Books by Louis Fourie

For a dedicated car enthusiast like Louis Fourie the opportunity to join General Motors Overseas Operations in 1968 was the realisation of a dream. GM funded his university education and helped launch a rewarding career.

His career provided opportunities to sample a wide variety of cars from Opel, Vauxhall and Holden and to gain hands-on knowledge of the automobile industry. He maintains contact with his GM contemporaries in their foreign postings and actively continues to gather material on GM worldwide. Further research convinced Louis that he has amassed the tools and detailed information to compile this comprehensive history.

This three-volume work is the realisation of a goal to provide the most extensive and detailed history of GM’s international automobiles ever written. Included is the complete collection of specifications of all GM’s global automobiles to be found anywhere. Recording this GM history is also a gesture of appreciation to GM for the great career opportunities provided him.

Louis continues to provide commentary and articles on automotive history including other automotive makes. He is actively involved with the Society of Automotive Historians where he is a director. His fascination with automobiles, the people and the industry will last a lifetime.

On a Global Mission: The Automobiles of General Motors International

Brief Description:

Volume One traces the history of Opel and Vauxhall separately from inception through to the 1970s and thereafter collectively to 2015. Special attention is devoted to examining innovative engineering features and the role Opel has taken of providing global platforms for GM. Each model is examined individually and supplemented by exhaustive supporting specification tables.

Volume Two examines unique models and variations of Chevrolet and Buick manufactured in the Southern Hemisphere and Asia but never offered in North America. Daewoo, Wuling and Baojun are other Asian brands covered in detail. This volume concludes with recording the remarkable early success of Holden and its continued independence through to today.

Volume Three covers the smaller assembly operations around the world and the evolution of GM’s export operations. A brief history of Isuzu, Subaru and Suzuki looks at the three minority interests GM held in Asia. The GM North American model specifications are the most comprehensive to be found in a single book. Global and regional sales statistics are included. GM executives and management from around the globe are listed with the roles they held. An index ensures that these volumes serve as the ideal reference source on GM.

Details:

	Number	Number of	Images –
	of Pages:	Color:	B&W:
Volume I	612	599	108
Volume II	472	394	27
Volume III	486	36	3
Total	1,570	1,209	138


	Price: US$
	Hardcover	ISBN:
Volume I	$60.00	978-1-4602-9686-8
Volume II	$50.00	978-1-4602-9688-2
Volume III	$50.00	978-1-4602-9690-5
Total	$160.00

Website Link to Purchase Books:

Volume I http://www.friesenpress.com/bookstore/title/119734000036356095

Volume II http://www.friesenpress.com/bookstore/title/119734000035588157

Volume III http://www.friesenpress.com/bookstore/title/119734000036356081

Purchase from Author – All Volumes $150.00 – Email Contact L4ie@telus.net

Reviews:

We think of General Motors being as American as apple pie and baseball, but, in reality, this corporate giant has, for more than 100 years, had a worldwide footprint, with plants and different brands in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. The topic of GM’s automotive history outside of the U. S. is so vast in scope that it has never before been tackled in its totality. With the help from research assistant Martin J. Schaefer, former General Motors Overseas Operations employee and current Society of Automotive Historians president Louis F. Fourie has done the inconceivable and authored a three-volume set of books that is, according to GM Heritage, the most extensive and detailed history ever written about the company, from a global perspective. Three hardcover books encompass 1,570 total pages and include illustrated comprehensive histories of scratch-started or purchased former and current GM-owned marques like Vauxhall, Saab, Holden, and Daewoo, plus special international variations of Buick, Chevrolet, Opel, and more. Charts detail mechanical specifications and production figures of each model built, and key executives are profiled. It’s an incredible achievement, fascinating to anyone interested in automotive history, and an indispensable reference for GM enthusiasts around the globe.

