The Open Mind
by General Motors. 1930.
32 pages with photographs

“....being the story, told by interesting examples, of how General Motors seeks and discovers facts....tests and uses them with an open mind”

In GM there are thousands of engineers, scientists, manufacturers, and craftsmen, who not only satisfy consumer needs but anticipate those of the future. Their job is to improve the quality, performance, service and value of GM products.

This booklet begins by describing some of the past research and development work conducted by the GM Research Laboratories and GM employees:

Self-starters
Ethyl gasoline
Engine combustion
Duco paint
Fan belts
Dynamometer testing
Cold climate testing
Warm climate testing
Night driving testing
Metal strength

The GM Technical Data Section is the clearing house for everything that goes on in the GM Research Laboratories and connects the facts that have been gathered with the manufacturing divisions.

The creation of the 1,268-acre GM Milford Proving Grounds (45 miles from Detroit) became the place where automotive facts were established and every kind of imaginable driving condition was duplicated. It consists of every possible kind of road - mud, dirt, brick, sand, gravel, tar and concrete. There are hills, a four-mile concrete banked loop, two mile and a half long straightaway and complete service garages. More than 135 tests are conducted.

GM Proving Ground engineers work without prejudice to gather the facts about GM vehicles, as well as competitor vehicles. Not only is testing taken off the public highway, where it endangers human life, but the controlled conditions at the Proving Ground enables testing to be accurately conducted in less time and at less cost.

By steadily and open mindedly getting and using all the facts, GM products have been proven by tests. Here is what GM gives the buyers of its products:

Engineering Excellence
Fair Price Policy
High Resale Value
General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC)
Combined Purchasing Power
Volume Production
Finest Body Work
World-wide Markets and Service
Permanence

When a consumer is in the market for something General Motors sells, they are reminded to consider the advantages of these products of the open mind.

Click here to view the entire manual.

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