BigPontiac

New job?

Retire and take the job with BMW.

The GN is back to its original glory in this week's episode and was featured pretty prominently.

CNN Article

Link to Article After a day of worker protests across Europe at various General Motors plants, news comes today from Carl-Peter Foster (above), head of GM Europe, that Opel is planning to reorganize itself as a joint-stock company. GM would basically give up between 25-50 percent of its stake in the spun off company, with the hope that outside investors would make up the rest. The reorg would also likely include concessions by workers for lower pay as well as a restructuring plan to lower operating costs. The main obstacle to separating Opel from GM in the past has been the degree to which the two are intertwined, but a joint-stock company in which GM remains the largest shareholder allows the two to operate as closely as ever while severing some of those ties that bind. It may also set the stage for a detangling of Opel's models from GM's product portfolio over time, which would facilitate the outright separation of the brand from its parent company in the future. In the meantime, Opel needs approximately 3.3 billion euros or $4.2 billion USD to stay solvent and GM is in talks with governments in Spain, the UK and Germany about receiving government aid. Opel is also submitting a business plan by the end of next week to four German states in which it operates plants, and the German federal government headed by Chancellor Angela Merkel will receive a similar plan by this Monday, March 2.

Link to Article Australian company wants Pontiac G8 to be next cop cruiser Police agencies across the United States are chock full of Crown Victoria cruisers. In all, there are over 80,000 Crown Vics on patrol, but the generations-old cruiser is finally getting consigned to history within the next year. That leaves a huge opening to any company that has a suitable replacement, and an Australian company thinks it has what it takes. Melbourne's National Safety Agency is working on newer, safer and more efficient technology for large markets like the US, UK and Canada, and they have a very solid partner in Holden. Holden builds both the Commodore and the Pontiac G8, giving the NSA both left and right hand drive RWD vehicles with powerful engine options. The very capable GM models also adhere to safety and emissions standards in several high volume markets. The NSA has built a Pontiac G8 police cruiser prototype for an upcoming meeting with the LAPD and the Association of Public Safety Communication Officials, with several police-specific technologies on-board, including a integrated computer mounted into the dash. The G8 will also employs safety technology to keep officers safer, while also reducing the considerable costs that go into retrofitting a vehicle for police duty.

Link to article END OF THE ROAD Thomas Cadillac Of Hartford, Parsons Chevrolet Of Farmington Shut Down By ERIC GERSHON and KENNETH R. GOSSELIN | The Hartford Courant February 25, 2009 Connecticut auto dealerships continue to disappear amid the meltdown of the U.S. automobile industry. In Hartford, Thomas Cadillac on Weston Street, a dealership that has operated in the city since 1929, closed last Friday. The closing follows the shutdown in December of Tony March Buick- Pontiac- GMC and Saturn of Hartford, also in the North Meadows area of Hartford. Parsons Chevrolet of Farmington also shut down Friday. It was founded in 1916 by Robert E. Parsons and had been run by his grandson, Richard Parsons. Both family-owned dealerships are among the oldest and best-known to close since the start of the year. At Parsons on Scott Swamp Road, cars have already been moved off the lot and will be sold by Southern Auto Auction of East Windsor, Richard Parsons said. "It just came to the point where I had to pull the plug," Parsons said. "I delayed it as long as I possibly could." About 50 Connecticut auto dealerships have closed or consolidated in the last 14 months, about 20 of them since the start of 2009, according to the Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association. Falling sales combined with a scarcity of credit for financing inventory and operational expenses forced Parsons to close, he said. About 25 of the company's 30 employees have been laid off. The rest remain to help close up the business, a process he expects to take 30 to 60 days. In the last year, Parsons' sales of new cars fell 7 percent, he said. In Hartford, the Thomas family bought what became the Thomas dealership in 1978, and in 1995 they moved it to the North Meadows from its original location on Albany Avenue. In late January, the Thomas family had sold its Jaguar dealership to Jaguar Hartford for an undisclosed price. Douglas M. Thomas, the dealership's vice president and general manager, said the Thomas family tried to sell the Cadillac franchise but couldn't get approval quickly enough from the manufacturer. Business had slowed to such a point "that it didn't seem prudent to stay open," Thomas said. The dealership had 35 employees. Six transferred to the new Jaguar dealership but the rest have or will lose their jobs.

Wow, you get back on the internet and GM threatens to file Chapter 11...what the hell!

Autoblog picked up the story and added a few more photos:

Photo gallery of the mistreated GN

It appears the GN may be making a return to the show! At the end of this week's episode, it reappeared...though the girl he gave it to had repainted it yellow with flowers on it...

That's a very nice Skyhawk.

Wasn't the rumor that CPF would succeed him? What happened there?

Flash back to 1978 and just reuse the same name: The Buick Opel. And for the record, my dad's '85 Skyhawk was a FAR better car than his '80 Skylark or his '78 Opel. The day the '76 Plymouth Volare coupe with a the 318/4 speed was traded for the beige Opel was a sad day in my childhood

Return of the Skyhawk!

Then why has there "gotta be a misprint" then?

