AutoExtremist: Pontiac-Soul Survivor or just Dust in the Wind?

[nadepalma]

I didn't see this anywhere -- thought it was a good write up by PDL


SOURCE: http://www.autoextremist.com/index.shtml

Soul Survivor or just Dust in the Wind?



Detroit. The legendary Pontiac names alone could power a rollcall from Detroit's golden era - Bonneville, Catalina, Tempest, Le Mans, GTO, "The Judge," Grand Prix, Firebird and Trans-Am. The rich additions to the automotive lexicon were legendary too - "389," "421," "455SD," "Tri-Power," "eight-lug" aluminum wheels, Royal Bobcats, "Endura" front bumpers, hood-mounted tachs, and on and on. And the marketing and advertising hooks were equally memorable - with the famous "Wide Track" campaign still resonating to this day. But Pontiac has suffered from neglect and abuse for years, and now GM's maverick division is on the edge of oblivion.

When the recently returned GTO (which suffered from so many built-in handicaps I lost count) faded into the woodwork, Pontiac was left with only one car that even remotely resembled their swashbuckling cars of the past - the Solstice two-seat roadster. The G6 is far too tame to carry Pontiac forward on its own - GXP guise or no - and everything else Pontiac has to offer - the Torrent (which is a badge-engineered Chevy Equinox), the Vibe (shared with the Matrix from Toyota) and the G5 (the badge-engineered version of the Chevy Cobalt) - is too mundane to even ponder. Now Pontiac dealers find themselves anticipating the new G8 performance sedan, the first car on GM's new rear-wheel-drive architecture and the latest and greatest "new" Pontiac designed to "wake up the echoes" for the once proud brand. We'll see.

Pontiac has suffered mightily from the bureaucratic gravitational force field that has churned and stirred the traditional GM divisional structure over the years. While GM marketers scrambled to prop up seven other brands, Pontiac always seemed to be left out on the fringe with product initiatives that often fell woefully short of what the brand deserved. After resurrecting Cadillac to the tune of $5 billion, GM marketers launched Hummer. After dumping a boatload of money in a desperate attempt to save Saturn a few years ago, GM finally got around to worrying about Chevrolet. While GM is trying to pump life into Saab and Buick, Pontiac is left to fight over crumbs for its product plans. Now, GM's launching the most aggressive new product push in Saturn's history - and Pontiac finds itself left out in the cold again.

For every dollar that was thrown at Saturn, Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, Hummer, GMC and Saab over the years - Pontiac got short changed and got further and further removed from its core strengths. GM's maverick division had now been reduced to picking up scraps from Chevy's product lineup and wallowing in such "smoke-and-mirrors" marketing exercises like the dismally tedious "Apprentice" TV show, featuring America's poster boy for vacuous vapidity - Donald Trump. Or underwriting Jimmy Kimmel's show while it was here during the Super Bowl, which provided a real boost to the Pontiac image. Not. Where did GM go wrong with Pontiac? I could fill a dozen issues of Autoextremist.com delineating the division's downfall, but as someone who was intimately familiar with Pontiac's last brief fling with positive notoriety during its "Excitement" years (I was a writer at Pontiac's ad agency for five-and-one-half years in the early '80s), it pains me to see the downward spiral of one of America's most compelling automotive brand names.

It's clear to me that GM's struggle to apportion product and marketing attention to all of its divisions is killing the company - and unfortunately, Pontiac finds itself closest to the door at this point. Until GM's "too many models, too many divisions" situation is somehow mitigated (which I doubt will ever happen unless GM blows itself up and starts over), I fear for the long-term viability of Pontiac.

To understand the travesty of Pontiac's current state you have to go back and understand the impact Pontiac once had on the U.S. market. It's hard to believe this now but at one point during its glory days in the '60s Pontiac was the hottest car company in the country, breathing down Ford's neck in third place in sales. If ever a car company defined "swagger" - Pontiac was it. Pontiac was GM's "pirate" division, and if they could have raised a "skull and crossbones" flag over its headquarters in its heyday, they would have. On any given day, Pontiac was always pissing someone off down at GM headquarters because they just couldn't help themselves from bitch-slapping Chevrolet and sending Chevy executives whining to the 14th floor like little school girls over some perceived transgression.

Starting with Bunkie Knudsen, Pontiac pushed the envelope and marched to a different drummer. Pontiac tweaked their cars to the point that they didn't even seem like they were part of the GM family. More than any other American car company, Pontiac delivered cars to the market bristling with a maverick, rebel attitude, edgy appeal and genuine soul - a commodity so far removed from most of Detroit's products today it's appalling. The street "buzz" around Pontiac was undeniable - and it was fueled by some of the most memorable advertising ever done for an automobile. For one fleeting moment in time, product and advertising came together in such a way that it created an American sensation. If you drove a Pontiac, it definitely said something about you. You were different from the crowd and you went your own way. And the aura that was created around the brand translated into gold in the marketplace, sending Pontiac sales soaring.

