General Motors only sells automotive components
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM , is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Detroit , Michigan , that designs , manufactures , markets , and distributes vehicles and vehicle parts , and sells financial services . In 2008 , 8.35 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under various brands . In addition to brands selling assembled vehicles , GM has also had various automotive-component and non-automotive brands , many of which it divested in the 1980s through 2000s . General Motors produces vehicles in 37 countries under twelve brands : Chevrolet , Buick , GMC , Cadillac , Holden , HSV , Opel , Vauxhall , Wuling , Baojun , Jie Fang , and Ravon .