Memories of GMPG - the General Motors Proving Ground

摘要

On September 25, 1924, the General Motors Proving Ground (GMPG) opened for business in Milford, ML It was the world's first dedicated automotive testing facility, and was comprised of two buildings and 5.5 miles of test roads on 1,125 undeveloped acres about 40 miles west of Detroit. GMPG was the brainchild of General Motors' eighth president and second chairman, Alfred P. Sloan. An MIT electrical engineering graduate, Sloan fully understood the value of product testing and saw the need for a dedicated place to do it, rather than testing on public roads, which was the industry norm in those days. A unique property with widely varied terrain features was sought. This was located in 1923 by William J. Dawson, then Assistant Secretary of the Technical Committee chaired by Sloan. GMPG has been in constant use and perpetual evolution ever since. Today it encompasses over 4,000 acres and employs more than 4,500 people.