CNNMoney.com: GM to pull the plug on Pontiac

[cumhail]

GM to pull the plug on Pontiac
The brand credited with originating the muscle car will not be part of GM's future.

By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney.com senior writer
April 24, 2009: 2:27 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- General Motors is preparing to announce that the Pontiac car brand, once marketed as GM's "Excitement division," will be killed off, according to a source familiar with the decision.

An official announcement is expected Monday. GM spokesman Jim Hopson declined to comment on Pontiac's fate, saying the automaker has no announcements to make at this time.

In its most recent "viability plan" - which will be updated to reflect this new brand cut - Pontiac was not named as one of GM's four "core brands." Those are Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac. But Pontiac was also not to be killed or sold off, as were Saturn, Saab and Hummer.

Instead Pontiac was to continue on as a "niche brand" focusing on just a few models.

That was already a step down for Pontiac which, in 2008, sold more cars than Cadillac and almost twice as many as Buick. But Cadillac is a high-profile - and high profit - luxury brand while Buick is a hugely popular brand in China and is seen as seen as resurgent in the U.S...

rest of the story at <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://money.cnn.com/2009/04/24/autos/pontiac_obit/index.htm?postversion=2009042414">http:/...postversion=2009042414</a>

I can't say I'm terribly surprised. That line has been without a hit in so many years that I don't know how it's lasted this long. The entire line has consisted of as many variations of unreliable and ugly as they could think up.

 

[her209]

I thought this was well known.

 

[Schadenfroh]

They need to eliminate all brands but Chevrolet (mainstream) and Cadillac (high-end) in NA.

 

[Martin]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
They need to eliminate all brands but Chevrolet (mainstream) and Cadillac (high-end) in NA.

Yeah, I'm not clear where Buick fits in here. If its popular in China, why not keep it as a Chinese brand?

 

[Atreus21]

The G8 wasn't bad looking. Naturally they discontinued it.

I was hoping they'd make the GTO into the Pontiac's Camaro.

Oh well.

 

[Kadarin]

I liked my '05 GTO, but that was an imported Holden Monaro from Australia. It could have been branded as anything, actually (and is branded as a Vauxhall in the UK).

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: Atreus21
The G8 wasn't bad looking. Naturally they discontinued it.

I have to agree. It was a pretty decent car.

 

[PricklyPete]

Originally posted by: Kadarin

Originally posted by: Atreus21
The G8 wasn't bad looking. Naturally they discontinued it.

I have to agree. It was a pretty decent car.

I have a hard time believing they will get rid of this car...I'm sure they'll rebadge it as something.

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: her209
I thought this was well known.

GM had previously announced that they would downgrade the Pontiac brand to a "niche" status, whatever they meant by that, NOT that they would axe the division entirely.

It remains to be seen if that is truly what they will do (axe it entirely.)

 

[Triumph]

The G8 is an important car in GM's lineup. It'd be very bad if they did not rebadge it as a Chevrolet. The thing that sets GM apart from Chrysler is that while GM still has a bunch of badge engineered vehicles and a few bad ones, their are balanced by a number of very good vehicles, such as the G8, the CTS, the Silverado, Equinox, Suburban, etc., the Corvette, V6 Camaro (great fuel economy, actually), the Volt, Cobalt SS, a bunch of others. Meanwhile Chrysler has...the Viper? Maybe the new Ram, but that's about it. The rest of their lineup is junk. I hate to see Pontiac go, but if it means keeping GM alive, then I'm all for it.

 

[Munky]

Oh, and the G8 wasn't an imported Holden? Rebadge FTL.

 

[miketheidiot]

good riddance, fewer ugly cars on the road ftw

 

[Ktulu]

nvm

 

[senseamp]

Hopefully they'll bring Solstice and G8 over to Chevy side. Other than that, not a big loss.

 

[MikeMike]

sad day, what an icon of american history...

 

[XZeroII]

Originally posted by: munky
Oh, and the G8 wasn't an imported Holden? Rebadge FTL.

You realize that Holden is part of GM, right? What does it matter if they bring a great car from a foreign susidiary over to the US? Why is that a bad thing?

 

[dbk]

G8 = sweet

 

[herm0016]

i hope they keep the G8 also. its an awesome car. I thought Saturn would go first.

 

[Balt]

R.I.P.

