General Motors, Starter Homes, and Mamdani's Grocery Stores

Founded in 1908 by William Durant, General Motors is the parent company of some of America's most iconic car brands, including Buick, GMC, Chevrolet, and Cadillac. Headquartered in Detroit, GM is among the "Big Three" automakers alongside manufacturing heavyweights Ford and Stellantis (which now owns Chrysler). The brand has been listed in the Fortune 500's No. 1 spot more times than any other company. At its peak, GM's market capitalization hit over $90B around 2021. However, due to factors including tariffs and losses tied to its electric vehicle production pullback, GM's market cap had declined to about $77B by August 2026.

> Why Alfred Sloan is credited with General Motors' success despite not being its founder. (More)
> What professors at Harvard Business School think led to General Motors' 2009 bankruptcy. (More)

Throughout the 20th century, fierce competition between Ford Motor Company and General Motors drove rapid advancements in automobiles, leading to the personal vehicle becoming a fixture in American life. While Ford focused its early efforts on the highly affordable Model T, GM offered a multitude of brands at varying price points—ultimately helping it beat out Ford as the largest American car manufacturer in 1931.

> How GM beat Ford. (More)

> See a timeline of important moments in GM history. (More)

Today, GM is often used as a proxy for understanding the health of the American economy: It supported nearly 1 million domestic jobs as of April 2025, and, in 2021, contributed $10B more to the US GDP than the value of all US crop production combined. GM has also been at the center of multiple scandals, including labor disputes, consumer safety concerns over its cars' hardware and driverless-car investments, and the government assistance it received in the wake of the Great Recession.

> The inside story of the famous quote, "What's good for General Motors is good for America." (More)

> Listen to a reflection on General Motors' role in American life. (More)

Discover more: 

> How the founder of General Motors lost his fortune. (More, w/video)

> Who is Mary Barra, the first female CEO of General Motors? (More)

> Why GM abandoned its controversial robotaxi efforts in 2024. (More)

🫶 Humankind: A 21-year-old in Tennessee raised $146K for an elderly movie theater worker's retirement. 

 News in Context 

1440 brings you the knowledge and context behind the week's stories:

As mortgage rates climb past 7%, a Massachusetts ballot measure is aiming to make housing more affordable by amending the state's zoning act, allowing more starter homes to be built on smaller lots. (More)

> Why Americans now have a hard time finding starter homes.

> McMansions are still popular despite criticisms—here's why.

American Express is introducing a framework intended to prevent AI agents from making unauthorized purchases as public fears around agents going rogue intensify. (More)

> The secrets of the American Express black card. 

> Two of American Express' cofounders also founded Wells Fargo. 

The grocery chain Kroger will lay off about 3,000 employees over the next three years as it plans to increase AI adoption. (More)

> What to do if you're worried AI will eliminate your job. 

> See how AI is being implemented across the labor market.

Shares in Six Flags declined as much as 16% Tuesday, after one person died and several were injured on one of the theme park's roller coasters Monday. (More)

> The economics of roller coasters. 

> Why roller coaster loops aren't circular.

One Story We're Taking Stock In

A Brooklyn branding agency known for helping design upmarket products has a new client: New York City Mayor Mamdani's new city-owned grocery stores. It's a significant departure for Gander, which is known for design work on specialty food products that often grace the shelves of Whole Foods, such as Graza olive oil and Magic Spoon cereal. The agency's only known grocery store client is the pricey Pop Up Grocer, a trendy boutique minichain with primary storefronts in some of New York City's most expensive real estate markets, such as the West Village.  

Critics argue that Gander is a strange choice for the project, noting that the ostensible point of these grocery stores is to make products as affordable for New Yorkers as possible. The story below—one of our favorite reads of the week—provides further details on the controversial partnership.

> The Graza olive-oil people are designing Mamdani’s new groceries. (Read)

> See next week's 1440 Health & Medicine newsletter for a deep dive on food deserts. (Sign up here)

 Etcetera 

> Inside a $31.8M extreme couponing scheme that landed a couple in prison.

> The CD with rates that changed based on Villanova basketball games.

> Every time the US government has shut down due to funding failures since 1976.

> Why China has a "ghost town" of abandoned mansions.

> Dollar stores can be bad for the neighborhoods they operate in—here's why.

> Explore the state of housing affordability where you live with this tool.

> Amazon's rivalry with Walmart, explained. 
 

> The states that have estate or inheritance taxes.

> How the way dating apps make money is changing.
 

> The dark side of becoming an influencer.

> See the history of American income tax rates.

> How buy now, pay later services work.