Consolidated Motors Corporation
From IBWiki
 
|
| Consolidated Motors Corporation | |
|---|---|
| |
| Type | Privately held company |
| Slogan | A car for each kind of people |
| Founded | 1908 |
| Location | Bridgeport, Connecticut, NAL |
| Key people | CEO & Director |
| Employees | 100 000 |
| Industry | Automotive industry |
| Products | Automobiles, trucks and buses |
| Revenue |  55 million SLC£
|
Consolidated Motors Corporation, also known as CM, is the third largest car manufacturer (after Toiota from Japan and Dorris Motorworks from Louisianne) based on annual sales figures. It's one of the so-called "Big Three", the three largest var manufacturers of North America (the others are Dorris Motorworks and National Motors Corporation).
Founded in 1908, CM employs approximately 100 000 people around the world. CM manufactures its cars and tucks in six countries (NAL, Federated Kingdoms, Australasia, South Africa, Samraj and Paraná).
CM cars and trucks are globally sold under the following six brands: Adirondack, Chevalier, CMC, Dover, Holmesmobile and Potomack.
CM’s largest national markets are NAL, Federated Kingdoms, Australasia, Samraj, Louisianne and Paraná.
Contents |
History
Early history
Consolidated Motors was founded in 1908 by the union of two car manufacturers from Bridgeport, Connecticut, NAL: Chevalier Motor Company (owned by the french brothers Gaston and Louis Chevalier) and Maxwell Dover Motors (owned by Richard Maxwell and Joseph Dover), producer of the MD car line.
Such union was primarily thought to compete with other NAL manufacturers. Chevalier brothers had the majority of the shares.
Expansion
In 1915 CM acquired Potomack Motor Company, from Balafor, Ter Mair. Later, in 1918 it acquired a luxury brand, Adirondack Motorworks, from Adirondack, Castreleon New. By then CM was the largest of all car making corporations in the NAL.
Exports started in 1919, firstly to other north american countries and in 1921 overseas. The Federated Kingdoms were the first non-american country to import CM cars. Here it had a certain success which made consider the shareholders that Europe would be a good exporting market.
In 1929 it tried to establish a subsidiary in Europe for the fist time. CM made a large loan to the banks in order to take over a major german car manufacturer, Adam Opel AG from Hessen. CM offered to the Opel shareholders an amount for each share larger than they valued. But CM only was able to take one third of the Opel’s shares. Possibly there was somekind of intervention or pressures from german government to avoid the stock exchange operation.
CM found then itself in a delicate financial situation caused by a large debt to the banks. It was forced to sell the Adam Opel’s shares and even so wasn’t able not to be taken by the banks.
The original CM’s founders lost then the control of the corporation although Louis Chevalier was kept as honorary president until his death.
Also during this period MD cars were renamed Dover, although the initials MD were kept in the brand’s logo, and Adirondack became the official car of the Octagon House serving all General Moderators since Franklin Donald Rosenberg.
Second Great War
The Second Great War was devastating for European car industry. Most of local car manufacturers replaced their production with military vehicles and weapons. Also many of the most distinguished continental brands (especially in France and in the Holy Roman Empire) were discontinued and often completely decimated by the war.
In North America car making continued but without exporting to Europe. As result north american production got smaller but even so the NAL and Louisianne together represented by then over three quarters of world’s production.
As NAL participated in the war CM also produced military vehicles during this period.
Post war
Europe came out of the war in ruins and a serious economical crisis. Personal transportation was then far away from being a priority. Public transportation became more important.
CM wasn’t yet able to mass export cars to Europe. Average European families couldn’t simply afford the cheapest Dover. In the continent some manufacturers restarted production. Notably luxury ones (the wealthiest always don’t feel the crisis in the same way as the poorer) and a new range of tiny cars of which the famous Egg Car, made by the bohemian company Ti Frojt Motorverki, was one of the best and most successful examples.
To return Europe CM created a new brand locally made: Atlantic Motor Corporation (AMC) based in England. In fact it didn’t really produced new models, just rebadged Dovers and Chevaliers in their most simple presentation. AMC was just able to produce in large numbers years later as European reconstruction progressed.
In North America CM was restructured. To avoid sales cannibalisation between its brands (which was happening especially between Potomack and Chevalier) was created a hierarchy based on luxury and prices. From now on CM brands shouldn’t be competitors within the corporation.
From bottom to top luxury there were now Dover, Chevalier, Potomack, Holmesmobile (a new brand created then named after John Holmes, a former engineer from Chevalier) and Adirondack. To each one was given a different “personality” focusing a different kind of driver. Such marketing strategy would soon be imitated world wide by other car manufacturers. Another brand was created, CMC, specialised in medium and heavy duty trucks so as buses.
Recent years
The 1960’s represented an expansion era to CM. new factories were built in Australasia, Samraj and South Africa. Now CM was present in all the continents.
But in Europe there was a major handicap. Although Europeans now demanded bigger cars the continental market was still mostly dominated by small ones, still leaded by the Frojt’s Egg Car. CM needed a range even lower than AMC to assure success in Europe.
Instead of creating a new brand CM took control of another English manufacturer, Issigonis, specialised in small cars. But it seemed to be too late. Frojt and others were by then too well established and the Issigonis were no match for the Egg Car. Curiously the Egg Car itself was produced under license by Dover for north american market.
In 1973 oil prices decreased to historical minimum levels in the so-called Oil Crisis of Hijra 1393. For car industry this event had a direct result. Cheap oil made car makers to build bigger cars and less economical. This world wide tendency was called “upsizing”.
For Issigonis these were bad news, it was discontinued in mid-1970’s. For the American market CM multiplied its larger models, even in the low and mid-luxury levels. Potomack especially had then glorious days with large engined ultra fast cars which became often seen driven by cinema heroes.
