A letter to GM
05-01-2009, 07:38 PM
#1
TECH Junkie
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: New Orleans La
Posts: 3,159
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A letter to GM A very good friend of mine wrote this letter to GM and I thought I would Share it with you. We belong to the same car club here in New Orleans
www.gsfcc.com I hope you love it like I do!!
Dear General Motors,
This letter is in reference to the recent decision to cut the Pontiac Brand from the General Motors line up of American vehicles.
I will start by stating how upset I am with the executive decision to remove Pontiac. I will do my best to explain why the decision upset me to such a degree as to write this letter. I know this letter will most likely do no good to undo that which has already been done, but your company needs to know how this decision has affecteed thier American consumers and supporters.
I can only write from my own experience, yet I can say my feelings do resonate throughout the community of Pontiac, as well as GM supporters.
My fascination with cars started like so many others at a young age. By playing with small die-cast vehicles as a child and dreaming that one day I would be able to drive and own one of these fantastic vehicles. As a child I didn’t have any conciousness as to the companies that made cars. I only knew that there were certain design elements or names of vehicles that I affiliated with what made a “cool car”. The top two favorite cars that fully engrossed my imagination were the Corvette and the Firebird Trans Am. The Corvette of the 1970's had such bold curves that made it out to be so exotic. Whereas, the straightlines and no nonsense performance of the Trans Am could not go unnoticed, especially with a large mythical bird of fire emblazoned on the hood. What kid wouldn’t be fascinated with either of these cars?
Years later, I started to look more at the real cars that would pass by or that I would see as my Mom drove us around in her 1983 Cadillac Sedan DeVille. We would pass a car dealership whenever she had to pay the electricity bill. In passing this dealership I would notice the cool and futuristic looking vehicles. First there was a little sportscar that for the longest time I thought to be a Ferrari only to find out from friends that it was actually called a Fiero. There was also another type of passenger vehicle at the time the likes of which I had never seen before, The Trans Sport. It looked like it was made by NASA since the long slanting windshield made it resemble the shape of the Space Shuttle. Finally there was the Trans Am. The vehicle that I knew so well from movies and television. The Trans Am represented the ultimate car for me.
It was then, after noticing all these wonderful cars on the same lot that I looked up and saw the sign with bright red letters that spelled out PONTIAC. At that moment was when I made the distinction that any car with a Pontiac nameplate was the car to have. Something in the name spoke to me and made me want to know more. Every time afterward, as we would pass the dealership, I would look for more new and exciting vehicles from Pontiac.
Then came a time in my life where I thought Pontiac had taken their designs a bit too far in the early 1990's. The Trans Am that I had grown to love had a long pointy beak and I lost interest in that car as well as seing these others like the Grand Am and Grand Prix that I just didn’t attach myself to like other models from decades before. I had to ask myself, “Did Pontiac lose their way?”
Then something happened. An event that would forever change the way that I lived my life. That event, as small as it might seem to most, was a television commercial for the new 1998 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. On the screen, I see this beast of a shiny black car come out of the mist to threaten the existence of a little foreign exotic. Then what happens was not expected, as the Trans Am completely consumes the exotic and expels a belch followed by the tagline, “The Muscle Car Lives”.
I was floored. Never had I seen such an amazing looking car. Pontiac had once again captured my attention and luckily enough at that time I was saving to buy my first new vehicle.
So in 1999, I walked into a dealership with $9,000 in cash and layed it down telling them I wanted a new Black Trans Am with Six Speed and Chrome Wheels. With that down payment and a little waiting I soon took delivery of my 1999 Trans Am. It was not a Ram Air car, but I would take care of that soon enough by adding a WS6-style hood and 30th Anniversary Trans Am dual stripes. I now had a car that was well known in my city and definitely stood out from all the other American cars and imports. It was at that point that I became a Firebird enthusiast. Attending and winning many car shows. Finding a car club that shared my enthusiasm for the same car and making new friends and memories that will last a lifetime.
Then the first fateful blow comes in 2001 as General Motors announces that there will be no more Firebirds after the 2002 model year. I become deeply saddened by that news, yet I had hope that something good would come of it. Something good did happen. That announcement led me to making my next and most profound new vehicle purchase ever. I was finally able to realize a lifelong dream on January 5th, 2002 as I drove off the Pontiac showroom floor the last Special Edition Trans Am to ever be built. I was thrilled knowing that I was now the proud owner of a screaming yellow Collector Edition Trans Am WS6.
