with speed. But, according to the U.S. EPA, every five miles over the 60 mph level is equivalent to paying 20 extra cents per gallon for gas. GM has designed vehicles that help in that circumstance, as well, equipping many of its vehicles with Active Fuel Management that will shut off half the cylinders in the vehicles’ engines once ideal cruising speed is reached.

Because highways and the accompanying Gridlock will not go away, GM has plans to introduce a Cadillac model in two years that can travel on the highway without the driver holding the steering wheel or putting a foot on a pedal. The 2017 Cadillac model will feature "Super Cruise" technology that takes control of steering, acceleration and braking at highway speeds of 70 miles per hour or in stop-and-go congested traffic.

"With Super Cruise, when there’s a congestion alert on roads like California’s Santa Monica Freeway, you can let the car take over and drive hands-free and feet-free through the worst stop-and-go traffic around," GM CEO Mary Barra said in a 2014 speech at the Cobo Center in Detroit. "If the mood strikes you on the high-speed road from Barstow, California, to Las Vegas, you can take a break from the wheel and pedals, and let the car do the work. Having it done for you -- that’s true luxury."

So, as we say "Happy Birthday" today to the Arroyo Seco Parkway and "Thank You" to Dwight Eisenhower for the Interestate Highway System, let us celebrate the evolution of motor-vehicle travel the best way possible – in a vehicle from General Motors and the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall.

Hendrick Durham Auto Mall, General Motors To Carry Momentum Into New Facility, New Year

As the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall prepares to move to its spectacular new facility next to The Streets of Southpoint Mall and General Motors continues to move back into prominence as an automaker, the stage is set for 2015 to be an outstanding year for those two entities locally.

Less than 10 years removed from a record plunge that saw GM stock reach a 20-year-low of $18.33 a share, the manufacturer recently has been mentioned on the list of Forbes' top-10 favorite stocks in 2015. As of Dec. 29, 2014, GM stock prices were up to $34.51 a share.

That's great news for fans and followers of GM and the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall, which sells and services the entire line of GM vehicles, including Cadillac, Buick, GMC and Chevrolet.

Beginning in the first quarter of 2015, the dealership will be conducting business out of its spacious new, state-of-the art location that will feature not one, but two service drives and a regular shuttle service to and from the busy mall across the street. This facility was designed and built with our incredible Hendrick customers in mind, and will be a great benefit to our customers.

The new facility has been in the works for some time, which is a good thing given how brisk business has been in 2014.

The success of the dealership has mirrored the 2014 success of General Motors. Widely publicized recalls have done little to diminish sales or service volume at the dealership's current downtown Durham location. The recalls actually have given us an opportunity to reconnect with many of our customers. We feel like this interaction has built a lot of value with our customers, both in our company, and the GM brands that we represent.

We think that most of our consumers have seen our excellent customer service, and GM’s commitment to them.

An outstanding new product line, a visionary executive branch of leadership, an emphasis on an impeccable business process, reputation management and accountability all have combined to propel the national GM resurgence. Add to that mix unprecedented sales discounts and incentives, as well as strong communication with and resources for its local dealers, the success only can continue.

At the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall, its employees are its greatest asset.

"It's all about the people," said Rick Hendrick, owner of the Durham dealership and its parent Hendrick Automotive Group - a network of nearly 100 dealerships nationwide. "I don't care what you're doing or what your business is; it's all about the people. They have to be able to work together, believe in each other and be able to share information. They have to be motivated to come in and go through it every day."

Mr. Hendrick also requires of the dealership a high-level of transparency, accountability at all levels, and commitments to customer enthusiasm and continuous improvement. In a time of change at General Motors in particular and the automotive industry in general, those Hendrick hallmarks will continue to make both the Durham dealership and its flagship manufacturer standouts in their field.

Furthermore, Mr. Hendrick rarely has a conversation in which he does not stress the importance of our customers. We are here to serve our customers, whether it be from our current location or at the new place.