But things changed in 1980. Oil prices increased once again due to the Persia-Iraaq War. For up level luxury cars, notably Adirondack, there was no serious problem as the wealthy could always spend some more. But for the middle class Potomack was devastating. Since then Potomack brand loses its public every year. There was then the downsizing process as a general tendency, so cars got once again smaller.
In late 1980’s two marketing failures. AMC created its own models and a new brand, Findley, was created to compete with European high luxury speedy cars. Both operations failed causing tremendous costs and a serious blow on CM’s international image.
Today CM remains as the third largest car maker in the world. Just six brands are kept, still loyal to their given personality during the 1950’s.
Marketing
Distinguishing the brands
During the 1950’s CM created its present motto: “A car for each kind of people”. It was a marketing operation to avoid each of their car brands to cannibalise their sales. So was given to each brand a certain personality which remains until our days. Such strategy would be imitated by other car makers around the world.
Dover
Dover, one of the original CM brands, was always traditionally the bottom of the range within the corporation. It always had produced cheap and simple cars. Until the 1970’s it was the best selling brand but Chevalier took this position when cars got bigger on upsizing process.
Lately Dover became sportier in order to compete with asian car imports and to appeal to young drivers.
Together with Chevalier is the only brand also produced overseas.
Chevalier
Perfect example of a mainstream generalist brand. It has a full range of all sorts of cars, from small to large including off road vehicles and light commercials. Today is the best selling CM brand being responsible for more than half of all cars sold within the corporation. Chevaliers are meant to be popular cars but not as basic as Dovers.
It is also known by its nickname, Chevy.
Potomack
Until the 1950’s reforms Potomack had a similar position as Chevalier. Was between these two brands that sales cannibalisation was most visible. Then it was moved upmarket becoming a sporty mid-luxury brand in order to compete against Astra car line, from Dorris Motorworks. Potomack built a solid world widely recognised name by successes on car racing and by producing some of the most legendary CM models.
Sales progressed until the 1970’s when it became the third best selling brand. But when oil prices rose, on early 1980’s, was this the brand which suffered most as its buyers weren’t rich enough to sustain an increasingly oil prices progression. Since then sales decreased being nowadays the worst selling brand.
Potomack’s extinction is being lately often discussed but its strongly recognised name as always saved this brand. In fact for CM owning a brand with such racing history and strong name, even without direct profits, makes wonders for the image of the corporation around the world.
Holmesmobile
Holmesmobile brand was conceived during the 1950’s to fill the price and luxury gap between Potomack and Adirondack. It became a mid-luxury brand with a certain success. But mid-luxury car imports never let Holmesmobile grow much.
Adirondack
Top of the CM range in terms of luxury. It is known worldwide for its ostensive, luxurious, conservative and high quality cars. Typical Adirondack wears all possible chrome which is possible to put in a single car.
Since General Moderator Franklin Donald Rosenberg made of it the official car of the Octagon House (replacing english Rolls Royce) it became a strongly recognised car in the NAL and overseas. Nowadays only german Daimler-Benz serves more world rulers and governments being the most common used governmental car within the Commonwealth of Nations.
CMC
New brand created during the 1950’s for grouping the buses, medium and heavy duty trucks produced both by Chevalier and Potomack. Since then CMC became one of the world’s leading truck manufacturing brands.
Defunct brands
AMC
To assault European market was created in late 1950’s a new brand for Europe. Headquartered in England the CM manufacturing facilities there were grouped under the name Atlantic Motor Corporation. It was supposed to become a major car manufacturer to all Europe.
In fact AMC didn’t have its own models. Their cars were just rebadged Chevaliers and Dovers under AMC logo. It had a certain success selling cars in Europe.
During late 1980’s AMC finally introduced its own designed models. But the expected success never occurred and such dictated the end of AMC during the 1990’s. The name was dropped and since then its manufacturing facilities simply assemble Chevalier and Dover models.
Findley
On late 1980’s CM decided to compete with the high speed luxury brands from Europe. For that it invested a huge amount of money in making a whole new brand called Findley, named after Robert Findley (a famous former car racer from Potomack’s racing team).
Findley was never supposed for mass production as its market was only for the wealthiest. But these wealthiest always preferred the long history European speedy luxury cars instead of a brand that had just been born.
It took just four years until Findley name was abandoned becoming one of the largest failures on recent worldwide car manufacturing history. Also became a symbol of how much ingenuous large corporations can be.
Issigonis
An English brand acquired during the mid-1960’s in order to compete with the smallest European cars such as the Egg Car from the bohemian corporation Frojt. It was placed in European market as below AMC. As the upsizing process went by Issigonis was deleted from CM line up on mid-1970’s.
CM all over the world
America
CM remains the best selling car manufacturer in the NAL (over one third of local sales) so as a strong position all over America. Among American manufacturers only Dorris Motorworks is able to compete in sales volume in American car market.
Europe
The Federated Kingdoms are the only European country where CM remains as a major car selling company. In mainland Europe CM was never able to compete with local manufacturers mostly due to the late right driving prepared cars introduction which just happened during the 1960’s when European countries started only to homologate cars prepared for driving in the right side of the roads (and therefore with the driving wheel on the left of the vehicles).
Only Adirondack, CM’s high luxury brand, has some success although competition with local luxury manufacturers is rather harsh.
Other continents
CM is the best selling manufacturer in most of the Commonwealth of Nations member states. As in these countries people drive on the left CM never needed to convert their cars. Such always represented an advantage for FK and NAL car makers within the Commonwealth of Nations. However in later years Japanese manufacturers seem to be able to threaten CM leading position thanks to their cheap cars which are having a great success in Africa and Asia.
