President Cowger to Open LA Auto Show With Address to Media on Dec. 29

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 30 -- Gary L. Cowger, president of General Motors (GM) North America, will share his perspectives and insights on the sometimes unpredictable automobile industry during his Dec. 29 keynote address at the 2004 Greater Los Angeles Auto Show. Cowger's speech will open the two Media Days (Dec. 29, 2003-30). The Motor Press Guild, the largest organization of automotive journalists in the country, hosts the annual industry event.

Cowger was elected GM North America president in November 2001 to oversee all GM operations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, culminating a rise through the ranks that began in 1965 as a co-op student at the Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac Division plant in his hometown of Kansas City, Kansas. Along the way, career highlights included receiving a master of science in management from MIT (1978); helping Cadillac (as manufacturing manager) receive a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (1987); becoming president of General Motors de Mexico (1994); vice president, manufacturing for GM Europe (1998) and group vice president in charge of GM manufacturing and labor relations (2001).

"This is a brutally competitive market," said Cowger. "But at the end of the day, best car or truck wins. Period. We think our industry-leading truck lineup and the focus we have on our car portfolio has us pointed in the right direction to succeed."

The MPG Breakfast and Keynote is open to all accredited journalists and LA Auto Show Media Days participants. Manufacturer news conferences will follow Cowger's remarks, where a number of production and concept vehicles will be making their World or North American debut.

"Gary Cowger has taken the reigns of GM in North America at a juncture Dickens might have called 'the best of times and the worst of times,'" said Ben Stewart, president of MPG and west coast editor of Popular Mechanics. "GM has many products in the pipeline, but there have been few times in the history of the auto industry when there have been more choices for consumers. Getting the thoughts of someone in the center of the story should be interesting for all of us."

The LA Auto Show is permanently expanding to become a 10-day event that more conveniently accommodates growing consumer interest, opening Friday, Jan. 2, 2004 and running daily through Sunday, Jan. 11 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.