Now, Pontiac is a mere shadow of its once glorious self. Except for the Solstice, it has been relegated to cribbing seconds from Chevrolet - a revolting development that must have Bunkie Knudsen and John DeLorean spinning in their graves. To top it off, even the Solstice wasn't exclusively left to Pontiac, because the Saturn Sky added to the confusion and left Pontiac grasping for footing in the market again. The fact that Pontiac's most recent downward spiral was hastened by famed product guru Bob Lutz might be a surprise to some people, but that's exactly what happened. Maximum Bob always fancied Pontiac as GM's "euro" division, a cut-rate BMW for the people who couldn't afford BMWs. And that simply couldn't be further removed from what Pontiac was and should be. That might more closely describe where Saturn is going, but it certainly isn't Pontiac. If any car appealed to the all-American maverick spirit and to the wide-open American attitude, Pontiac was it - and confusing the whole thing with European driving sensibilities is a monumental waste of time. The pure essence of Pontiac was there for all to see, but the current stewards of the brand either forgot it - or never did have a clue to begin with.

Pontiac is on thin ice right now. With a next-generation "authentic" GTO slated for sometime in 2010 as a 2011 model (if GM's new fuel-economy push doesn't kill it), what the hell are they going to do in the meantime? How many different variations of the Solstice and the G6 can they do? Who's going to notice the G5? And the upcoming G8 could be good, but it's far too early to really tell. At any rate, I'm looking at my watch and right now the 2009-2010-2011 time frame sounds like an eternity in this market, especially for Pontiac.

GM can go two ways with Pontiac at this critical juncture. They can keep starving it to death with brand engineering and clone cars, or they can start over with an all-new mission that adheres to the core essence of what a Pontiac was - and should be. It shouldn't be hard. All it would take is a total commitment from GM and the right people in place to make it all happen. But then again, those two key ingredients are the two things necessary in bringing focused, desirable products to the street no matter which company we're talking about.

Back in '81, I did a print ad for the Firebird Trans-Am that had the headline, "Soul Survivor." That ad set the tone for the "excitement" era that followed and started Pontiac on its way back. But Pontiac has unfortunately careened in and out of relevance ever since.

The time is now for Pontiac. The division deserves better. Much better. GM needs to get in touch with the essence and soul of Pontiac and put it on a plan not only for survival - but for revival. If done exactly right, Pontiac's marching to a different drummer persona could have tremendous appeal today in this market of bland-tastic Asian transportation appliances and German techno-wonders.

MORE HERE

[guitarlix]

Felt like I was reading my own thoughts on GM's multi-divisional mess and the money pit that is Saturn.

[sf59er]

I wonder if the "old" Pontiac will ever be relevant again in today's and future fuel and environmental climate. Myself, I'm at a bit of a crossroads in that I want to see the return of the muscle car but not at the expense of stable fuel prices and and a healthy earth.

[mbukukanyau]

Originally Posted by guitarlix

Felt like I was reading my own thoughts on GM's multi-divisional mess and the money pit that is Saturn.

Hey Guitarlix, I am back, Travelled for a Week.
Before I say anything about Pontiac, I promise not to piss u off

[Slideways]

I thought this article was just a bunch of clever alliterations at first, but the more I read it, the more I agreed with it.

[ByTheLake]

Wish I had my '70 Lemans today. What a gorgeous car.

I agree completely with Peter Delorenzo's assessment of the state of Pontiac. The current Pontiac lineup, Solstice aside, has nothing to do with excitement or performance. So sad. So many folks will point to the G8 as its savior, but I fear that the same ol' Pontiac nose on that car will make it just as transparent in the marketplace as the last GTO was.

Is there a law someplace that says that all Pontiacs (aside from Solstice) must look the same?

[minnfang]

Pontiac should have five basic vehicles (and let's not quibble about naming)...
Zeta based G8 sedan
Zeta based GTO coupe
Alpha based G6 sedan
Alpha based Tempest (G6 coupe)
Kappa based Solstice roadster

That's a big enough lineup, especially when grouped in a BPG dealership featuring GMC trucks and Buick FWD vehicles.

[mcool]

DeLorenzo always seems to have a good perspective, which is a lot more than I can say for Jerry Flint.

I think GM would impress DeLorenzo if the G8 GXP came equipeed with the LS7 priced @ 40K, no more. It seems that the CTS-V is getting a blown engine with, hopefully, close to 600HP. We've all seemed to state that 500HP is just the price of admission now and higher numbers are to be the new benchmark. Give Cadillac supremacy, and at the same time give Pontiac some balls.

