Chicagoland

What should have been said was "We haven't made up for the lost customers, who got fed up with trips to the service dept, low resale value, dated designs, etc etc"

One ting forgotten in all the hand wringing, is that GM needs to mke their plants flexible. No need for plants scattered all over making one body style, with the excess going to Rental fleets. And, to those that claimed "GM is going to re-tool and switch back to BOF RWD cars" by 2008, what do they say now??

To the post on main page: No, the Challenger didn't only have this body in 1971, it lasted from 1970-1974. Also, no this car is not meant for the trendy, fickle, here today/gone tomorrow, FWD 'teen' coupe market. Kids don't like 'retro', but many cars that are "original" and "futuristic" end up in the out of style junk yard, like the Probe, Geo Storm, and Celica. There will never be a restoration market for any of the above trendy toys. With original Hemi Cudas and Challengers going for near $500K, what do you think a car company should try to selll?

Well, some things about Oshwa closing. Monte Carlo sales are in the dumpster. So much for the "there is still a mid size coupe market". With Buick and Poncho merged, there is no need for 2 cars the same szie GP/LC. Mainly it looks like GM is just condensing production, eliminating redundancy in that area. Doraville was an easy one, but OK city I thought would stay. Also, people claim that GM is going to bring back BOF RWD cars such as the "Chevelle concept". Where will they build them with closing plants and bleeding cash??

So, the Alero was "way better" then the GA, buily by the same workers in the same plant, with 90% same parts? Same as the trucks with Olds badges, what made them "way better"? Only the Intrique and Aruroa were 'unique', but then clashed with other GM brands. It was all psychological that these cars were as revered as the glory days Cutlasses and 88/98 cars. But this is a dead horse...

Buicks in the 60's, 70's and early 80's had younger buyers, too.

Oh who really cares?

From 1958-85, the full sized Cheverolet line went by more trim names then just Impala. Don't forget BelAir, Caprice, and Biscayne. I grew up with 60's Big Chevies and all of them from 1955-70 were my favorites, but the 61-69 SS's were the best. Top 5 Model years I like: 1969, 65, 61, 70, and 58 Up until 1969, one could buy a 2 door BelAir or Biscayne strippo with a big block motor and a 4 speed. To those that look down on Chevys, well the only differnce since the late 70's from the B-O-P cars is trim and name badges. And with the way GM is going, looks like Chevy and Caddy will be all of GM.

I think there will be a Dodge compact sedan [with a hatch] but called a different name, just like there is a Charger and a Magnum.

That 20 year old Omni interior actually dates back to 1977, pushing 3 decades!

Next fall as a 2007. MAybe they will show it in LA or other Auto Shows. At least its not as old as the Cavalier got, and it also is NOT as old as the "hip" Focus. Waaaaay back in Fall 1999, the 20th Century, Ford started selling the Focus. 6 months later, Winter 2000, the current Sentra came out. The Focus will still be around another year 2007 and God knows how much longer, after the next Sentra is out. So, I wouldn't throw stones, ;=)

Sure GM can just whip up a car based on nothing in 2 years. And build it in a scheduled to close plant, right? There are tons of people out in the real worls, who couldn't care less about the 1970's, so keep dreaming.

Linden is deader than Elvis. Doraville is the walking dead, but no way would Spring Hill get killed.

Gm can do like United Airlines, and be in "Bankruptcy" for years. That can avoid any lawsuits and can drag out paying penisons and such. If they drop a brand, under bankruptcy, they can claim "economic hardship" and Dealers would have to fold with no compensation. Of course I could be incorrect, anyone can chime in with what they know about bankrupcy laws. But some have to face it, the Glory Days of 4 brands with a whole line of RWD cars is never, never coming back.

The California plant that built the F bodies was smack in the heart of LA's Valley, Van Nuys. It was leveled and redeveloped.

A Camaro alone wouldn't save GM, but it would bring in tire kickers who may end up getting a Cobalt, or Impala.

OK, thanks for clarifying about subframes. BOF is full chassis frame separate from bodyshell. A sporty car like a Camaro is too small for BOF, that is why the F's had a subframe. More than likely any new Camaro will be a unibody like the CTS.

The old 1967-81 F bodies were not true BOF cars. They had a front subframe like the X body RWD Novas. Now as for 1982-2002, I claim ignorance, I should know if they have a sub frame, but someone else can fill in the blank.

Cadillac is NOT "cooling off". Period. Gm and Ford's big problem is the tanking of the tanks. the full sized SUV, called "the car of the future" in 1998, is back to it's pre hype sales level. Or back where they should be, as they were in 1991 era.

80% chance it will be a version of a product already on the assembly line. And it will most liklely be Pontiac version of the Cobalt, a G4 or Pursuit or ? Gas is high, B-P-GMC wants a compact car, CAFE, Imports are stealing young customers, and again gas is high. RWD anything other than Kappa is still concept. If it's a turbo or hi-po Solstice, that's no big secret. But the 20% is a Solstice coupe, with a solid roof.

People are whining about no Caliber four door. But most new veihcles sold are "trucks", so why not make a new prodcut at least look like one? Vibe, Matrix, Scion xA and B, HHR, and other compacts that have a rear cargo area are selling. And so is the PT, up 66% over last year. So, bringing in a different sport wagon makes sense. To some, they see a "wagon" as a "car", and are not '0-60 only' car nuts. Where once buyers bought full sized cars for room, now they get sport wagons.

Earlier someone said "next Impala will look like a '63". Again, probably not until the changes to the '06 are paid off. 2011?

Well, back in "the day", let's say 40 [model] years ago, 1966. Biscayne, BelAir, Impala, Impala SS, Caprice Or 35 years, 1971: Same but replace SS with Impala Custom Add in all the bodystyles, motors, and other options, and they had way more full sized Chevys 35-40 years ago.

"the Nova hatchback didn't last," The Nova hatcbacks lasted from 1973-79, not a bad run. Then replaced by the the X body Citation, which was almost called the "new Nova"! They lasted til '85, but there was the NUMMI made Nova hatch then. [yeah it was mis-named] The media wrongly says that 'hatches were never popular in the US'. They WERE big sellers from 1973-'88. They just went out of style.

I doubt this 2006 re-style is only going to last 2 years. Isn't this one planned to be around till 2010? For lists of small changes to the 2007's, you'll have to wait till next summer.