what is GM's problem

[bring_BUICK_back]

What is GM trying to accomplish? Chevrolet has 8 vehicles, Pontiac has 8, and cadilac has 5, and Buick 3

It makes no sense. It seems like they are purposely trying to kill the Buick division. I don't understand how they expect Buick to be a succesfull division with the Lucerne and Lacrosse

whose platform and engine have been around for years. Buick needs new vehicles and they need it now. They should have RWD, a 2dr, a convertible, and a 3 series type. They should also

offer more V8's. Come on GM get your head out of your ass

[Flybrian]

Look at the sales angle: Buick is being combined (if not already) with Pontiac-GMC dealerships, so when you walk onto a lot, you're really seeing a complete lineup of vehicles, from entry-level (G5) to fullsize luxury (Lucerne). In fact, taking that into account, here's the near-future GM lineup

Chevrolet - 7 cars, 3 pickups, 4 SUVs, 1 van

Pontiac - 5 cars, 1 SUV

Buick - 2 cars, 1 SUV

GMC - 2 pickups, 1 van, 4 SUVs

Cadillac - 4 cars, 4 SUVs

Chevrolet - 15 vehicles

B-P-GMC - 16 vehicles

Cadillac - 8 vehicles

Not so bad after all, especially since having a smaller lineup means a better individual product.

[gm4life]

What fly said about B-G-P makes total sense.

[ellives]

What fly said about B-G-P makes total sense.

The problem with the strategy is brand recognition. What will this "B-G-P" division be called? BGP? (This means Border Gateway Protocol in the IT world.) I suppose BMW can get away with it somehow.

[aaaantoine]

B-P-G will not go under a single brand, but they will be sold at the same dealership. "Ford Lincoln Mercury" is just a dealership that sells cars of all three brands, except there is way too much overlap in that setup. Not so with Buick / Pontaic / GMC.

[Flybrian]

The problem with the strategy is brand recognition. What will this "B-G-P" division be called? BGP? (This means Border Gateway Protocol in the IT world.) I suppose BMW can get away with it somehow.

Exactly. B-P-GMC is simply a sales channel that helps the dealers who sell the shrunken Buick and Pontiac lineups sell enough. You're never going to see a Pontibuick GrandSabre or whatever.

I know in more rural areas, dealerships sell Chevrolets, Pontiacs, Oldsmobiles, Buicks, GMCs, and even Cadillacs on the same lot and have done so for years.

[ToniCipriani]

I know in more rural areas, dealerships sell Chevrolets, Pontiacs, Oldsmobiles, Buicks, GMCs, and even Cadillacs on the same lot and have done so for years.

There's actually a "GM supercenter" in Toronto. In the same block, there's a Chevrolet, Pontiac-Buick-GMC-Cadillac-Hummer, Saturn-Saab dealer. I'm not too sure if the Chevrolet and Pontiac dealer are owned by the same guy, but it's there together, right across. the Saturn-Saab is definitely owned by the same guy as the P-B-G-C-H. Those guys have very rare models at times as well. They were one of the first ones to get a Solstice in Canada.

[Cory Wolfe]

Brookville is old school... Buick, Cadillac, Chevy, and Pontiac are combined in one dealership.

[vrazzhledazzle]

What everyone is saying about B-P-G is true, and I don't mind it as long as they keep Buick alive. I've been hearing people say GM should kill off Buick just as they did with Olds but I'm definetely against that.

They should have never spent a billion killing Olds in the first place.

It should've been:

Cadillac/Hummer - luxury cars & trucks (competes with Benz, BMW, Range Rover)

Oldsmobile - near-luxury (competes with mercury, chrysler, acura?)

Buick-Pontiac-GMC - performance cars and trucks (so buick would compete with infinity, ect)

Chevrolet - mainstream everything (kill toyota, honda, japan)

Saturn - important fighter (don't move it too far upmarket)