Mark J. McCourt
Hemmings Motor News

Table of Contents:

Volume I Opel, Vauxhall, Saab and Lotus from Europe

	PART ONE Adam Opel from Germany
CHAPTER 1	Sewing Machines, Bicycles and External Designs	6
CHAPTER 2	The Opel Designs, 1902 – 1914	17
CHAPTER 3	World War I and Subsequent Desperate Times, 1914 – 1929	40
CHAPTER 4	GM Arrives – Innovation for the 1930s	58
CHAPTER 5	World War II and Post War Expansion	78
CHAPTER 6	Kadett Returns and Opel Soars	96
CHAPTER 7	From Shapely Sleek to Polished Prestige	113
CHAPTER 8	Superior Handling for the 1970s	126
Appendix P1-1	Opel Management	134
Appendix P1-2	Opel Specifications 1899 – 1929	137
Appendix P1-3	Opel Specifications 1930 – 1977	142
Appendix P1-4	Opel Production Numbers	147

	PART TWO Vauxhall from the United Kingdom
CHAPTER 9	Vauxhall Gardens, Luton and Flutes	154
CHAPTER 10	The Pomeroy Designs	162
CHAPTER 11	Early Sporting Years	173
CHAPTER 12	GM’s Experiment in Overseas Manufacture	184
CHAPTER 13	Innovations for the Thriving Thirties	193
CHAPTER 14	From War to Flamboyant Fifties	206
CHAPTER 15	Expanding Sixties	220
CHAPTER 16	Severe Seventies Leads to Ophalls	232
Appendix P2-5	Vauxhall Management	239
Appendix P2-6	Vauxhall Specifications 1903 – 1924	241
Appendix P2-7	Vauxhall Specifications 1926 – 1978	243
Appendix P2-8	Vauxhall Production, Sales and Financial Numbers	247

	PART THREE Global Designs from Opel
CHAPTER 17	World Car By Default	253
CHAPTER 18	Cementing a Sporting Image	262
CHAPTER 19	Front-Wheel Drive and Wearing the Crest of Every GM Brand	278
CHAPTER 20	New Territory, Super-Mini	288
CHAPTER 21	The Fastest 4-Door Sedan in the World	300
CHAPTER 22	A Growth Sector – SUVs	314
CHAPTER 23	Opel’s Automotive Centenary	331
CHAPTER 24	Exotic Roadster	345
CHAPTER 25	FlexSpace – Clever Versatility	359
CHAPTER 26	The Impact of Ownership Structure	371
CHAPTER 27	The Emerging Influence of South Korea	382
CHAPTER 28	To Sell or Not to Sell	396
CHAPTER 29	Indulge the Desires of Enthusiastic Drivers	415
Appendix P3-9	Specifications For Global Designs (Mostly) from Opel, 1973 – 2015	418
Appendix P3-10	Engine Specifications of Opel, Vauxhall & Common GM Brands	433

	PART FOUR Saab AB from Sweden
CHAPTER 30	Origins and an Entry Into Automobiles	450
CHAPTER 31	New Horizons, Mr. Saab and So Neat	463
CHAPTER 32	Swedish Elegance	481
CHAPTER 33	Turbocharging, the Ticket to the Premium Seats	492
CHAPTER 34	An Italian Dance	507
CHAPTER 35	GM in Search of a Premium Brand	516
CHAPTER 36	A True Saab	523
CHAPTER 37	Filling Gaps in the Product Line and Building a Cadillac	536
CHAPTER 38	GM Bows out of Saab	550
Appendix P4-11	Saab Executives and Management	556
Appendix P4-12	Saab Specifications	559
Appendix P4-13	Saab Production Numbers	565

	PART FIVE Lotus from the United Kingdom
CHAPTER 39	Sporting Specials Plus Some Assembly Required	569
CHAPTER 40	Light But Strong Backbone and Mid-Engine Magic	578
CHAPTER 41	The Elite and Giugiaro’s Grant to Supercar Status	587
CHAPTER 42	More Than GM Ever Bargained For	598
Appendix P5-14	Lotus Specifications	605
Appendix Vol.2-15	Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations	609

