21.6.2005
Global Headquarters in Turin uniquely positions GM Powertrain Europe

With the opening of a new powertrain headquarters and engineering center in Turin, General Motors Powertrain Europe is uniquely positioned to lead in diesel and petrol manufacturing and engineering activities, further strengthening the ability of the world's largest auto company to design, develop and validate powertrains worldwide.

GM Powertrain Europe became operational on May 13, following the dissolution of the GM-Fiat Powertrain Group Joint Venture, and has engineering centers in Germany, Italy and Sweden and manufacturing facilities in Austria, Germany, Hungary and Sweden. Additional manufacturing and engineering facilities in France, Germany and Poland will be integrated into the organization by the beginning of 2006.

«Turin and GM Powertrain Europe will provide passenger car diesel engines, small gas engines, manual transmissions and related controls to GM vehicles around the world,» said Tom Stephens, Group Vice President of GM Powertrain. «GM Powertrain Europe is fully aligned with their counterparts in North and Latin America and these close alignments are going to allow us to leverage proven designs and manufacturing processes so that we can provide our customers the world's best powertrains.»

According to Greg Deveson, Vice President of GM Powertrain Europe, the headquarters and engineering center currently has about 130 employees, with a number of diesel engine specialists, controls engineers and employees performing essential headquarters activities, who formerly worked for the GM-Fiat Powertrain Group Joint Venture. Employment is expected to grow an additional 50 percent over the next two years across many functions.

Working in partnership, GM Powertrain Europe's engineering centers in Germany, Sweden, and Turin, will design, develop and validate powertrains for the Opel, Vauxhall, Chevrolet and Cadillac, Saab and other GM brands.

GM Powertrain Europe has 10,000 employees and produces 1.5 million engines and 1.1 million transmissions annually for GM's Opel, Vauxhall, Chevrolet, Cadillac and Saab brands in Europe. In addition, GM has relationships with several industry partners in Europe.

The new GM Europe Design Center will be located in a state-of-the-art building on the Rüsselsheim site that will be modified specifically for design's needs.

GM Powertrain's worldwide operations are comprised of 88 manufacturing and engineering facilities in 14 countries with more than 59,000 people producing over 36,000 engines/day and 32,000 transmissions per day.