General Motors is a bit of a giant. Honestly, if you've ever bought a car in the U.S., you've probably put money into their pockets without even realizing it. But the list of companies owned by General Motors isn't as long as it used to be. Back in the day, they were snatching up brands like kids in a candy store—Saab, Hummer, Pontiac, Saturn. Most of those are gone now. Today, the portfolio is leaner, focused mostly on four core pillars and a few high-tech side projects that are currently going through some serious growing pains.
The Big Four: Who’s Still Standing?
You know the names. Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac. These are the survivors. Basically, GM decided a few years ago that having ten brands competing for the same customers was a terrible business move. They trimmed the fat.
Chevrolet is the bread and butter. It’s the brand that pays the bills. From the Silverado to the Corvette, Chevy is meant to be the "everyman" brand. In 2026, they're leaning hard into the "Corvette as a sub-brand" idea, which has some purists totally losing their minds. Imagine a Corvette SUV. Yeah, it’s happening.
GMC is an interesting one. It’s technically "Professional Grade," which is just marketing speak for "it’s a Chevy truck but with nicer leather and a different grille." But people love it. The profit margins on a GMC Yukon or Sierra are massive.
Then you have Buick. You might think of it as a brand for grandparents, but it’s actually GM’s secret weapon in China. Seriously, Buick is huge over there. In the states, they’ve ditched sedans entirely to focus on crossovers like the Enclave and Envision.
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Cadillac is the luxury arm. They’ve spent the last decade trying to out-German the Germans. With the Celestiq and the Lyriq, they are basically the "high-tech" lab for the rest of the company.
The Tech Subsidiaries: Cruise and the Robotaxi Drama
If you’ve been following the news, you know Cruise has had a rough ride. GM owns almost the entire company (about 97% as of early 2026), but the dream of a fleet of driverless "Origin" pods is essentially dead.
Late in 2024 and through 2025, GM pulled the plug on the dedicated robotaxi project. It was just too expensive. Scaling a business where cars drive themselves in complex city traffic turned out to be a money pit that even a giant like GM couldn't justify anymore.
Instead, they've absorbed the Cruise tech into their personal vehicle teams. The goal now? Making Super Cruise—their hands-free highway driving system—the best in the world. They aren't trying to replace the driver anymore; they just want to make the driver's life easier.
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BrightDrop: The Brand That Didn't Make It
One of the more recent additions to the list of companies owned by General Motors was BrightDrop. It was supposed to be the future of delivery. All-electric vans, smart pallets, the whole deal. FedEx and Walmart were even testing them out.
But as we hit 2026, BrightDrop is officially being shuttered. The demand for commercial EVs just didn't hit the way Mary Barra and the executive team thought it would. High costs and the loss of federal tax credits in late 2025 basically killed the business case. GM is now pivoting back to what it knows best: internal combustion engines and high-volume consumer EVs like the Bolt and Equinox.
The Financial Backbone
Don't forget GM Financial. It’s not a car brand, but it’s arguably the most important company GM owns. They are the ones who lend you the money to buy the car. Without this subsidiary, the whole machine stops. They provide the floorplan financing for dealerships and the leases for customers.
Joint Ventures and Global Partners
Outside the U.S., the ownership gets a little murky. GM doesn't fully own these, but they have huge stakes:
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- SAIC-GM-Wuling: This is a partnership in China. They make the Hong Guang Mini EV, which at one point was the best-selling EV in the world.
- GM Defense: This is a wholly-owned subsidiary that builds things like the Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) based on the Chevy Colorado.
Why the Portfolio Matters to You
When you buy a Cadillac, you're getting a lot of Chevy parts underneath. That’s not a bad thing—it means parts are cheap and easy to find. But it also means that if one part of the GM empire struggles (like the software issues they faced in 2024), it tends to ripple through every brand they own.
Actionable Insights for Buyers:
- Cross-shop the twins: If you’re looking at a GMC Sierra, always check the Chevy Silverado price. They are built on the same line with the same engines.
- Check the tech: If you want the best self-driving features, look for models with "Super Cruise." It’s the direct result of GM’s multi-billion dollar investment in Cruise.
- Watch the warranties: Since GM Financial handles most of the paper, look for "Certified Pre-Owned" deals that are backed directly by the parent company for better interest rates.
GM is much smaller than it was twenty years ago, but it’s arguably much healthier. They've stopped trying to be everything to everyone and are focusing on where the money actually is: trucks, SUVs, and luxury EVs.