Sad Day: Last Pontiac Rolls Off American Assembly Lines
12-04-2009, 06:28 PM
#1
Sad Day: Last Pontiac Rolls Off American Assembly Lines
It’s hard to believe it is really all over for GM’s “excitement brand.” Pontiac, the marque that gave us some of America’s most memorable muscle cars like the GTO and Trans Am, is truly and finally finished. As of November 25th, the very last Pontiac rolled off assembly lines in the Orion Township just after noon.
Detroit News reports that there was no fanfare, no commemoration, no celebration for the new defunct Pontiac.
Pontiac, which for decades stood for performance, will be phased out in 2010. The final American-produced Pontiac is a white G6 sedan destined for fleet service. The line workers did not get to sign the car, though many posed for pictures with the white G6. Technically, this isn’t THE very last Pontiac ever built; the G3 Wave, a Canadian-only car, will be the official last Pontiac built. Whether GM plans a celebration or not for that car, nobody knows.
Usually when an event like this goes down, there is some kind of event surrounding it, such as when GM shuttered Oldsmobile. The last Oldsmobile built was an Alero sedan, and the whole assembly line signed the car before it was moved to GM’s private collection. It is a sad, sad day though, unless you happen to collect rare Pontiacs, because then the value of your collection probably just skyrocketed. For the rest of us, there are memories…
Detroit News reports that there was no fanfare, no commemoration, no celebration for the new defunct Pontiac.
Pontiac, which for decades stood for performance, will be phased out in 2010. The final American-produced Pontiac is a white G6 sedan destined for fleet service. The line workers did not get to sign the car, though many posed for pictures with the white G6. Technically, this isn’t THE very last Pontiac ever built; the G3 Wave, a Canadian-only car, will be the official last Pontiac built. Whether GM plans a celebration or not for that car, nobody knows.
Usually when an event like this goes down, there is some kind of event surrounding it, such as when GM shuttered Oldsmobile. The last Oldsmobile built was an Alero sedan, and the whole assembly line signed the car before it was moved to GM’s private collection. It is a sad, sad day though, unless you happen to collect rare Pontiacs, because then the value of your collection probably just skyrocketed. For the rest of us, there are memories…
12-05-2009, 07:54 AM
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this blows. they made an HBO movie about the last truck made in a GM plant, and that was just a single plant. now an entire brand shuts down, with the prestige of pontiac performance, and not even a picture taken??
12-05-2009, 08:05 AM
#4
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Thanks for posting. I was always a big NEW Pontiac buyer with their Transport minivan in 1995 (an excellent model with very few problems), a '96 Formula that I kept for 9 years (absolutely no problems at all except for one factory recall), and finally my 2001 Trans Am, now 9 model years old as well. Unreal! However since the last F-body rolled off the assembly line I saw nothing that perked me up enough to buy. The GTO was close but the body design just didn't compare to my F-bodies. Then the Oprah publicity debacle where the G6 was the anti-male car. Finally a high output Solstice came out and I was very, very tempted. I already had my Z3 roadster with a strong 3.0L putting out 225 hp so it wasn't worth the switch. So will I miss my Pontiac NEW cars? Probably not. Just not enough to get me fired up, although the performance was there in many recent models, but the body styles just didn't do it for me, not like the F-bodies. I plan to always have my T/A and that is enough for me. It is a special car that Pontiac could not duplicate.
12-05-2009, 03:52 PM
#7
I understand times are hard, but to do nothing to celebrate the brand seems quite odd. A celebration must have gotten in the way of whatever other model(s) share the G6 platform that were rolling off the assembly line that day.
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12-05-2009, 03:57 PM
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i also really doubt theyll do anything with the 'last' last pontiac made, the canada only wave. like anyone cares about canada......if anyone had the means and know how, someone should track down that car and snag it for a collection before it hits fleet service. or at the least, keep track of it till it gets sold, possibly restore it, and save it for history as the last pontiac ever made.
