It's taken all that time for GM to come up with a plan and then get it approved by the Detroit Auto Dealers Association that sponsors the January show, Zarrella explained. Plus, he joked, GM had to save up to pay for this display. He declined several times to give a specific cost for the display, saying only that it cost more than US$10 million and less than $100 million.
He said it would be worth the cost for GM to impress upon the media, its customers and the world in general how great was its global footprint.
To that end, each brand will be clearly showcased through distinctive architecture and materials to reflect its unique positioning, said Ronald Zarrella, executive vice president of General Motors Corporation and president of GM North America. Two of GM's close partners, Isuzu and Suzuki, will be in an adjacent space.
''Pulling together the worldwide GM family and demonstrating our global leadership is representative of the aggressive spirit and the competitive drive that is growing throughout the company," said Zarrella. ''It also presents the depth and breadth being applied in our quest to be the industry's product innovation leader."
As an example of that, Zarrella noted that there will be three ''advanced class vehicle concepts that apply the company's worldwide resources to meet specific regional needs. Innovation and sales leaders from the global portfolio will be on display. And, four all-new concept vehicles, plus two innovative new productionvehicles will debut as well.''