GMC is General Motors’ truck and utility brand, today known for the Yukon, Yukon XL, Sierra and Hummer EV. Its roots go back to the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company, founded in Pontiac, Michigan, at the start of the 20th century, which General Motors acquired in 1909. The GMC name appeared on trucks around 1912, and over more than a century the brand built military trucks for two world wars, buses, a famous motorhome and, more recently, some of the most luxurious SUVs on the road.

GMC at a glance
Origins Rapid Motor Vehicle Company, Pontiac, Michigan (early 1900s)
Part of GM Since 1909
GMC name On trucks from about 1912
Known for Pickups, full-size SUVs, the Denali sub-brand, Hummer EV

The Rapid beginnings

Brothers Max and Morris Grabowsky built one of the earliest commercial trucks in Detroit in 1900 and founded the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company soon after, moving it to Pontiac. When William C. Durant was assembling General Motors, he bought Rapid in 1909 and later combined it with the Reliance Motor Car Company. The new truck operation was branded GMC, and GMC trucks were shown at the 1912 New York Auto Show.

Trucks for two wars

GMC trucks served in World War I, and in World War II GMC built hundreds of thousands of the CCKW 2½-ton truck, nicknamed the “Deuce and a Half” or “Jimmy”. The CCKW moved men and supplies across Europe and the Pacific and is one of the most important military vehicles in history. The nickname “Jimmy” stuck to GMC products for decades.

Buses and coaches

GMC also built buses, including the classic “New Look” city bus of the 1960s–1980s that served New York and many other cities, and intercity coaches for Greyhound.

The GMC Motorhome

From 1973 to 1978, GMC built a futuristic, front-wheel-drive motorhome with a low floor and aerodynamic body. It remains a cult classic with an active owners’ community.

From trucks to premium

In the 1990s and 2000s, GMC repositioned itself as a slightly more premium alternative to Chevrolet, sharing platforms but offering more features and distinctive styling. The Denali trim, launched on the 1999 Yukon, became the heart of that strategy. Read the Denali story.

The Hummer revival

When GM revived the Hummer name as an electric vehicle, it put it under GMC: the GMC Hummer EV pickup and SUV, with enormous power and features like “CrabWalk” diagonal driving. It helped launch GM’s Ultium electric platform, later used by the Cadillac Escalade IQ.

GMC in chauffeured transportation

GMC’s full-size SUVs — especially the Yukon XL Denali — are popular with chauffeured fleets for their space and comfort. See ours on the GMC Yukon XL page, or read the Yukon XL history.