The best General Motors model of all time is the Chevrolet Corvette, in production since 1953 and now in its eighth generation as a mid-engine sports car. GM has built hundreds of models across Chevrolet, Cadillac, Pontiac and Hummer, so our ranking looks at how many people they moved and how long the idea survived. This update corrects what has ended since the first version: the Camaro (production stopped in December 2023), the Cadillac CTS (2019), the Chevrolet Volt (2019) and the Hummer brand as of 2010.
| Rank | Model | Years | Status in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevrolet Corvette | 1953 to now | C8 mid-engine generation, Grand Sport due for 2027 |
| 2 | Chevrolet Camaro | 1966 to 2002, 2009 to 2023 | Production ended in December 2023 |
| 3 | Pontiac GTO | 1963 to 1974, 2004 to 2006 | Pontiac brand gone |
| 4 | Corvette Sting Ray (concept) | 1957 to 1963 | Became the 1963 production car |
| 5 | Cadillac Escalade | 1999 to now | Gas and electric Escalade IQ ($130,000) |
| 6 | Camaro, fifth generation | 2009 to 2015 | Revived the nameplate |
| 7 | Chevrolet Volt | 2010 to 2019 | Discontinued |
| 8 | Cadillac CTS | 2002 to 2019 | Replaced by the CT5 |
| 9 | Hummer H2 | 2003 to 2009 | Hummer brand discontinued 2010 |
| 10 | Hummer H3 | 2005 to 2010 | Discontinued |
1. Chevrolet Corvette: America’s sports car
Designed under Harley Earl and shown at the 1953 Motorama show, the Corvette went into production in 1953 and has never really left. The C8, the mid-engine generation, added right-hand-drive production for the first time, for Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the UK. The Z06 (unveiled on October 26, 2021, with the LT6 engine) accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds, according to Chevrolet. The E-Ray hybrid arrived in January 2023, and a new Grand Sport with a 6.7-liter V8 was unveiled in March 2026 for the 2027 model year.
The C8.R race car won the 2020 and 2021 IMSA championships and the 2023 World Endurance Championship, which is the best advertising a road car can get.
2. Chevrolet Camaro: the Mustang rival that ran out of road
GM began teasing a Mustang competitor in 1965, and the first Camaro debuted in September 1966 as a 2+2 coupe or convertible. Production stopped in 2002, was revived with the fifth generation in 2009, and ended again with the sixth generation in December 2023.
We still rank it second because it is the best-known pony car that GM ever built.
3. Pontiac GTO: the car that started the muscle era
The GTO started as a US$295 option package on the Tempest LeMans in 1963, with a 389 cubic-inch V8 rated at 325 hp. It became a separate model in 1966, and the name came from the Ferrari 250 GTO. Pontiac revived it for 2004 to 2006.
The original sales forecast of 5,000 cars proved far too low. Pontiac itself was closed by GM, so the GTO is a ghost of a division.
4. Corvette Sting Ray concept: the design that became the 1963 car
The privately funded 1957 concept was built by Bill Mitchell, Pete Brock and Larry Shinoda, with a light 2,200-pound body and a 4.6-liter V8. It reused elements of the Q-Corvette design and its styling drove the second-generation Corvette, which reached production in 1963.
Concepts rarely matter this much. This one set the shape of GM’s top sports car for years.
5. Cadillac Escalade: the SUV Cadillac had to build
GM launched the Escalade for the 1999 model year in response to Lincoln’s Navigator, and the second generation (2002) put a 5.3-liter V8 under the hood with 285 hp at first. The first one came with a Bose audio system, a first for an SUV.
It is now an electric model too: the Escalade IQ went on sale in late 2024 for the 2025 model year, starting at $130,000.
6. Chevrolet Camaro, fifth generation: the retro revival
Approved on August 10, 2006, and on sale in spring 2009 as a 2010 model, the fifth-generation Camaro was based on the 2006 Camaro Concept. The V6 made 312 hp, and the SS version used a 6.2-liter V8 with 426 hp. On April 1, 2010 it won World Car Design of the Year.
It brought the Camaro back for another 14 years.
7. Chevrolet Volt: a plug-in hybrid that arrived early
Sales started in the US in December 2010. About 177,000 Volt and Ampera units were sold globally by the end of October 2018. The second generation was unveiled in January 2015, and GM discontinued the car in 2019.
The Volt drove on battery power until the charge fell to a threshold, then used a gas engine as a generator. That idea is now mainstream, which is why we keep it.
8. Cadillac CTS: Cadillac’s German-fighter
The CTS arrived in 2002 as a mid-size luxury sedan, the first Cadillac with a manual transmission since the 1988 Cimarron. The CTS-V arrived in 2004 with a 400-hp 5.7-liter V8 to take on the BMW M3 and M5.
It ended in 2019 and was replaced by the CT5, which shares its platform with the last CTS.
9. Hummer H2: the biggest civilian SUV GM built
Produced from 2003 to 2009, the H2 seated six and was built by AM General in Mishawaka, Indiana. It had a 316-hp 6.0-liter V8 at first, 325 hp from 2005, and a 393-hp 6.2-liter V8 in 2008.
GM announced it would discontinue the Hummer brand in February 2010.
10. Hummer H3: the smaller Hummer
The H3 was a smaller, cheaper Hummer, launched for the 2006 model year with a 3.5-liter five-cylinder making 220 hp; a 3.7-liter with 242 hp followed in 2007. GM built it in Shreveport, Louisiana, and the last H3T came off the line on May 24, 2010.
It was a very capable off-roader that happened to arrive at the wrong time for gas prices.
FAQ
What is the best General Motors car ever?
The Chevrolet Corvette, in production since 1953 and still GM’s halo sports car.
Is the Chevrolet Camaro discontinued?
Yes. Production of the sixth generation ended in December 2023.
What happened to Pontiac and Hummer?
GM closed Pontiac and announced in February 2010 that it would discontinue the Hummer brand.
Is the Cadillac Escalade electric now?
There is an electric Escalade IQ, on sale from late 2024 for the 2025 model year, starting at $130,000, alongside the gas model.
Does GM still make the Volt?
No. The Chevrolet Volt was discontinued in 2019.
How we put this list together
We ranked the models by influence, longevity and how far the idea reached beyond GM, using production histories and company announcements for specs and dates.
Several entries on this list have ended, and we say so with the date.
Last updated: October 2026.
