UPDATE 6/21!: GM Cutting Another Division?

[I-Love-Pontiac]

Originally Posted by Flyingbunnys

PS. Does GM really need Vauxhall?

Yeah really! Why don't you try killing off someone else's brand GM.

[joshls]

GM only needs 2 divisions. Maybe 3 max. Chevrolet is the core brand and Cadillac is the luxury brand. Toyoto is kicking their Arse with just the Toyota and Lexus brands. What is so complicate about this??? And this is coming from a big Pontiac fan that hates Chevy styling (except new Malibu).

[texassierradude]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

GMC is GM's 2nd best selling division...no way in hell are they axing it, even if is just a bunch of trucks. You have the Acadia and Terrain to cover the losses of the BOF trucks. Throw in a Holden Crewman-ish thing and you'll have even more success.
GM Board of Directors: GMC is made up of rebadges that people freaking buy. Get that into your heads. I know plenty of people who'll buy a GMC over a Chevy just because the designs are better. One of those people is me.

In total agreement

[djo165]

Originally Posted by TriShield

GMC is selling Chevrolet trucks with slightly different styling, both completely overlap and cannabalize each other and drink from the same customer pool. With GMC phased out and Chevrolet selling fullsized trucks as always those customers will purchase them from Chevrolet while GM will no longer have to allocate double the resources to support GMC selling the same vehicle.

The same is true with Pontiac. Pontiac is mostly vehicles Chevrolet is already selling or that Chevrolet could be selling better. The brands and their dealerships cannabalize each other more than anything else.

Good points, but you're assuming that those GMC truck buyers will just go buy a Chevy instead. Many won't. For a lot of people, the choice to buy a GMC or Chevy comes down to the dealership and which one is closest. They know the vehicles are pretty much the same. But if you take away that GMC option, then they may go with Ford, Dodge, or Toyota.

As for Pontiac and Chevy, it takes more design and manufacturing effort (and more $$) to differentiate a G6 from a Malibu than it does to differentiate a Sierra from a Silverado. So from that standpoint, cutting Pontiac might save more $$ then cutting GMC.

[spidge]

Originally Posted by TriShield

There's no reason to keep Buick in the US, the brand has been ousted from any luxury or near-luxury claims by foreign brands now. GM can keep selling it in China but it's a lost cause here in North America, it's GM's Mercury.

Good point. Nowadays, luxury and performance aren't mutually exclusive, but Buicks can't become to sporty, or they'll encroach on Cadillac's territory. This will limit their appeal to older customers. But if they love Buicks in China, sell them in China, and not North America. Just like Jerry Lewis, an American product which now has more appeal on a foreign market.

GMC should stick to selling "professional grade" trucks for commercial purposes, light and medium duty, and get rid of the Acadia crossover. Leave the crossovers to Chevrolet.

Another poster said to axe Pontiac, which is mostly rebadges, and market the G8 through Saturn. This is a good idea.

[AndrewGS]

Whatever. I don't care anymore.

Shutter and demolish America's oldest operating auto plant (Janesville), sell off a brand with huge potential as an international lineup of real 4x4s, kill off another one of your 80+ or 100+ year-old brands that have been successful in the past under proper management, euthanize several of your children to relieve some responsibility.

I've been loyal to GM for a long time through many stupid decisions, but if they kill off another brand instead of actually working to fix the problem, I'm out. It will be like losing a family member, but Ford will be more likely to get my money than GM.

I know it's easy to say how things should be run from my armchair, but a retarded chimp could probably do a better job than management has in the last thirty years.

[I-Love-Pontiac]

Originally Posted by AndrewGS

I've been loyal to GM for a long time through many stupid decisions, but if they kill off another brand instead of actually working to fix the problem, I'm out. It will be like losing a family member, but Ford will be more likely to get my money than GM.

Totally agree. I'm just getting so fed up with their crap. Yes they have made some nice cars lately, but they have slowed down a lot. I was expecting their progress to be exponential. I'm more than likely going to Toyota. I love Lexus, love Scion, and actually really like the new Matrix. It reminds me of Pontiac in the 90s. Unique, daring, practical, and little awkward.




Ford has got a painfully boring line up. Mustang is alright, but I want something smaller and more modern.

