A Chevrolet Centennial
Paul Sakuma / AP
Financial Challenges
As a subsidiary of the automotive giant, Chevrolet's history was tied to the trajectory of General Motors throughout the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. Multiple recessions took their toll on the parent company, although GM was able to regain market share through SUV sales and production improvements. The effects of the September 11 attacks, along with underfunded pension plans hurt the company's finances; it had hemorrhaged several of its subsidiary companies by the global financial crisis in 2008, during which it received a bailout from the U.S. government. In this photo, Chevrolets sit outside a San Jose, California dealership on May 15, 2009.
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