Chevy to leave Europe as the region struggles to put an end to an era of bailouts

General Motors has sold Chevrolet vehicles in Europe through the Great Depression, World War II and the partition of the continent by the Iron Curtain. What the automaker could not weather was Europe's current blend of economic stagnation and high unemployment with no clear change on the horizon. Last week, GM pulled Chevrolet out of Europe, thanked its customers and dealers "for their loyalty," and said it wanted to focus on parts of the world "where the opportunity for growth is greatest."