Pontiac needs to pare down the lineup to Solstice, G6, and G8. From there we'll see how the brand lives or dies on a performance/extrovert/value image. G5 is DOA, Torrent should be the 'Nox alone, and the Alpha needs to be fast-tracked almost as much as the Camaro. And the G8 should be first off the line when Holden gets back on it soon...

I could give a crap about Pontiac's volume, and so should GM right now. It was far higher in the 80's and 90's and even a few years ago, but those sales did little for GM as a whole or Pontiac as a brand. Meanwhile, the competition, for the most part, has sorted out what their brands mean to consumers and articulated that through product. Mazda, Dodge, Mitsu Evo, Nissan Z... they've all manuevered in on what was once the Pontiac home turf. Less is more in Pontiac's lineup if you want your customers to recognize what driving a Pontiac means. It should mean the most accessible, most ardent styled, best performing product in sedan or sport varieties. If success comes from there, then there are other segments to go after, but flooding the brand with rebadges to appease dealers who won't make much off the redundancy anyway does nothing for the long-term.

[Greg Burr]

Originally Posted by minnfang

Pontiac should have five basic vehicles (and let's not quibble about naming)...
Zeta based G8 sedan
Zeta based GTO coupe
Alpha based G6 sedan
Alpha based Tempest (G6 coupe)
Kappa based Solstice roadster

That's a big enough lineup, especially when grouped in a BPG dealership featuring GMC trucks and Buick FWD vehicles.

I agree. Pontiac should be a niche performance brand, with few cars. Almost like a cult brand, like Scion, but much cooler. Few cars, lots of customization.

Saturn is a viable brand-- it was made because many people would not buy and American and/or GM brand. It's an import intender brand and can win over some of the the VW-Audi set

[ZaphodBeeblebro]

I bitched on GM's FastLane blog a year or two ago about Pontiac being product-starved (once the original Zeta was shelved and the North American-built G8 and GTO were cancelled). Furthermore, with Alpha being still delayed, well, it's not good. Pontiac sales continue to shrink, dealers continue to struggle (most Pontiac dealer service is absolutely terrible), with only a 3-4 year window to wait for more relevant product...

[benroethig]

Originally Posted by minnfang

Pontiac should have five basic vehicles (and let's not quibble about naming)...
Zeta based G8 sedan
Zeta based GTO coupe
Alpha based G6 sedan
Alpha based Tempest (G6 coupe)
Kappa based Solstice roadster

That's a big enough lineup, especially when grouped in a BPG dealership featuring GMC trucks and Buick FWD vehicles.

Add a Kappa compact sedan to the list too.

How about:
Hurricane (zeta Sedan)
GTO (7.0L Grand Prix)
Firebird (zeta sports car)
Tempest (alpha Sedan/Coupe)
Storm (kappa sedan/coupe)
Solstice (kappa roadster)

[Tico]

Pontiac should be only a few models. All performance oriented. All offering something you can't get from other GM divisions. The range should go from an entry level performance B cars on up to a BMW like performance Sedan with may be two cars in between. Maybe even this is where the Camaro should have been as a Firebird or GTO instead of a Chevy.

GM needs to sharpen it's brands to sell to niches instead of badge engineering the same car to 3 or 4 different name plates. Why must Pontiac just be copies of Chevys? I don't want to see Ponitac Cobalts and Pontiac Camaros etc. If you can't tailor the brand to a niche then it maybe shouldn't exist. There are far to many makes and models on the market already and not enough buyers. The brand has to convey and image to the public and stick with it for decades.

We all know all of this already of course. So is it taking so long to happen?

[Firebird00]

That was a good article. Pontiac has the best chance of a successful revival. I just can't help but think that Bob Lutz thinks badly of Pontiac ever since he publicly stated it was a "damaged brand". Way to go Bob, thats helping matters out.

[1G6]

Originally Posted by sf59er

I wonder if the "old" Pontiac will ever be relevant again in today's and future fuel and environmental climate. Myself, I'm at a bit of a crossroads in that I want to see the return of the muscle car but not at the expense of stable fuel prices and and a healthy earth.

Lay off the estrogen.

[EldoFan]

Originally Posted by mcool

DeLorenzo always seems to have a good perspective, which is a lot more than I can say for Jerry Flint.

I think GM would impress DeLorenzo if the G8 GXP came equipeed with the LS7 priced @ 40K, no more. It seems that the CTS-V is getting a blown engine with, hopefully, close to 600HP. We've all seemed to state that 500HP is just the price of admission now and higher numbers are to be the new benchmark. Give Cadillac supremacy, and at the same time give Pontiac some balls.

Amen to that!!