General Motors Launches New Lifestyle Platform “The Durant Guild” for Import Business in China

On September 8, General Motors announced the launch of a brand new lifestyle platform, The Durant Guild, for its import business in China, bringing its most iconic models to the Chinese market.

According to General Motors, The Durant Guild is a lifestyle platform designed specifically for its import business in China, named after the founder of General Motors, William Durant. The platform will have a core exclusive community approach, facing consumers directly and focusing on people, cars, and lifestyles, selecting the most classic car models from General Motors’ brands to create a personalized automotive living experience together with consumers.

The Durant Guild platform will serve the following visions:

• The Durant Guild will select the most iconic car models from General Motors’ brands and create a personalized automotive living experience with Chinese consumers.

• Call on like-minded leaders to join the exclusive community, showcasing diverse lifestyle experiences through various representative automobile products such as the GMC Hummer EV and the Corvette sports car.

• General Motors will introduce high-end pure electric and fuel vehicles through its new import business, providing Chinese consumers with more personalized choices and promoting further development of its Chinese business.

Starting on September 9, The Durant Guild will hold a one-week offline exhibition named “The Realm of Courage” in Shanghai, showcasing vehicles such as the GMC Hummer EV, Yukon, Chevrolet Tahoe, Solrod, and Corvette models.

Julian Blissett, General Motors’ Global Executive Vice President and President of General Motors China, said:

“The Durant Guild will bring the most unique products and experiences together on one platform, entering some new niche markets, and providing Chinese consumers with more diversified choices.”

Felix Weller, President of The Durant Guild, said:

“As a platform that integrates social, cultural, and innovative elements, The Durant Guild will open up a brand new space for us to interact with consumers and find the most exciting products that can blend into people’s personalized lifestyles.”

About General Motors Founder William Durant

In 1886, Durant and partner Josiah Dallas Dort founded the Flint Wagon Works, which eventually became the Durant-Dort Carriage Company and became one of the largest carriage manufacturers in the world, with sales of $2 million over the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

In 1904, Durant joined the management team of Buick. With the resources of the Durant-Dort Carriage Company and Durant’s superb sales skills, Buick became one of America’s most successful car companies.

Similarly to his competitor Henry Ford, Durant believed that cars had great appeal. Ford was committed to producing a single model, the Model T, while Durant envisioned different models and pricing based on buyers’ different needs and financial capabilities. He purchased Cadillac and a dozen other vehicle and parts manufacturers. In 1908, these companies were merged into General Motors Corporation.

By 1911, General Motors was losing money. Some investors felt that Durant’s rampant acquisition was too reckless and ousted him.

Through his collaboration with Louis Chevrolet, a racer and self-taught automotive engineer, Durant began marketing the Chevrolet C-Series Classic Six and the popular Royal Mail Roadster. Durant exchanged a large amount of Chevrolet stock for General Motors stock until he held controlling stakes in both companies. By 1916, he was once again in control of General Motors.

During his second tenure, Durant acquired several companies including Fisher Body and Frigidaire. However, after engaging in high-risk stock trading, he was ousted again in 1920. Durant lost nearly $1 billion in the 1929 stock market crash and declared personal bankruptcy in 1936.

By 1940, Durant had conceived a nationwide chain of family-oriented bowling alleys and opened North Flint Recreation, a bowling alley located near the Buick factory in Flint. He died in New York in 1947 at the age of 85.

At the Daolangge exhibition, visitors can learn about this historical process in detail at the “Fearless Prologue” section at the entrance. Daolangge will also arrange brand ambassadors to explain to visitors.

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.