The Holdens are coming the Holdens are coming!!

[RJB]

If this is a repost go easy on me please...I'm fragile.

Bob Lutz on US Ute: "Odds are it will happen."

Posted Sep 19th 2007 9:28AM by John Neff

Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, GM, GMC, Pontiac, Australia

A few weeks ago we wrote about an email exchange between "Maximum" Bob Lutz and a GM Inside News forum member by the name of MonaroSS. In the exchange, Lutz claimed he and his colleagues were behind a move to bring the Australian-built Holden Ute to the U.S., but that "it won't be a Cheverolet." Never one to leave a quote like that hanging, Mike Levine from PickupTruck.com cornered "Maximum" Bob in California and asked if he could expound upon the status of a Stateside Ute, to which Lutz replied, "Odds are it will happen," and "We'd love to do it." Sounds promising.

In reference to his line that a Ute sold in the U.S. would not be badged a Chevrolet, Mr. Lutz added, "The Chevy product portfolio is too full to add this to it. We'd do it as either a Pontiac or GMC." Most have assumed a U.S.-spec Ute would be badged a Pontiac since from the A-pillar forward it would be identical to the forthcoming Pontiac G8 sedan, but Bob thinks a revival of the GMC Caballero might be cool, too.

[K.C.]

If Bob wants it, it will come.

[Oracle of Delphi]

If this is a repost go easy on me please...I'm fragile.

Bob Lutz on US Ute: "Odds are it will happen."

Posted Sep 19th 2007 9:28AM by John Neff

Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, GM, GMC, Pontiac, Australia

A few weeks ago we wrote about an email exchange between "Maximum" Bob Lutz and a GM Inside News forum member by the name of MonaroSS. In the exchange, Lutz claimed he and his colleagues were behind a move to bring the Australian-built Holden Ute to the U.S., but that "it won't be a Cheverolet." Never one to leave a quote like that hanging, Mike Levine from PickupTruck.com cornered "Maximum" Bob in California and asked if he could expound upon the status of a Stateside Ute, to which Lutz replied, "Odds are it will happen," and "We'd love to do it." Sounds promising.

In reference to his line that a Ute sold in the U.S. would not be badged a Chevrolet, Mr. Lutz added, "The Chevy product portfolio is too full to add this to it. We'd do it as either a Pontiac or GMC." Most have assumed a U.S.-spec Ute would be badged a Pontiac since from the A-pillar forward it would be identical to the forthcoming Pontiac G8 sedan, but Bob thinks a revival of the GMC Caballero might be cool, too.

I told you it would be GMC and the name would be Caballero, did I not? Oh ye with little faith!

Edited September 19, 2007 by Pontiac Custom-S

[Robert Hall]

I told you it would be GMC and the name would be Caballero, did I not?

And they will sell 5000, maybe? The car pickup seems like a low volume novelty...I wonder if it will do better than the SSR (another answer to a question no one asked).

Edited September 19, 2007 by moltar

[Oracle of Delphi]

And they will sell 5000, maybe? The car pickup seems like a low volume novelty...I wonder if it will do better than the SSR (another answer to a question no one asked).

I think you already know my thoughts on that.

[vonVeezelsnider]

The ONLY way this would not be a super low volume vehicle is if it's badged as an El Camino... Seriously... Not calling it El Camino is the biggest marketing errors this company could make IMO.

[Sixty8panther]

Why is GM so blind?

If Ford put a Cougar emblem on the current Mustang people would still call it a 'Stang.

If Dodge put a "Polara" emblem on the Viper people would still call it a Viper.

If Mercedes made a gullwing sports car & called it the CLK-R or some silly thing we'd all still call it the SL300...

Last time you saw a Factory-5, SuPerformance or Lone Star Classic kit car what did you call it?

That's right: a Shelby 427 Cobra!

Some cars/trucks are iconic, they will always be known by the public by a certain name.

[Camino LS6]

[Intrepidation]

Wow Bob, you're an idiot.

[vonVeezelsnider]

Some cars/trucks are iconic, they will always be known by the public by a certain name.

Exactly, an El Camino is an El Camino... not the Pontiac G9...

[PrimeGTP]

It's a mistake to call this car anything but El Camino. If Bob is so worried about Chevy's portfolio, there are at least 3 or 4 models in Chevy's current lineup that are totally unnecessary. (Cobalt, Aveo should bow out and push sales to Saturn, Equinox and the coming Lambda are not needed)

I can almost live with it being a GMC, but if it comes as a Pontiac, I will not buy GM again. I won't keep giving them money if they keep screwing with Pontiac.

[K.C.]

Agree, it should be a

[Oracle of Delphi]

But it's gonna be a !

[Z-06]

I am sad to say, but it seems like apart from Camaro and Corvette, Chevy may seem to have a ho hum future, unless the RWD Impy packs some punch.

[toesuf94]

PCS...your avatar is mesmerizing...thanks!

[Sixty8panther]

It's silly to get rid of the Cobalt... it's silly to insinuate that Chevy has too many models...

more models = more sales, Chevy is GM's value & volume leader.

Freekin' Stupid, if anything they should be worried about the LACK of models at Buick & Cadillac.

[Oracle of Delphi]

PCS...your avatar is mesmerizing...thanks!

You're most welcome! :AH-HA_wink:

Edited September 20, 2007 by Pontiac Custom-S