After getting my Collector Edition, I then discovered I had a need for more to compliment my car and that led me to the online store of PontiacMall.com of which I purchased every item with a Collector Edition logo on it. Adding to that, myself and another CETA owner founded a website to document the heritage of the car as well as give a gathering place for other CETA owners around the world. Through the message board of that site I met many of my now best friends and continue to this day to have a relationship with them.
Yet that is not the end of my story. I have to take a step back to 2002. After the production on Firebirds had stopped and I thought Pontiac had nothing else to offer me, GM and Pontiac surprise me with a car that made me once again fall in love with the Brand. The Pontiac Solstice concept vehicles were unveiled to the public and received critical acclaim and won best of show. I told myself that hopefully one day I would own that sporty little roadster that so reminded me of what an American car was.
Now fast forward to 2008 and I am participating in a Pontiac dealership car show with my CETA. Walking around the lot looking at the show cars I spy tucked behind the dealership a line of Solstices in varying colors. A salesman approaches and asks if I would like to take one for a test drive?
How could I say no? I took the Brazen Orange GXP Solstice out for a drive and fell in love. I had to have one. With fuel prices tipping the scales at almost $5 a gallon, it only made sense to get a 4-cylinder American roadster to help settle some spending. I placed an order for a new 2009 Solstice in Aggressive Red with the only option I thought necessary for a roadster in Louisiana, Air Conditioning. After months of waiting, my Solstice was built and delivered to me on September 13th, 2008. I was very proud of my new purchase and fully documented the addition of a second Pontiac vehicle to my collection. The Solstice is my daily driver and I get looks and questions about it every where I go. What can I say, I love the attention that driving a Pontiac gives me.
Then Monday April 27th, 2009 becomes one of the darkest days of my life. General Motors makes the official announcement that Pontiac will be no more after 2010.
Now, the only American car brand I have ever identified with is going away. Sorry to say but there is no other GM brand that has soul to it like Pontiac did for me. Even though GM’s other brands still make some outstanding vehicles, I will not be buying any new vehicles from GM.
With the discontinuation of Pontiac you , as a company, have lost a consumer, a supporter, a fan and a friend of the Greatest American Car company in the world.
Sincerely with Regret,
Paul M. Myers
www.gsfcc.com I hope you love it like I do!!
Dear General Motors,
This letter is in reference to the recent decision to cut the Pontiac Brand from the General Motors line up of American vehicles.
I will start by stating how upset I am with the executive decision to remove Pontiac. I will do my best to explain why the decision upset me to such a degree as to write this letter. I know this letter will most likely do no good to undo that which has already been done, but your company needs to know how this decision has affecteed thier American consumers and supporters.
I can only write from my own experience, yet I can say my feelings do resonate throughout the community of Pontiac, as well as GM supporters.
My fascination with cars started like so many others at a young age. By playing with small die-cast vehicles as a child and dreaming that one day I would be able to drive and own one of these fantastic vehicles. As a child I didn’t have any conciousness as to the companies that made cars. I only knew that there were certain design elements or names of vehicles that I affiliated with what made a “cool car”. The top two favorite cars that fully engrossed my imagination were the Corvette and the Firebird Trans Am. The Corvette of the 1970's had such bold curves that made it out to be so exotic. Whereas, the straightlines and no nonsense performance of the Trans Am could not go unnoticed, especially with a large mythical bird of fire emblazoned on the hood. What kid wouldn’t be fascinated with either of these cars?
Years later, I started to look more at the real cars that would pass by or that I would see as my Mom drove us around in her 1983 Cadillac Sedan DeVille. We would pass a car dealership whenever she had to pay the electricity bill. In passing this dealership I would notice the cool and futuristic looking vehicles. First there was a little sportscar that for the longest time I thought to be a Ferrari only to find out from friends that it was actually called a Fiero. There was also another type of passenger vehicle at the time the likes of which I had never seen before, The Trans Sport. It looked like it was made by NASA since the long slanting windshield made it resemble the shape of the Space Shuttle. Finally there was the Trans Am. The vehicle that I knew so well from movies and television. The Trans Am represented the ultimate car for me.
