AAM was founded in 1994 when a private investor group, led by Richard E. "Dick" Dauch, James W. McLernon, Raymond Park and Morton E. Harris purchased the Final Drive and Forge Business Unit from GM's Saginaw Division.

In 1999, AAM went public, and is traded as "AXL" on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

AAM has grown to supply various OEM manufacturers around the globe in the passenger car, light truck, and commercial vehicle segments.

[4] The strike cost General Motors $2.6 billion as the automaker lost the production of its Chevrolet Malibu sedan and other vehicles.

After closing its factories in Detroit in 2012, American Axle and Manufacturing had started a demolition project.