GM Begins Bankruptcy Process With Filing for Affiliate

General Motors Corp., the world’s largest automaker for 77 years, began filing for bankruptcy by putting a New York affiliate into Chapter 11, a landmark for an industry that defined American economic might.

Chevrolet-Saturn of Harlem Inc., sought bankruptcy protection today, the first of many filings in the bankruptcy process. While GM hasn’t yet filed, the affiliate called the parent company a “debtor in possession under Chapter 11,” in court documents, a reference to the main U.S. bankruptcy law.