It was then, after noticing all these wonderful cars on the same lot that I looked up and saw the sign with bright red letters that spelled out PONTIAC. At that moment was when I made the distinction that any car with a Pontiac nameplate was the car to have. Something in the name spoke to me and made me want to know more. Every time afterward, as we would pass the dealership, I would look for more new and exciting vehicles from Pontiac.
Then came a time in my life where I thought Pontiac had taken their designs a bit too far in the early 1990's. The Trans Am that I had grown to love had a long pointy beak and I lost interest in that car as well as seing these others like the Grand Am and Grand Prix that I just didn’t attach myself to like other models from decades before. I had to ask myself, “Did Pontiac lose their way?”
Then something happened. An event that would forever change the way that I lived my life. That event, as small as it might seem to most, was a television commercial for the new 1998 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. On the screen, I see this beast of a shiny black car come out of the mist to threaten the existence of a little foreign exotic. Then what happens was not expected, as the Trans Am completely consumes the exotic and expels a belch followed by the tagline, “The Muscle Car Lives”.
I was floored. Never had I seen such an amazing looking car. Pontiac had once again captured my attention and luckily enough at that time I was saving to buy my first new vehicle.
So in 1999, I walked into a dealership with $9,000 in cash and layed it down telling them I wanted a new Black Trans Am with Six Speed and Chrome Wheels. With that down payment and a little waiting I soon took delivery of my 1999 Trans Am. It was not a Ram Air car, but I would take care of that soon enough by adding a WS6-style hood and 30th Anniversary Trans Am dual stripes. I now had a car that was well known in my city and definitely stood out from all the other American cars and imports. It was at that point that I became a Firebird enthusiast. Attending and winning many car shows. Finding a car club that shared my enthusiasm for the same car and making new friends and memories that will last a lifetime.
Then the first fateful blow comes in 2001 as General Motors announces that there will be no more Firebirds after the 2002 model year. I become deeply saddened by that news, yet I had hope that something good would come of it. Something good did happen. That announcement led me to making my next and most profound new vehicle purchase ever. I was finally able to realize a lifelong dream on January 5th, 2002 as I drove off the Pontiac showroom floor the last Special Edition Trans Am to ever be built. I was thrilled knowing that I was now the proud owner of a screaming yellow Collector Edition Trans Am WS6.
After getting my Collector Edition, I then discovered I had a need for more to compliment my car and that led me to the online store of PontiacMall.com of which I purchased every item with a Collector Edition logo on it. Adding to that, myself and another CETA owner founded a website to document the heritage of the car as well as give a gathering place for other CETA owners around the world. Through the message board of that site I met many of my now best friends and continue to this day to have a relationship with them.
Yet that is not the end of my story. I have to take a step back to 2002. After the production on Firebirds had stopped and I thought Pontiac had nothing else to offer me, GM and Pontiac surprise me with a car that made me once again fall in love with the Brand. The Pontiac Solstice concept vehicles were unveiled to the public and received critical acclaim and won best of show. I told myself that hopefully one day I would own that sporty little roadster that so reminded me of what an American car was.
Now fast forward to 2008 and I am participating in a Pontiac dealership car show with my CETA. Walking around the lot looking at the show cars I spy tucked behind the dealership a line of Solstices in varying colors. A salesman approaches and asks if I would like to take one for a test drive?
How could I say no? I took the Brazen Orange GXP Solstice out for a drive and fell in love. I had to have one. With fuel prices tipping the scales at almost $5 a gallon, it only made sense to get a 4-cylinder American roadster to help settle some spending. I placed an order for a new 2009 Solstice in Aggressive Red with the only option I thought necessary for a roadster in Louisiana, Air Conditioning. After months of waiting, my Solstice was built and delivered to me on September 13th, 2008. I was very proud of my new purchase and fully documented the addition of a second Pontiac vehicle to my collection. The Solstice is my daily driver and I get looks and questions about it every where I go. What can I say, I love the attention that driving a Pontiac gives me.
Then Monday April 27th, 2009 becomes one of the darkest days of my life. General Motors makes the official announcement that Pontiac will be no more after 2010.
