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General Motors of Canada

General Motors of Canada originated as The McLaughlin Carriage Co. founded by Robert McLaughlin in1875. In 1915 General Motors produced the first Canadian built Chevrolet the '490', and by 1919 started production of trucks. During the 1930's, General Motors struggled through the market collapse, and in 1932 GM had to discontinue the Cadillac production. With the start of the Second World War in 1939, General Motors immediately started to design and build military vehicles, and by 1940 GM unveiled their first army truck. By 1941 the first armoured military vehicle was produced in Oshawa. In 1943 General Motors, along with Ford and Chrysler, celebrated the completion of the 500,000th military vehicle. There was a great celebration. Dignitaries that attended the ceremony included R.S. McLaughlin, General Harold Alexander, and Defense Minister C.D. Howe. When the war ended in 1945 GM resumed civilian car production.