Volume II Holden, Daewoo and Unique Variations of Chevrolet, Buick and Opel

	PART SIX Chevrolet in Brazil
CHAPTER 43	Turbulent Beginnings, Local Content and Competition	616
CHAPTER 44	Early GM Manufacture in the Sixties	621
CHAPTER 45	First with a World Car Design for the Seventies	633
CHAPTER 46	Navigating the Nineties with Some Imports	642
CHAPTER 47	New Century, New Plants and New Designs	654
Appendix P6-16	GM do Brasil Executives and Management	671
Appendix P6-17	Chevrolet Brazil Specifications	672
Appendix P6-18	Chevrolet Brazil Engine Specifications	678
Appendix P6-19	Chevrolet Brazil Production	684

	PART SEVEN Chevrolet and Opel in Argentina
CHAPTER 48	Sporadic Opportunity	687
CHAPTER 49	GM Returns	694
Appendix P7-20	GM Argentina Executives and Management	697
Appendix P7-21	GM Argentina Chevrolet and Opel Specifications	698

	PART EIGHT Chevrolet, Opel and Ranger in South Africa
CHAPTER 50	Opportunity But Escalating Local Content Requirements	701
CHAPTER 51	Cosmopolitan Chevrolets	706
CHAPTER 52	Back to Opel but GM Departs for a Few Years	715
Appendix P8-22	GM South Africa Executives and Management	719
Appendix P8-23	GM South Africa Specifications	720
Appendix P8-24	GM South Africa Sales	725

	PART NINE Chevrolet and Daewoo from South Korea
CHAPTER 53	Early Alliances	730
CHAPTER 54	GM’s First Joint Venture	735
CHAPTER 55	Exported to GM Markets	748
CHAPTER 56	GM Departs	756
CHAPTER 57	Rapid Growth Yet Soon Stretched Too Far	764
CHAPTER 58	GM Returns	774
CHAPTER 59	Globalizing the Chevrolet Brand	782
CHAPTER 60	Platform Unity Returns	788
CHAPTER 61	Daewoo Brand Retired But It’s a Success Story	799
Appendix P9-25	GM Korea/Daewoo Executives and Sales/ Production	804
Appendix P9-26	GM Korea Daewoo/Chevrolet Specifications	805

	PART TEN Buick, Chevrolet, Wuling and Baojun in China
CHAPTER 62	Incredible Opportunity	817
CHAPTER 63	Why Buick?	821
CHAPTER 64	Murtaugh’s Micro-vans	828
CHAPTER 65	LaChina LaCrosse	837
CHAPTER 66	A Chinese Chevrolet. Where is the Ceiling?	847
Appendix P10-27	GM China Executives and Management	862
Appendix P10-28	GM China Buick, Chevrolet, Wuling & Baojun Specifications	863
Appendix P10-29	GM China Buick, Chevrolet, Wuling & Baojun Engine Specifications	872

	PART ELEVEN Holden in Australia
CHAPTER 67	Holdfast Heritage	880
CHAPTER 68	GM (Australia) Pty. Ltd. And GM-Holden’s Ltd	885
CHAPTER 69	Holden’s War and Postwar Activities	894
CHAPTER 70	The Pride of Australia	901
CHAPTER 71	A Smaller Companion	917
CHAPTER 72	HQ – High Quality	929
CHAPTER 73	Leaning Towards Japan and Europe	940
CHAPTER 74	The Crown Slips Off and Regulations Bite	952
CHAPTER 75	Toyota Alliance – Button’s Bite But Soon Unbuttoned	968
CHAPTER 76	Monaro Migrates to the USA and UK	985
CHAPTER 77	Holden Special Vehicles	996
CHAPTER 78	Those Stubborn Australians Win As Usual	1007
CHAPTER 79	Holden Special Vehicles E Series	1016
CHAPTER 80	The Most Successful Division, But Spoken Too Soon	1026
Appendix P11-30	Holden Executives and Management	1029
Appendix P11-31	Holden Specifications	1031
Appendix P11-32	Holden Engine Specifications	1056
Appendix P11-33	HSV Range	1064
Appendix P11-34	Holden Body Production Pre-WWII	1069