[jcgable]

Originally Posted by PocoToro

In the end you would have.....
Chevrolet, Chevrolet Trucks
Buick, Saturn, GMC
Cadillac, Saab

If they are run more as three brands with each logo having a different personality you could have the right mix with little overlap.

I Vote Yes.

[RedVee8]

If GMC were to go, would they sell Chevy Trucks through the BPG dealers?

[samkung]

I have a dream one day: why not make Pontiac a brand that make super cars interesting dream

in my dream GM line up would be like

• Pontiac making low volume super cars (my wildest dream, but i believe GM can do it)
• Cadillac, global luxury
• Buick, say goodbye to America, see you in China
• Chevy/GMC, consolidate the truck business
• Opel/Saab, Europe style and handling

[iluvcamaros]

Trucks are not the future. GMC is trucks. It should be milked for all its worth, but they need to start preparing now for a 2015-2020 shutdown.

Kill Saturn. No money or time to build its brand awareness. Enough 2nd chances for this money sucking division already.

Give Pontiac the Opels and Holdens. Pontiac has always wanted to go Euro and I say let them.

Buick, suprisingly, has a strong reputation for quality and reliability. All it lacks is the bold, elegant styling that was once its trademark. The Enclave's strong sales prove how easily Buick could be brought back. This brand could be saved with good products unlike Saturn (or Oldsmobile for that matter).

[Minnesota Nice]

You mean GM didn't already kill off Pontiac by introducing the all-new super cool G3 and G5?

Please...

I hope they don't kill Pontiac, because I really always preferred that brand, but whoever is in charge of Pontiac has his head up his ass.

And that makes me sad.

[chickenkicker]

Originally Posted by AndrewGS

Whatever. I don't care anymore.
I've been loyal to GM for a long time through many stupid decisions, but if they kill off another brand instead of actually working to fix the problem, I'm out. It will be like losing a family member, but Ford will be more likely to get my money than GM.

I'm really torn on this... on the one hand I've been a huge Pontiac fan since I was very young. Every since I was a little kid I've always wanted a Firebird (big surprise that I used to always watch Knight Rider and own a Trans Am now). My family is also full of long term Pontiac fans, I think my mom is one of the few people on this Earth that actually really liked the Grand Am. And she still likes Pontiac despite owning a god awful Lemans that blew it's head gasket every 6-9 months for 4 years until she finally scrapped it.

On the other hand we've also been big GM fans as well. Since my parents were young we've owned probably close to 25-30 GM vehicles (heck we've had 6 or 7 Corvairs alone). So if Pontiac gets the axe I guess the question is which am I more loyal to, Pontiac or GM. Honestly I don't want to find out and as far as I'm concerned if Pontiac goes I may move over to Ford as many in my family have done over the past several years.

If GMC gets cut I'll be sad, I like GMC more than Chevy, but I'll get over it. Same goes for Saturn despite the fact that I'm a huge Saturn fan and IMO my old SL2 was one of the best car's we've ever owned. If Buick goes.... well I guess I don't really care if Buick goes.

[TKR]

Apart from Hummer, I would vote SAAB.
Once Cadillac have an all new line and Opel have introduced Insignia, AWD and the new Astra etc, SAAB will not be needed by GM.
Sure, there will be buyers out there who won't be happy but those 5 people need to realise GM cannot carry on spending $$$ on a disjointed (whether GM caused it or not) brand.

I'm also not sure about GMC (not being anywhere near it's market). I know it makes money but it also seems bizare that it is fully a rebadged division?

So..the car lineup would be:
Full range: Chevrolet (with the exception of Corvette???)
Mid: Opel / Saturn
Sports: Pontiac - Pontiac Corvette anyone? Keep the bowtie somewhere on it though.
(Please don't flame me, I'm just throwing it out there for discussion.)
Old/Boring: Buick
Lux: Cadillac

[LeSabre]

If GM sells Hummer, fine. Saab, Fine. Any part of PBG, NO!

I am not one to buy a Chevy or a Cadillac.
I possibly would buy a Saturn.
I would buy a GMC truck over a Chevy, hands down.
I would definitely buy a Pontiac or Buick.

If GM were to shutdown or sell any of the PBG, GM can kiss their ass, As I have no desire to buy/own a Chevy or a Cadillac.

I for one will wait to hear GM give an official announcement of any potential shutdown or selling of a division.