Now, the only American car brand I have ever identified with is going away. Sorry to say but there is no other GM brand that has soul to it like Pontiac did for me. Even though GM’s other brands still make some outstanding vehicles, I will not be buying any new vehicles from GM.
With the discontinuation of Pontiac you , as a company, have lost a consumer, a supporter, a fan and a friend of the Greatest American Car company in the world.
Sincerely with Regret,
Paul M. Myers
05-01-2009, 08:23 PM
#4
really deep, suxs to hear about Pontiac. although i dont own one but alway love the Gran Prix GXP v6 supercharged or the new V8. My friends had them and they were fun to drive. Out of all of them i love the WS6 look, nothing like it out there.
Trending Topics
05-03-2009, 01:45 PM
#11
TECH Fanatic
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Reading, Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,115
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Meh it had to be done. Really no way around it. If you base business decisions on emotions every company would end up out of business. Everyone wants to cry and say they're no longer a customer because of something like this. If they were really that brand loyal they wouldn't turn their back on a company when it needs support the most. Everyone keeps complaining yet offers no real reason why they should have kept Pontiac, other than the fact that they want to cry now. Solstice is fun little car. The G8 is a good car, but only HALF of them that have been shipped over from Australia have actually been sold and the rest of the lineup is garbage.
05-03-2009, 02:37 PM
#12
Teching In
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Cleveland
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Looks like we have a marketing genius on board...
Yeah, I would say that I would have to agree with GM's decision because so many of them have been on mark.
Again why did they need a bailout!
Yeah, I would say that I would have to agree with GM's decision because so many of them have been on mark.
Again why did they need a bailout!
Last edited by 72gp; 05-03-2009 at 03:21 PM.
05-03-2009, 04:58 PM
#13
TECH Fanatic
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Reading, Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,115
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
No doubt there have been many, many poor decisions made by GM the last few years. Alot of people are forgetting that GM needs to obide by alot of rules in order to get any additional funding to be even able to make it to and through a chapter 11 filing. Is it worth keeping Pontiac to sacrifice the entire company? The last thing GM needs is to be let to fend for themselves. It's a shame the government basically has to have GM as their hostage but the other option is far worse.
People should have been writing angry letters to GM about Pontiac years ago about their poor lineup. GM killed Pontiac themselves by having no real excitement from their brand that always marketed themselves as the excitement division. Don't get me wrong, Sunfires and Montana minivans were thrilling.
People should have been writing angry letters to GM about Pontiac years ago about their poor lineup. GM killed Pontiac themselves by having no real excitement from their brand that always marketed themselves as the excitement division. Don't get me wrong, Sunfires and Montana minivans were thrilling.
05-03-2009, 08:24 PM
#16
Meh it had to be done. Really no way around it. If you base business decisions on emotions every company would end up out of business. Everyone wants to cry and say they're no longer a customer because of something like this. If they were really that brand loyal they wouldn't turn their back on a company when it needs support the most. Everyone keeps complaining yet offers no real reason why they should have kept Pontiac, other than the fact that they want to cry now. Solstice is fun little car. The G8 is a good car, but only HALF of them that have been shipped over from Australia have actually been sold and the rest of the lineup is garbage.
I will wait until I get get a G8 10K off msrp+ TTT like I did for my GTO when I purchased it new in march of 2007
Ryan
05-04-2009, 12:08 AM
#17
Staging Lane
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 87
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
When I first heard that Pontiac would be axed I felt a twinge as I've owned a WS6 and traded an '04 Goat with 6500 miles for a Charger R/T R&T after my wife's minivan got t-boned. Based on how "loose" my '07 Impy SS feels now at 18,000 miles I'm beginning to think I made the wrong call in not keeping the Goat, but hindsight is 20/20.
That said, IMO when you really get down to it the two most exciting vehicles in Pontiac's lineup since '02 weren't Pontiacs at all; they were, at their core, Holdens. Like slow posted, I was floored when the G8 GT was not offered with a stick. Then the G8 ST, which I was seriously considering as I own a teardrop camping trailer that I currently tow with my '83 Malibu, was canceled back in January. My son's godfather recently traveled from his home in San Diego to Utah to get his G8 GT which he got for $26,900 + fees etc. I'm not sure if this is such a hot deal or not, but from what he reports the MSRP on the G8s has been climbing.
