Pontiac axed

[evident]

i never understood why those morons have so many different brands and rebadges. its like they are trying to maintain all the nostalgia of the old days (firebird, gto, etc) and spending millions trying to maintain it. this is a great step for them

 

[PingSpike]

Saturn was a unique brand initially. Its just another chevy now though.

 

[TehMac]

Originally posted by: Pariah
Getting rid of Pontiac before, Saturn, GMC or Buick? Brilliant business decisions like this are the reason you're heading to bankruptcy GM.

Yeah seriously, what the fuck?

It could be certain interest groups within GM such as Saturn, GMC, and Buick are pulling the CEO's sleeves to axe certain groups first.

That or there are figures we're unaware of.

 

[MotF Bane]

More stupidity coming from GM.

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

People bitch about everything GM does.

In my oh so humble opinion it actually made sense keeping Pontiac around as a niche brand. They have the most unique lineup. Kill everything but the the Vibe, G8, and Solstice. Bring back a new G6 in RWD form and you'll have a great small lineup of sporty vehicles. Just don't expect to sell 30,000 G8's (or even 20,000 for that matter) and it's easy to call it a success.

I would rather they get rid of GMC instead of Pontiac but whatever. Reducing nameplates is the name of the game at this point. And GM already committed to getting rid of Saturn, Saab, and Hummer, and Opel in Europe.

 

[PricklyPete]

Originally posted by: vi edit
Wonder what kind of fire sale you'll see on existing inventory and what it does to resale in the used market.

It makes me tempted to go look for a black G8 GXP...manual of course

 

[Falloutboy]

this goes in line with the talk I was hearing from some drivers at my company that Lake Orient plant in Michigan was shutting down for good Monday (they produce the G6)

G8 is not made by GM in the US its an import from holden, so i'll put money on that car getting re bodied and coming back as the chevy impala.

 

[blurredvision]

Although I'm a longtime Pontiac fan, this is sort of good news for me since I'm in the market for a G8. Maybe this will bring used G8 prices down into my budget.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: KnightBreed

I would rather they get rid of GMC instead of Pontiac but whatever. Reducing nameplates is the name of the game at this point. And GM already committed to getting rid of Saturn, Saab, and Hummer, and Opel in Europe.

buick and cadillac dealers like GMC because it gives them a truck to sell. they tend to be more upscale than the chevy trucks.

 

[Knavish]

Originally posted by: TehMac

Originally posted by: Pariah
Getting rid of Pontiac before, Saturn, GMC or Buick? Brilliant business decisions like this are the reason you're heading to bankruptcy GM.

Yeah seriously, what the fuck?

It could be certain interest groups within GM such as Saturn, GMC, and Buick are pulling the CEO's sleeves to axe certain groups first.

That or there are figures we're unaware of.

1. As they said in the thread previously, Saturn is already gone.

2. GMC is hardly more than a logo change from a Chevy (I'm pretty sure it's the same sheet metal, right???). GMC's apparently sell pretty well and have high margins. Pontiac cars have different sheet metal and interiors from Chevy, so they actually cost something extra to produce.

3. Buick is a hot brand in China, which is a much stronger car market than the US right now. Buick is worth more to GM globally than Pontiac.

 

[MBrown]

Originally posted by: Knavish

Originally posted by: TehMac

Originally posted by: Pariah
Getting rid of Pontiac before, Saturn, GMC or Buick? Brilliant business decisions like this are the reason you're heading to bankruptcy GM.

Yeah seriously, what the fuck?

It could be certain interest groups within GM such as Saturn, GMC, and Buick are pulling the CEO's sleeves to axe certain groups first.

That or there are figures we're unaware of.

1. As they said in the thread previously, Saturn is already gone.

2. GMC is hardly more than a logo change from a Chevy (I'm pretty sure it's the same sheet metal, right???). GMC's apparently sell pretty well and have high margins. Pontiac cars have different sheet metal and interiors from Chevy, so they actually cost something extra to produce.

3. Buick is a hot brand in China, which is a much stronger car market than the US right now. Buick is worth more to GM globally than Pontiac.

I still see saturn commercials.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: MBrown

Originally posted by: Knavish

Originally posted by: TehMac

Originally posted by: Pariah
Getting rid of Pontiac before, Saturn, GMC or Buick? Brilliant business decisions like this are the reason you're heading to bankruptcy GM.

Yeah seriously, what the fuck?

It could be certain interest groups within GM such as Saturn, GMC, and Buick are pulling the CEO's sleeves to axe certain groups first.

That or there are figures we're unaware of.

1. As they said in the thread previously, Saturn is already gone.

2. GMC is hardly more than a logo change from a Chevy (I'm pretty sure it's the same sheet metal, right???). GMC's apparently sell pretty well and have high margins. Pontiac cars have different sheet metal and interiors from Chevy, so they actually cost something extra to produce.

3. Buick is a hot brand in China, which is a much stronger car market than the US right now. Buick is worth more to GM globally than Pontiac.

I still see saturn commercials.