A quick internet search shows Allison did indeed make 4-speed automatics...they appear to have been used in RVs, school buses, etc.

Time to dust off the Holden Coupe 60 concept to round out the Commodore line-up...

And another one. This guy is gouging though...

Another one. This time with a rebate to entice traditional GM buyers...

B-702 702 Cubic Inches GMC V-12, Allison 4 speed, 155 in. Wheel Base More information Hemi-powered Trike Autoblog information and additional pics

I wonder if those blind spot mirrors are tacked on or built into the mirrors...

Autoblog source article 1985 Oldsmobile Calais "Michigan State University" - A "Spartan" special custom Calais. Perfect for the Michigan State fan. Lot number 6.1, sold for $2,475. 1991 Saturn SL1 (First Production Model) - First production Saturn ever made. Lot number 93, sold for $3,850. 1995 Saturn SC2 Coupe (1 Millionth) - Saturn's 1-millionth vehicle, a Dark Green 1995 SC2 coupe. Lot number 93.1, sold for $7,150. 1999 Saturn SC2 Coupe (2 Millionth) - The 2 Millionth Saturn built. Lot number 93.2, sold for $8,470. 1989 GEO "Zonker" Metro - A personal project for GM Design VP, Chuck Jordan. One-of-a-kind styling exercise developed in conjunction with Suzuki. Lot number 9.1, sold for $3,300. Pontiac Grand Am #85 IMSA race car - Ran in IMSA Racing Series Pro F. Features naturally aspirated, 2-barrel carbureted 4-cylinder engine. Lot number 1619, sold for $3,300. 1989 GEO Tracker "Boom Box" - GEO/Chevrolet's SEMA display vehicle that features high-powered audio. Lot number 30.3, sold for $5,720. 1991 Chevy Caprice Classic - A Caprice production vehicle being sold from General Motors. Lot number 20, sold for $3,630. 2003 Pontiac Sunfire SEMA vehicle - This supercharged ECOTEC Sunfire features a long list of custom equipment including: unique front and rear fascia, full ground effects package, painted engine cover, ghost flames exterior paint treatment, custom wheels and oversized rear deck spoiler. Interior includes Clarion radio system and 12-inch subwoofers (located in trunk) and a custom leather interior. Lot number 115, sold for $7,700.

Link to Article In the interest of making its Saab brand more attractive for purchase, General Motors is reportedly looking at returning more autonomy to its Swedish subsidiary. As it stands now, Saab is basically a glorified Swedish imprint of the Opel record label. Indeed, a lot of engineering, and even construction, for Saab cars goes on in Russelsheim, Germany, Opel's home. The biggest development is that Saab would gain control over its own finances and decisions. Although GM would still be Saab's owner, the Swedish Patient would have its own budget (a figure that has yet to be determined). The idea behind the move is that giving Saab additional financial autonomy would demonstrate to potential buyers that the division is capable of standing on its own. If Saab is sold, it will obviously take some time to separate itself from GM platforms, but increasingly independent decision-making could help speed up the process. Saab board members and the president of Sweden's IF Metall trade union feel that a standalone Saab can work and be more enticing for potential suitors. The final verdict will be revealed when GM submits its business plan to the US Government on February 17th.

Link to Article One of the most highly anticipated vehicles to be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson this year was the first 2010 Chevy Camaro. There are very few instant classics these days, and this is one of them. There's still a month before actual series production of the car is slated to begin, but the winning bidder claimed the right to the very first retail production car that can be ordered in any color and with any options he chooses. Last year, it took exactly one-million dollars to win the hotly contested rights to the first 2009 Corvette ZR1, and this year $350,000 claimed the first edition of the newly-revived Camaro. Just as with last year's ZR1, all proceeds from this Camaro's sale will benefit the American Heart Association, which means that anything over the car's MSRP will be tax deductible by the winning bidder. See the car's official auction description after the break. First Retail Production 2010 Chevrolet Camaro: One very passionate Camaro enthusiast at the 2009 Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction will come away with the keys to the first regular retail production-built unit of Chevy's all-new, 21st Century Sports Car. This first Camaro built for regular retail production will have a VIN ending with #100001. Chevrolet ceased production of the fourth-generation of their vaunted sports car in 2002. Four years later, Camaro appeared as a surprise concept vehicle at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The new production Camaro remains steadfastly true to that concept, with an eye-catching design reminiscent of the storied 1969 Camaro, but equipped with modern technology and a GM-estimated 27 MPG highway when equipped with the available V6 engine. Importantly, the winning bidder will have the ability to spec and order their Camaro to their liking, choosing from several colors, V6 or V8 engines, a manual or automatic transmission, and various trim packages and free-flow options. The vehicle will be built on the first day of retail production -- scheduled for early 2009. All proceeds from the sale will benefit the American Heart Association, a national voluntary health agency whose mission is: "Building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke." The association's impact goal is to reduce coronary heart disease, stroke and risk by 25 percent by 2010. Please join GM, Chevrolet, Barrett-Jackson and the American Heart Association in pursuit of this very worthwhile effort, and be the first to own Chevy's 21st Century Sports Car, the 2010 Chevy Camaro.