That said, IMO when you really get down to it the two most exciting vehicles in Pontiac's lineup since '02 weren't Pontiacs at all; they were, at their core, Holdens. Like slow posted, I was floored when the G8 GT was not offered with a stick. Then the G8 ST, which I was seriously considering as I own a teardrop camping trailer that I currently tow with my '83 Malibu, was canceled back in January. My son's godfather recently traveled from his home in San Diego to Utah to get his G8 GT which he got for $26,900 + fees etc. I'm not sure if this is such a hot deal or not, but from what he reports the MSRP on the G8s has been climbing.
05-06-2009, 07:02 AM
#18
TECH Fanatic
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,190
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Meh it had to be done. Really no way around it. If you base business decisions on emotions every company would end up out of business. Everyone wants to cry and say they're no longer a customer because of something like this. If they were really that brand loyal they wouldn't turn their back on a company when it needs support the most. Everyone keeps complaining yet offers no real reason why they should have kept Pontiac, other than the fact that they want to cry now. Solstice is fun little car. The G8 is a good car, but only HALF of them that have been shipped over from Australia have actually been sold and the rest of the lineup is garbage.
I like the exterior looks of Pontiac, but not the interiors - something about red back lighting make me feel sick.
The GTO would not sell here. The G8 is a very nice car, but these economic times killed any chance for it, and its showing the same sales trend. I wouldn't dare go $30k in debt to buy a car in these times.
I was on the "Save the Camaro" letter writing band wagon, actually bought one to prove it. Was disappointed they killed it, but they gave us the MCSS 4 years later.
My only concern is what lameness will be available from GM in 3 years when my car has 150k and needs to be replaced.
05-20-2009, 08:28 PM
#19
TECH Enthusiast
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: THE BANDIT'S LAIR in Louisiana
Posts: 720
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Hey Mel,
Thanks for posting up my letter. I didn't even know you did that! ahha
Here is the response I got back from GM. More Specifically from Pontiac Customer Assistance Center.
Thanks for posting up my letter. I didn't even know you did that! ahha
Here is the response I got back from GM. More Specifically from Pontiac Customer Assistance Center.
May 11, 2009
Paul Myers
1**** * ****** ***** Rd
Hammond, LA 7040*
Service Request Number: 71-722409437
Dear Paul,
We understand how the decision to phase out the Pontiac brand is incredibly painful for each member of our loyal customer base. Please know that every possible outcome was intensely studied before this decision was made. The agreement to discontinue the Pontiac line was equally as painful for every member of the Pontiac Team, from our corporate employees to the personnel at our dealerships.
Our goal now is to keep Pontiac owners aware of the following key facts:
Your Pontiac vehicle warranty coverage is completely unchanged and fully backed by GM. Once Pontiac has been phased out, owners wil still be able to receive service on Pontiac vehicles at any Buick Pontiac GMC dealer.
Pontiac parts will continue to be available for the foreseeable future.
In these difficult times, your satisfaction as a customer remains a key mission to us at Pontiac and General Motors. If we can be of any future assistance, please visit us online at pontiac.com or contact our Pontiac Customer Assistance Center at 800-762-2737. Customer Relationship Specialists are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Eastern Time.
Sincerely,
Pontiac Customer Assistance Center
Paul Myers
1**** * ****** ***** Rd
Hammond, LA 7040*
Service Request Number: 71-722409437
Dear Paul,
We understand how the decision to phase out the Pontiac brand is incredibly painful for each member of our loyal customer base. Please know that every possible outcome was intensely studied before this decision was made. The agreement to discontinue the Pontiac line was equally as painful for every member of the Pontiac Team, from our corporate employees to the personnel at our dealerships.
Our goal now is to keep Pontiac owners aware of the following key facts:
Your Pontiac vehicle warranty coverage is completely unchanged and fully backed by GM. Once Pontiac has been phased out, owners wil still be able to receive service on Pontiac vehicles at any Buick Pontiac GMC dealer.
Pontiac parts will continue to be available for the foreseeable future.
In these difficult times, your satisfaction as a customer remains a key mission to us at Pontiac and General Motors. If we can be of any future assistance, please visit us online at pontiac.com or contact our Pontiac Customer Assistance Center at 800-762-2737. Customer Relationship Specialists are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Eastern Time.
Sincerely,
Pontiac Customer Assistance Center