12-05-2009, 04:07 PM
#9
its in GMs private collection. red convertible TA base model, auto. its been saved, unpreped, still with plastic over the seats and steering wheel ever since. its also been brought out to some pontiac shows, usually whenever pontiac itself made an exhibit. i dont know if its available for public viewing, but im sure its not shoved in a warehouse somewhere.
At least the G8's nearly-identical cousin, the Chevy Caprice, will soon have the opportunity to pull us over once again here in the States.
12-05-2009, 05:33 PM
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I love how when the last Oldsmobile rolled off the line it was one of 500 "last editions" and was signed by every employee and donated to a museum. what do they do with the last Pontiac? it's sold as a "fleet vehicle" *cough*RENTAL CAR*cough*
12-05-2009, 11:29 PM
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That just goes to show how badly managed Pontiac was, heck the whole Buick Pontiac GMC line was terrible. Buick with nothing but FWD 3.8 crap mobiles, Pontiac with nothing but dressed up Chevy's with NO real performance options and GMC? you can buy those at Chevy dealers...
12-06-2009, 08:12 AM
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fleet vehicle could also mean a company car. doesnt automatically mean a rental. some companies buy 20 cars at a time, and let their employees use them as part of their pay package, or whatever. we can only hope that particular car goes to someone with the knowledge and respect it deserves.
as far as pontiac not having real performance........are you forgetting the G8 GXP and GT? the solstice and GXP version? even the torrent was a nice crossover, and looked great with GXP trim.
GMC has always been the performance/luxury truck division, as well as pure heavy duty trucks. thats why you can get denalis in GMC, but nothing comparable in the chevy version. anyone remember the sierra C3 of a few years ago? a loaded pickup with some extra horses then comparable silverados?
as far as pontiac not having real performance........are you forgetting the G8 GXP and GT? the solstice and GXP version? even the torrent was a nice crossover, and looked great with GXP trim.
GMC has always been the performance/luxury truck division, as well as pure heavy duty trucks. thats why you can get denalis in GMC, but nothing comparable in the chevy version. anyone remember the sierra C3 of a few years ago? a loaded pickup with some extra horses then comparable silverados?
12-08-2009, 03:16 PM
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since pontiac outsold buick 3:1 here, but buick sells so well in China, i'd say its ******* China's fault more than it is americans.
if Buick didn't sell so well over there, GM would have nixed buick and kept pontiac.
if Buick didn't sell so well over there, GM would have nixed buick and kept pontiac.
12-08-2009, 05:05 PM
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we'll never know the real reason why pontiac was shut down. other then the pigs at GM not being real car guys, thats obvious.
i blame import buyers for the entire state of the big 3, not just pontiac. and of course, only in america will other "americans" look down on you for loving your country, and wanting to BUY AMERICAN to help support the american economy. every other country in the world is different. you think people in germany are made fun of for having german pride, and buying beamers and benzs? englishmen for buying jags? only here will some douchebag jerkoff call you names for taking pride in your own country.
i blame import buyers for the entire state of the big 3, not just pontiac. and of course, only in america will other "americans" look down on you for loving your country, and wanting to BUY AMERICAN to help support the american economy. every other country in the world is different. you think people in germany are made fun of for having german pride, and buying beamers and benzs? englishmen for buying jags? only here will some douchebag jerkoff call you names for taking pride in your own country.
12-08-2009, 05:51 PM
#19
i blame import buyers for the entire state of the big 3, not just pontiac. and of course, only in america will other "americans" look down on you for loving your country, and wanting to BUY AMERICAN to help support the american economy. every other country in the world is different. you think people in germany are made fun of for having german pride, and buying beamers and benzs? englishmen for buying jags? only here will some douchebag jerkoff call you names for taking pride in your own country.
12-09-2009, 06:52 AM
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cash for guzzlers helped them out . x2 ^ and like with all that other junk from china,japan,korea and all the other slave labor countrys that flood the market, if only they just kept thier junk. but bama will fix it . lolololololololololololololololol