 

[Elfear]

Originally posted by: Triumph
The G8 is an important car in GM's lineup. It'd be very bad if they did not rebadge it as a Chevrolet. The thing that sets GM apart from Chrysler is that while GM still has a bunch of badge engineered vehicles and a few bad ones, their are balanced by a number of very good vehicles, such as the G8, the CTS, the Silverado, Equinox, Suburban, etc., the Corvette, V6 Camaro (great fuel economy, actually), the Volt, Cobalt SS, a bunch of others. Meanwhile Chrysler has...the Viper? Maybe the new Ram, but that's about it. The rest of their lineup is junk. I hate to see Pontiac go, but if it means keeping GM alive, then I'm all for it.

Come on now. The Challenger is one sexy automobile, the 300s are nice cars, Charger, great mini-vans, etc. They have some dumpy products but they have some good ones as well.

Originally posted by: herm0016
i hope they keep the G8 also. its an awesome car. I thought Saturn would go first.

+1

There are way too many boring cars on the road to terminate the G8. Hopefuly they'll rebadge as a Chevy.

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: Elfear

Originally posted by: Triumph
The G8 is an important car in GM's lineup. It'd be very bad if they did not rebadge it as a Chevrolet. The thing that sets GM apart from Chrysler is that while GM still has a bunch of badge engineered vehicles and a few bad ones, their are balanced by a number of very good vehicles, such as the G8, the CTS, the Silverado, Equinox, Suburban, etc., the Corvette, V6 Camaro (great fuel economy, actually), the Volt, Cobalt SS, a bunch of others. Meanwhile Chrysler has...the Viper? Maybe the new Ram, but that's about it. The rest of their lineup is junk. I hate to see Pontiac go, but if it means keeping GM alive, then I'm all for it.

Come on now. The Challenger is one sexy automobile, the 300s are nice cars, Charger, great mini-vans, etc. They have some dumpy products but they have some good ones as well.

Originally posted by: herm0016
i hope they keep the G8 also. its an awesome car. I thought Saturn would go first.

+1

There are way too many boring cars on the road to terminate the G8. Hopefuly they'll rebadge as a Chevy.

The Challenger is sexy, yes... the interior is cheap, it is slow, underpowered, overweight, sloppy handling... it is outclassed by the Camaro, Mustang, 370Z, Genesis Coupe...
The T&C is meh... it is outclassed by every single minivan available today.
The 300 has run its course... the engines are old and outdated... the interior is nice, but the G8 spanks it every where...
The new Ram is their one innovative product available today... the only truck without leaf springs in the rear.

 

[GeezerMan]

I miss my 1973 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ, with the 455 engine and Turbo 400 tranny. Big and heavy, with tons of torque, it would lay a scratch all the way through third gear.

 

[IamDavid]

I currently own a Pontiac. Last 3 cars. Was planning on it for the next.. Toyota here I come....

 

[makken]

Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE

Originally posted by: Elfear

Originally posted by: Triumph
The G8 is an important car in GM's lineup. It'd be very bad if they did not rebadge it as a Chevrolet. The thing that sets GM apart from Chrysler is that while GM still has a bunch of badge engineered vehicles and a few bad ones, their are balanced by a number of very good vehicles, such as the G8, the CTS, the Silverado, Equinox, Suburban, etc., the Corvette, V6 Camaro (great fuel economy, actually), the Volt, Cobalt SS, a bunch of others. Meanwhile Chrysler has...the Viper? Maybe the new Ram, but that's about it. The rest of their lineup is junk. I hate to see Pontiac go, but if it means keeping GM alive, then I'm all for it.

Come on now. The Challenger is one sexy automobile, the 300s are nice cars, Charger, great mini-vans, etc. They have some dumpy products but they have some good ones as well.

Originally posted by: herm0016
i hope they keep the G8 also. its an awesome car. I thought Saturn would go first.

+1

There are way too many boring cars on the road to terminate the G8. Hopefuly they'll rebadge as a Chevy.

The Challenger is sexy, yes... the interior is cheap, it is slow, underpowered, overweight, sloppy handling... it is outclassed by the Camaro, Mustang, 370Z, Genesis Coupe...
The T&C is meh... it is outclassed by every single minivan available today.
The 300 has run its course... the engines are old and outdated... the interior is nice, but the G8 spanks it every where...
The new Ram is their one innovative product available today... the only truck without leaf springs in the rear.

Don't forget Jeep

 

[Deeko]

My Grand Am was the worst can in history. Good riddance.