	PART TWELVE Conclusion
CHAPTER 81	A Sad End But a Bright Future Awaits	1073
Appendix Vol.2-35	Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations	1081

Volume III GM Worldwide, North American Specifications and Executive Listings

	PART THIRTEEN A Corporate Review of GM International
Appendix P13-36	Spreading Wings	1087
Appendix P13-37	Foreign Manufacturing	1093
Appendix P13-38	Minority Interests and Joint Ventures	1098
Appendix P13-39	Corporate Executive Listing – Export, Overseas and International	1102

	PART FOURTEEN Worldwide GM Plants
Appendix P14-40	General Motors North America (GMNA)	1111
Appendix P14-41	General Motors Europe (GME)	1117
Appendix P14-42	General Motors Asia Pacific (GMAP)	1129
Appendix P14-43	General Motors Latin America, Africa and Mid-East (GMLAAM)	1144
Appendix P14-44	Selected Specifications from Plants Not Reviewed Elsewhere	1153
Appendix P14-45	Selected Specifications of Other Makes Using GM Engines	1160
Appendix P14-46	GM Plants – North America	1163
Appendix P14-47	GM Plants – International	1168
Appendix P14-48	GM Component Operations	1172
Appendix P14-49	GM Production and Sales Statistics	1173

	PART FIFTEEN Affiliates, Links and Name Combinations
Appendix P15-50	Fiat Auto S. p. A.	1203
Appendix P15-51	Isuzu Motors Limited	1206
Appendix P15-52	Subaru – Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.	1211
Appendix P15-53	Suzuki Motors Company	1218
Appendix P15-54	GM’s Links to Most of the Auto Industry	1227
Appendix P15-55	Name Combinations	1230

	PART SIXTEEN GM North American Specifications
Appendix P16-56	Lesser Known GM Automobiles Cartercar, Ellmore,	1243
	Ewing, Rainier, Scripps-Booth, Sheridan, Welch & Companion Makes
Appendix P16-57	Buick Specifications 1904 – 2015	1259
Appendix P16-58	Cadillac Specifications 1903 – 2015	1290
Appendix P16-59	Chevrolet Specifications 1912 – 1954	1308
Appendix P16-60	Chevrolet Specifications 1955 – 2015	1311
Appendix P16-61	Chevrolet Engine Specifications 1955 – 2015	1340
Appendix P16-62	Oldsmobile Specifications 1901 – 2004	1354
Appendix P16-63	Pontiac Specifications 1926 – 1954	1380
Appendix P16-64	Pontiac Specifications 1955 – 2009	1383
Appendix P16-65	Pontiac Engine Specifications 1926 – 2009	1406
Appendix P16-66	Canadian Pontiac Specifications 1937 – 1970	1419
Appendix P16-67	Canadian Pontiac Engine Specifications 1937 – 1970	1425
Appendix P16-68	Saturn Specifications 1991 – 2010	1428
Appendix P16-69	Obsolete GM Makes – Specifications 1900 – 1939	1431
Appendix P16-70	GM Body and Platform Listing	1440

	PART SEVENTEEN GM Executives and Management
Appendix P17-71	GM Corporate Executives and Management	1449
Appendix P17-72	GM North American Executives and Management	1452
Appendix P17-73	GM International Executives and Management	1464
Appendix P17-74	GM Executives and Management – Alphabetical Listing	1473
Appendix Vol.3-75	References	1517
Appendix Vol.3-76	Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations	1537
Appendix Vol.3-77	Bibliography	1541
	Index	1545