http://money.cnn.com/2009/04/24/auto...ion=2009042414
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That's interesting. Once Saturn is sold or gone, the Miata will be alone in it's class since Honda announced the end of the s2000. Should help Mazda sales I would guess.
You would think GM would ditch the Bodykitted Tahoe's they call Hummer's.
When is the last time you saw a Saaab? :dunno:
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. ::Cry2::
http://money.cnn.com/2009/04/24/auto...obit/index.htm
They're looking for a buyer for Saab and Hummer. The intention is to keep four core brands: Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac.
If it were me, I'd follow the Toyota model: Keep Cadillac as your luxury brand (Lexus), Chevrolet for your mainstream cars (Toyota), and Pontiac as your youth/performance brand (Scion).
I don't understand keeping GMC (nothing but rebranded Chevy trucks and vans) and Buick (not as luxurious as Cadillac, but better than Chevy). :scratch: But I guess that's why I'm not in marketing.
I definately don't understand keeping GMC around either...unless they are going to discontinue Chevy trucks and build GMC trucks only.
Marketing is not about selling your best product. It's all about selling whatever product that people will buy to sustain your business.
Trust me, it's what i do...
So they are going to stop making exciting cars now? That ought to help sales. :confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by general default
Putting "Wide Track" to sleep.
http://www.backyardwrenchheads.com/images/widetrack.jpg
Shifting the 'excitement' to Buick!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by wrx74
lol
Keeping Buick makes sense in the oversea markets, especially in China. GM is selling ship loads of Buick and making buckets of $$$ in China. Buick out sold every brand in the same class! When I was over in China, I did not see one single Cadillac but a whole fleet of Buick going up and down the road. In China, Buick is positioned as a premium brand! The car ownership culture/experience is still young in China!Quote:
Originally Posted by altiain
I agree with altian. It makes sense to keep Pointiac if only for the N. American market.
I agree with Iain.
Buick? WTF?
So sell it in China but why ditch Pontiac? Dumb-dumb-dumb but then again, it is GM. :rolleyes:
There was a documentary on TV about China during the Olympics. The reason Buick is so popular in China is because the Emperor's first car was a Buick.Quote:
Originally Posted by gabkwong
Once upon a time they had excitement... :DQuote:
Originally Posted by wrx74
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/mrbuick/50_3.jpg
That's not a tach or shift light or something OUTSIDE the car is it?
Hell yeah it is... kickin' it old school... :burnrubr:
Darn glad I decided to take a pass on that G8 GT I looked at a couple months back.
Pretty sad since it is one sweet car......
http://cache.jalopnik.com/assets/res..._Hero_Full.jpg
The upside is I bet they can be had for fire-sale prices now! ::Banana::
Quote:
Originally Posted by POS Racing
But it will have as much appeal as a Juano Tejano Tech day when it comes time to sell it...... ::Rimshot:Quote:
Originally Posted by trickyrix
I believe it is fuel pressure. You dont really want to run that into the cabin, if it is a mechanical gauge like that.Quote:
Originally Posted by JuanoTejano
:clap:Quote:
Originally Posted by POS Racing
Interesting stuff on Pontiac here - http://www.pontiac.com/heritage/
My Grandfather (the one who owned the 'lac) always had a Grand Prix when I was a kid. He got one every model year like clockwork....
+1Quote:
Originally Posted by bmcreider
One of the most memorable cars my dad had when I was a kid was a '79 10AE Trans Am... with a 400 and a 4-speed, t-tops, and silver over light grey (almost silver) leather and the giant screaming chicken wrapped around a shaker hood.Quote:
Originally Posted by POS Racing
Of course, at the other end of the spectrum, one of my college buddies suffered through two semesters of auto-x in an Iron-Duke equipped Grand-Am.
They somehow forgot the Asstek. :confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by POS Racing
Here ya go... I know how you've missed it...Quote:
Originally Posted by black roadster
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_i_AovfzNXg...s400/Aztek.jpg
Now... call me crazy, but I find this vaguely attractive...
http://www.autoweek.com/weekart/2003/0929/aztek4001.jpg
GMC covers the heavy-duty/industrial truck lines, which is a big segment. Delivery trucks, cab-on-body chassis for RV's/box trucks, etc. They re-badge the chevy consumer trucks because a lot of the guys that use the industrial vehicles are loyal to the name and it doesn't cost them much to do so, nor do they maintain a separate dealer network for them, since the big trucks have a dealer network already that serve a different market.
My first car was a 1968 Pontiac LeMans. I really don't miss it or have a burning desire to buy one for nostalgia purposes. Maybe if it had been a GTO I would feel different.
I had a '73 LeMans Sport Coupe at one time. Nice car until I hit a deer with it! Just like this one minus the louver's on the rear side windows.
http://www.gatewayclassiccars.com/im.../3102/3102.jpg
Those had the swivel seats, right? Coolness.
Is it a rebadge Camero?Quote:
Originally Posted by sammm
No. A rebadged Camaro was called a Firebird.Quote:
Originally Posted by gabkwong
Pontiac had a lot of firsts over the years. My thought has always been that Pontiac has always led the way with more firsts in the performance areas over the years
Does anybody remember that the 64 Pontiac GTO was the fastest production car from 0-60? 4.6 seconds. Beat the Ferrari. There was a lot of controversy about the road test but it stood for several years. Some claim the motor was not the 389 but in reality the larger 421 ci motor. Because of a GM Corporate ban on racing, this was felt to be the loophole around the corporate policy and still sell something that was performance.
So the GTO was also considered the first true muscle car when it was introduced in 64. Faster than the Cobra and the Ferrari that year.
http://www.pugetsoundpoci.com/photos.../71Ventura.jpg
My first NEW car was a 1971 Ventura II. Mine was blue, w/o the vinyl top, uninspiring 307 c.i.d. V8, AT, no power anything. I think I paid $3100 out the door.