GM Considering Cuts at Pontiac Assembly Center

[paul38469]

The Pontiac Pursuit sedan arrived in Canada at the same as the Cobalt. The coupe arrived a few months later. There was no gap here after sunfire production ended. It was quite a while before GM gave in, renamed it the G5 and started selling it in the US. The reason the US has it now is nothing to do with the Canadian market, other than the fact that the car already existed and so was a simple matter to start selling there. Pontiac does need a small car, both in Canada and the US...just not that one.

Originally Posted by Hollywood

The thing to remember about the G5 is that it was a stop gap measure to silence the protests of dealers - particularly in Canada where small cars prevail. Pontiac had nothing after the Sunfire. Yes, I know it's a shameless re-badge, but they needed something to fill the void. Of course that was over 2 years ago...definitely time for Lutz to get off his lazy ass (yes folks, I can't stand the guy, so shoot me).

[chadbarb99]

God...first they want to sell the medium truck division now Pontiac. Hey, LETS JUST QUIT, WERE A BUNCH OF QUITTERS. TOYOTA WON!! LETS THROW IN THE TOWEL GUYS.

[2648562]

How about laying off the designers and product czar responsible for it?

[tamatt27]

Originally Posted by chadbarb99

God...first they want to sell the medium truck division now Pontiac. Hey, LETS JUST QUIT, WERE A BUNCH OF QUITTERS. TOYOTA WON!! LETS THROW IN THE TOWEL GUYS.

Did some of y'all read the thread instead of just the title? The brand Pontiac isn't going to get cuts, it's the Pontiac Assembly Plant where they build the GMC trucks!

[tgagneguam]

Originally Posted by bigtime

Why do you say the next brand to go is GMC? No brands need to go if GM gets it through its fat head that there not going to sell anything in the volumes they used to....The problem is there are too many choices in America, so obviously every player is going to get a smaller share. Wait until the chinese come, then I am afraid its game over...

Pssst, don't tell all the import brands, many of whom continue to pile on sales year after year after year. Just 20 years ago, the top five brands were all domestic, and only two saw sales north of 2,000,000 units. Now, there are still at least five large brands in America, three of whom now sell over 2,000,000 units, one of those being, of course, Toyota, which piles on sales year after year after year. Of course, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Buick dropped out of the top five-someone must have told them that with all the new competition, there's was no room for them. Of course, Honda and Nissan didn't read that memo, and they replaced at least two of the three former large divisions at GM.

And, of course, Cadillac hit its sales stride I believe in 1976 or 1978, when its sales topped out at over 300,000 units. Now, Cadillac sales aren't close to that, but BMW and Mercedes are, and Lexus, who also apparently didn't read the "not enough room memo," either, is the only luxury car maker to sell over 300,000 units... on Lincoln's and Cadillac's turf!

When people inside and outside of Detroit stop creating excuses for Detroit we will witness a Motor City rebirth.

[mkaresh]

Forum karma: give a thread a misleading title, and you'll get an OT discussion. How many people responded based on the title alone?

[SierraSLT]

GMC trucks is way older than Chevrolet trucks, am i correct?

[dallennium]

Originally Posted by bugalooshrimp

First Olds.

Next dead brand is going to be GMC or Pontiac. Judging from sales it will be GMC first.

GMC... Not likely it is after all GM 2nd best selling brand!

[bigtime]

I agree with the poster who mentioned the trucks being priced too high. Absolutely! Also I think the slow sales have something to do with the fact you see a million of the previous model silverado running around. If your building the longest lasting trucks on the road, why would you buy a new one? I do tend to see way more new tundras on the road. I'd say out of ten trucks, 5 would be tundras, 3 chevys, and 2 GMCs. I am counting driving by construction along the highway too, more contractors are buying the GM products. The tundra's incentives combined with the "differentness" of it are making it attractive to people. Buyers seem to like the fact that its resonably competitive and something different. Whereas the last tundra was just different. Also I've said it before the 4 speed was a huge mistake, on paper most people would choose the toyota on that fact alone.

What were we talking about again?

[asim]

We all know that sales of pick-up trucks aren't that high (not unless you are the uber-sales Toyota brand). But I wouldn't imagine that GM would have to basically cut Silverado and Sierra production 17% to keep it in line with sales. 17% is a lot considering how many of these trucks they usually sell.

[stevews602]

All the money Rick poured into updating the trucks has really paid off.
Much like the buy high sell low mentality of a misguided investor GM has done it again. Let's all send Rick and Bob an e-mail telling them what a great job they are doing.

And yes, they did need updating, but years earlier when it would have been a big boost to the company.

[windvale]

Originally Posted by stevews602

All the money Rick poured into updating the trucks has really paid off.
Much like the buy high sell low mentality of a misguided investor GM has done it again. Let's all send Rick and Bob an e-mail telling them what a great job they are doing.

And yes, they did need updating, but years earlier when it would have been a big boost to the company.

Agreed.

Trucks are cooling off because of the high cost of gasoline. GM stayed in their comfort zone and bet on the truck/SUV thing again and now the gamble is not paying off.

They could have accelerated getting dual-mode hybrids into cars, and maybe brought out the Malibu earlier - but alas - let's face it...at the end of the day GM is really just a truck company that also offers some cars on the side (much like Honda is a car company that offers the Ridgeline).

I really believe that the Rick/Bob thing has taken GM about as far as they are going to. GM now needs someone with a 21st century vision to get us the rest of the way.

[377Z]

Originally Posted by bugalooshrimp

First Olds.

Next dead brand is going to be GMC or Pontiac. Judging from sales it will be GMC first.

Turbo, is that you? How's Ozone these days? I haven't seen Kelly since Solid Gold went off the air, how is she?

http://www.boogalooshrimp2001.com/index.html

[67Jag]

Originally Posted by motorman

the total trucks sales are going to be less going foward because a lot of the sales for the high dollar PUs were by people who bought them as a second car. these buyers did not need a PU BUT though it was cool to drive a PU and now will go to a fuel effecent car. buyers who need a PU will still be buying but in smaller numbers and they will be work trucks not the leather seats,high $$ stereos and large diameter polished aluminum wheels which brought big profits to the sale for GM

That may be true where YOU are, but not where I live!!! I see more trucks driven by 17 and 18yr olds with ALL the bling they can put on them. These are top of the line vehicles with at leats 20 grand of add ons, parents must have good jobs???? There are I counted at the sonic drive in the other day 6 H2s all decked out with all kinds of stuff aftermarket, with kids driving them, lol. I have an 06 sierra LTZ with 17" polished Python mags with 305/70/17. I don't need a truck all the time, but when I do.....I do. I am also going to get a sierra ltz when the 4.5 liter diesel comes out, be trading this one in when that happens. and yes I drive mine every day. gas prices suck but I will NOT be detered by them, it's the price you pay.

[GM-10]

I think we're likely to see one of the full size truck plants being axed by this time next year.