General Motors plans to show a production model of its Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle as part of the automaker's upcoming 100-year anniversary celebration this month.

The automaker, which formally celebrates the 100th anniversary Sept. 16, so far has shown only concept versions of the Volt.

"The rumors that a production version of the Volt will show up at the celebrations are true," a GM source told Automotive News Europe. "The car will be a true representation of what the production version looks like and be somewhat different from the concept versions."


The car will be shown to employees and media at GM headquarters in Detroit.

Speaking at the London auto show in July, Bob Lutz, GM's vice chairman of global product development, said, "A production model will be showing this fall, but not at Paris (auto show)."

Preproduction models of the Volt will be built next year, ahead of the final production version in 2010, Lutz told Automotive News Europe. A European version will follow in 2011.

"Everything is looking good," Lutz said. "We have quite a few running around now in old Chevy Malibu bodies, so we can modify the engine and battery configuration."

Lutz said the body would be the next-generation global compact architecture. That's the same one to be used on the next-generation Chevrolet Cruze, which will be launched at the Paris auto show in October.