Pontiac is DEAD. 4/27/09 GM kills the brand. R.I.P.
04-23-2009, 02:54 PM
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Pontiac is DEAD. 4/27/09 GM kills the brand. R.I.P. http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=146706
Pontiac Is Dead
Date posted: 2009-04-23 12:26:00.0
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DETROIT — According to a source at General Motors, the company will announce next Monday its new "faster, deeper" reorganization plan, which will likely include a death sentence for the Pontiac brand.
Inside Line called Tom Wilkinson, news relations PR man for General Motors, who said: "There's nothing I can share with you at this time. Keep your eyes on our media site. Officially, nothing has changed with Pontiac's niche-brand status, until you hear differently."
The one-time "Excitement" division and creator of legends such as the GTO and Firebird was relegated to "niche" or "specialty" brand status by General Motors in its first viability plan in December of last year.
The company toyed with competing proposals to either turn the brand into GM's version of Scion or to make Pontiac a very focused purveyor of performance cars based around the critically well-received G8. But ultimately, Pontiac was chosen as the easiest to kill since it was cut from GM's self-defined herd of four "core brands," Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick. Most Pontiac franchises have already been combined with Buick and GMC.
If true, Pontiac will join Saab, Saturn and Hummer as brands that will not survive GM's current troubles — at least not as a component of General Motors.
Inside Line says: Just as the G8 reawakened our interest in 83-year-old Pontiac, the brand falls victim to bad times and old mistakes. — Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit
Just my luck.
The 1st time in my life I decide to buy a Pontiac, GM kills the brand.
What does this mean for the future of the G8 in the U.S.???
Pontiac Is Dead
Date posted: 2009-04-23 12:26:00.0
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DETROIT — According to a source at General Motors, the company will announce next Monday its new "faster, deeper" reorganization plan, which will likely include a death sentence for the Pontiac brand.
Inside Line called Tom Wilkinson, news relations PR man for General Motors, who said: "There's nothing I can share with you at this time. Keep your eyes on our media site. Officially, nothing has changed with Pontiac's niche-brand status, until you hear differently."
The one-time "Excitement" division and creator of legends such as the GTO and Firebird was relegated to "niche" or "specialty" brand status by General Motors in its first viability plan in December of last year.
The company toyed with competing proposals to either turn the brand into GM's version of Scion or to make Pontiac a very focused purveyor of performance cars based around the critically well-received G8. But ultimately, Pontiac was chosen as the easiest to kill since it was cut from GM's self-defined herd of four "core brands," Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick. Most Pontiac franchises have already been combined with Buick and GMC.
If true, Pontiac will join Saab, Saturn and Hummer as brands that will not survive GM's current troubles — at least not as a component of General Motors.
Inside Line says: Just as the G8 reawakened our interest in 83-year-old Pontiac, the brand falls victim to bad times and old mistakes. — Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit
Just my luck.
The 1st time in my life I decide to buy a Pontiac, GM kills the brand.
What does this mean for the future of the G8 in the U.S.???
Last edited by TT C6; 04-23-2009 at 03:00 PM.
04-23-2009, 04:11 PM
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04-23-2009, 05:28 PM
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Charger came back as a 4 door on the same platform as 300, and they have sold a bunch of them.
These days if you cannot share a platform with something with broad appeal, you are looking at near "niche status" anyway. Only mustang defies this theory.
These days if you cannot share a platform with something with broad appeal, you are looking at near "niche status" anyway. Only mustang defies this theory.
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04-24-2009, 01:27 PM
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Found this post from David Hamburger of SLP
"If it's done, why would GM have put the 2010 V6 G8 info in the dealers computer system last night?"
As the FBodfather said about the Camaro: Keep the Faith
"If it's done, why would GM have put the 2010 V6 G8 info in the dealers computer system last night?"
As the FBodfather said about the Camaro: Keep the Faith
04-24-2009, 09:12 PM
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I know I'm probably in the minority, but I'm more inclined to buy the G8 as an Impala SS or Chevelle than as a "Gee Ate". Just make it in the same NA plant as the Camaro to cut costs and I think it will survive. Heck, they could even badge-brand a Buick version as far as I'm concerned.
I really think ever since the Aztek, Pontiac was on its death bed. I love our 2006 GP w/SC, but if the fwd Chevy Impala had a supercharged version at the time, I think I would have gone that way.
BTW - I think I am the Angel of Death for car brands. Some of our last few cars were the Plymouth Laser (1990), Mercury Mystique (1995), Olds Alero, Pontiac GP (2002) and Pontiac Grand Prix (2006). I also had a Camaro when they killed it the first time in 2002. I won't count Jeep Cherokee since that was basically just a name change.
I really think ever since the Aztek, Pontiac was on its death bed. I love our 2006 GP w/SC, but if the fwd Chevy Impala had a supercharged version at the time, I think I would have gone that way.
BTW - I think I am the Angel of Death for car brands. Some of our last few cars were the Plymouth Laser (1990), Mercury Mystique (1995), Olds Alero, Pontiac GP (2002) and Pontiac Grand Prix (2006). I also had a Camaro when they killed it the first time in 2002. I won't count Jeep Cherokee since that was basically just a name change.
04-26-2009, 11:19 AM
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I'm just wondering what the incentives will be here in May. I can't see them taking anything away, I can see them only adding to what they have already done. It would be dumb if they didn't.