A Thought.

[Blake Noble]

I submit the following idea for your consideration: would placing the Pontiac brand on a "Camaro-esque period of hiatus" be a viable alternative to simply killing the brand? I believe this period of downtime could allow for GM to fully assess how to make wholly unique, mpg-appropriate performance cars for the brand instead of simply rebadging Chevrolet Aveos and Cobalts and sweeping cars like the G8 and Solstice under the rug.

I have other ideas for the brand. I may just post them later.

Edited October 4, 2008 by YellowJacket894

[SAmadei]

I submit the following idea for your consideration: would placing the Pontiac brand on a "Camaro-esque period of hiatus" be a viable alternative to simply killing the brand? I believe this period of downtime could allow for GM to fully assess how to make wholly unique, mpg-appropriate performance cars for the brand instead of simply rebadging Chevrolet Aveos and Cobalts and sweeping cars like the G8 and Solstice under the rug.

I have other ideas for the brand. I may just post them later.

I would say no... in the mainstream world, out of sight is out of mind... forever. And I feel the dealers would never go for it.

Of course, I feel Oldsmobile is actually on temporary hiatus. At some point, GM is going to sell the rights to the name and history to some group that wants to make a "traditional American car" again. If GM doesn't sell the rights, I'm sure it's bankruptcy trustee will.

Now that Chrysler is in the hands of people who like to make money, and not lose it, I'm surprised a bidder for Plymouth hasn't come up. After all, that's probably as valuable as the Viper unit Chrysler is thinking of selling.

[Northstar]

Pontiac is going on a hiatus, a long, long hiatus. The brand is already dead, now it is just a name on a Chevy with a kidney grille.

[cire]

I submit the following idea for your consideration: would placing the Pontiac brand on a "Camaro-esque period of hiatus" be a viable alternative to simply killing the brand? I believe this period of downtime could allow for GM to fully assess how to make wholly unique, mpg-appropriate performance cars for the brand instead of simply rebadging Chevrolet Aveos and Cobalts and sweeping cars like the G8 and Solstice under the rug.

I have other ideas for the brand. I may just post them later.

I believe if GM did this, then they would just reallocate their limited resources elsewhere and Pontiac would stay "on hiatus" forever. It's obvious that GM really doesn't believe in properly supporting the brand anymore. This would just give them an excuse to do what I believe they are already planning to do anyway. Your idea and intentions are commendable, I just don't trust GM to follow through with it. Since Pontiac is limited to North America (Saturn is supposed to be "aligned" with Opel, which I still don't fully agree with), I think GM feels it is not worth the time, effort, or development money to give the division anything unique in the future. If GM's intentions are to give Pontiac rebadged Chevy/GMDAT clones, then I wish they would just go ahead and pull the plug anyway. It's a terrible fate for a brand that has the potential to be so much more.

I also agree with SAmadei: the dealers would have a major cow over this one. Pontiac's rebadged Chevy clones give B-P-G dealers something small, inexpensive, and supposedly fuel efficient to sell. They definitely will not be willing to let this go even if it meant that the division would receive something better and more brand appropriate in the future.

[smk4565]

Hiatus won't work for a brand, the dealers whine now about not having enough products (when they should want quality over quantity) so they won't go for it. The brand is pretty much dead anyway. I think a 3 tier setup of Chevy-Oldsmobile-Cadillac (maybe with saturn as the Holden/Opel import outlet) could have worked but too late for that.

[Sixty8panther]

You can't put a brand on ice... just does not work in the business world.

I know you're trying to think outside the box but think about it, all those

employees are not going to volunteer for unpaid time off...

[balthazar]

Agreed- look at maybach, rolls, the attempts to bring back Duesenberg & Packard... without ferrari's input, no doubt maserati would be on the ropes again, too.... but somebody's buying them for some reason (saw another one today)- tho that's undoubtedly going to dive if it hasn't already. Rolls very well may be dead in 12 months.

>>"I feel Oldsmobile is actually on temporary hiatus. At some point, GM is going to sell the rights to the name and history to some group that wants to make a "traditional American car" again. If GM doesn't sell the rights, I'm sure it's bankruptcy trustee will."<<

There will never be a buyer for "Oldsmobile" in a million years, unfortunately.

Not only is there not enough margin potential in the brand, start-up manufacturers are just an impossiblity anymore.

[smk4565]

Agree that Olds will never come back, but Rolls-Royce isn't going anywhere. They have been doing well this year and have a new model coming. There will always be people willing to pay $330,000 for a car, especially in Dubai. A Duesenberg comeback would be incredible, but no one would do the name justice. Duesenberg was the greatest car ever built in my opinion.

[vonVeezelsnider]

Um Yeah, Olds is never coming back. Even though they're my favorite marque, I wouldn't want to see them back. They had their original run, any new Oldsmobile just wouldn't be the same because there's a gap in the history. Pontiac would be the same way.

[SAmadei]

Um Yeah, Olds is never coming back. Even though they're my favorite marque, I wouldn't want to see them back. They had their original run, any new Oldsmobile just wouldn't be the same because there's a gap in the history. Pontiac would be the same way.

The city of Cleveland is happy to have the Browns back... even if there is a gap in history. IIRC, not on player from the original Browns made it to the new and improved Browns.

I'm not suggesting GM would bring back Olds... or that someone would try to make Olds anything more that a low production, niche brand. Alot of Oldsmobiles where sold years ago, and some people do miss that kind of car.

Hell, they're making '69 Camaros again (I'm not talking about the 2010 one... I'm talking about the C.A.R.S./Dynacorn bodys which can be turned into a turnkey, new, no-GM-part-in-sight, '69 Camaro-appearing car for about $40-50K.

Sometimes Hell freezes over. After, all GM is on the brink of blinking out of existance... foretell that ten years ago and people would think you were nuts.