Hi Honey, lost my job. Not just lost it...but the company has been disolved. Good thing we offered to pay for everyone else's car payments if they lost theirs.

What's for dinner?

 

[KentState]

Originally posted by: Knavish

Originally posted by: TehMac

Originally posted by: Pariah
Getting rid of Pontiac before, Saturn, GMC or Buick? Brilliant business decisions like this are the reason you're heading to bankruptcy GM.

Yeah seriously, what the fuck?

It could be certain interest groups within GM such as Saturn, GMC, and Buick are pulling the CEO's sleeves to axe certain groups first.

That or there are figures we're unaware of.

1. As they said in the thread previously, Saturn is already gone.

2. GMC is hardly more than a logo change from a Chevy (I'm pretty sure it's the same sheet metal, right???). GMC's apparently sell pretty well and have high margins. Pontiac cars have different sheet metal and interiors from Chevy, so they actually cost something extra to produce.

3. Buick is a hot brand in China, which is a much stronger car market than the US right now. Buick is worth more to GM globally than Pontiac.

It's much easier to over react and not know any of the current changes

You are right, currently GM has had plans to do something with all the brands expect Chevy, Buick, GMC and Cadillac. The fact is that Chevy had its own dealerships and Buick/Pontiac/GMC and sometimes Cadillac are together. I'm sure they are looking at ways to not completely abandon all dealerships and at least offer cars and trucks together.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: Jumpem
GMC does sell just duplicates of Chevy trucks and SUVS, so it would seem unneeded. However, it is GM's best selling and profitable brand.

And if you take away fleet sales to construction companies/government/etc?

Most of GMC's sales would simply default to Chevrolet.

ZV

I agree. I assume GM would still be able to sell the Express, Silverado, Colorado, Astro, etc. as fleet sales. Why would this be a big loss at all?

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Knavish

2. GMC is hardly more than a logo change from a Chevy (I'm pretty sure it's the same sheet metal, right???).

no, the sierra has different sheet metal. different wheel arches at hood, at least. interiors are different, though pretty similar.

 

[Knavish]

From (http://www.pe.com/business/loc...saturn23.382745f.html)

But if no viable plan to have someone take over the brand can be brought together, GM has said it would probably end production of the Saturn line, whose dealers offered no-haggle pricing and other innovations when GM unveiled the brand in 1990. The preliminary plans for the federal government's rescue of GM call for Saturn to be phased out over the next two years if no buyer is found.

 

[kalrith]

This CNN article states:

Pontiac's current role in GM seems mostly to be to support GMC and Buick by providing a brand under which Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealers could sell non-luxury cars, filling out what then becomes a full-line showroom. The brand-channel strategy now makes it easier for GM to phase out the brand because it would cause less harm to dealers, independent business protected by strong state franchise laws. When GM phased out Oldsmobile in the early 2000's, it cost GM more than $1 billion to buy out the contracts of Oldsmobile dealers who were left with nothing to sell. This time, most Pontiac dealers will have other products to sell.

That's one reason for keeping Buick and GMC. What I find interesting is that GM sold almost twice as many Pontiacs as Buicks in 2008.

 

[waffleironhead]

This is truly a shame. I have always preferred the pontiac styling over the chevy styling(or the olds styling when they were around). I knew there was no way they would axe chevy, but to completely dissolve pontiac makes me sad. They should keep the G8/G6/solstice. everything else shold be cut out as they have clones at chevy. The downfall was too many clones and not enough separate identity.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Pontiaxed?

 

[rh71]

I stated in the GM thread that only Chevy and Cadillac would be left as reported by NBC Nightly News. So is this a yes on that being the truth eventually?

 

[Mermaidman]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Pontiaztaxed?

fixed

 

[Zedtom]

John DeLorean was the genius who changed the prevailing mindset among the corporate bigwigs at GM in the 1960's. The innovations he introduced saved Pontiac from becoming extinct forty-five years ago.

The proteges that learned from DeLorean would have loved to introduce tribute models that would been cosmetic copies with modern safety features.

Sic transit gloria.

 

[MikeMike]

Pontiac is Dead....

but however, anyone who views this as good is biased... this is one of the most storied marque's in the history of the U.S. there were generations brought up on Pontiacs... The G8 will go to Chevy as the Caprice, or Buick at the Statesman...(M.E and China respectively) the Solstice will come up as a Chevy too... Saturn was an amazing idea that took 6 years to long and thus they were about 6 years behind.... GMC will never be killed as its a very inexpensive distinction, which has a much larger profit margin, and they attract a different crowd... Buick has the most amazing vehicles to import within the next 3 years, and will fit back in with an Acura comparison while Caddy takes care of BMW.

 

[ballmode]

Yeah now the G8 can be the Impala SS

 

[desy]

If almost every car company can make it with one or two brands GM needs to follow cause the overhead is killing them.
History is just that, history, it doesn't speak to future return to profitability and GM is just an amalgamation of many brands that should have been rolled into Chev decades ago if wasn't for individual state franchise laws.

They are in deep sh1t and even surviving this at all is going to be a huge undertaking and without ch11 and gov't protection, impossible imo