Shanghai-GM today celebrated the production of its 5 millionth vehicle, a Buick LaCrosse eAssist.

This is the shortest period of time that any Chinese automaker has reached the milestone.

The GM-SAIC joint venture's first vehicle rolled off the assembly line on December 17th, 1998. Joining Shanghai GM employees for their latest achievement were GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson and the General Motors Company Board of Directors.

"We are proud of the success of Shanghai-GM," said GM China Group President and Managing Director Kevin Wale. "Its rapid growth has made a significant contribution to the development of China's vehicle market.

It has helped make personal four-wheel transportation attainable for more and more people nationwide." Shanghai-GM built its 1 millionth vehicle in August 2005. 2010, it became China's first passenger car manufacturer to build and sell more than 1 million vehicles in a calendar year.

In the first eight months of 2011, Shanghai-GM sold 790,494 vehicles in China, which represented year-on-year growth of 23.3 percent.

Shanghai-GM offers an extensive line up of vehicles under the Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac brands. With its Drive to Green strategy, Shanghai GM is providing models that are leaders in their segments in performance, fuel efficiency and emissions.