Olds didn't have to die

[LoneWolf]

OK, so this isn't news to many here. Hopefully this isn't a repost, but I just stumbled across a very good read for all my fellow Olds fans.

http://www.automobear.com/WhyOldsmob...HaveToDie.html


One statement in the article also has me thinking: "... Mr. Lutz's mission is simple: GM will not lose another brand ..." Hmm. I wonder if Lutz's statement jumping the gun about Pontiac's and/or Buick's demise was his way of drawing attention to something GM wanted to keep (hush-hush) internal. By raising a very public ruckus, he may very well have eliminated the ability of GM to eliminate a brand without public backlash. Maybe I'm dreaming here, but ya' never know ...

[marinerbc]

It died because it was murdered in cold blood, by a group of people that didn't even think about their own future. No company gains market share by navel gazing.

Hope Lutz is really in position to have the final (save for Rick Wagoner) say on any more division changes. I have little faith in our new GMNA head.

[Dutchman]

Originally Posted by marinerbc

It died because it was murdered in cold blood, by a group of people that didn't even think about their own future. No company gains market share by navel gazing.

Hope Lutz is really in position to have the final (save for Rick Wagoner) say on any more division changes. I have little faith in our new GMNA head.

Maybe they have a bankaccount in Germany or Japan????

[TomCLR]

In it's last few years, what was the point of Oldsmobile? It was way too much like Chevrolet and Pontiac. It lacked an image, I guess that's why GM decided to axe it because they could live without it. But that's GM's fault for not diversifying the brand enough.

[S8ER99]

Oldsmobile had a lot of history and image... GM didn't retain it.. and honestly die hard Olds fan rejected the newer stuff.. I know I was a die hard after driving my 83 Delta for many years. I owned a 94 Cutlass for a very short time and it just wasn't a real 'oldsmobile'

[marinerbc]

Originally Posted by S8ER99

Oldsmobile had a lot of history and image... GM didn't retain it.. and honestly die hard Olds fan rejected the newer stuff.. I know I was a die hard after driving my 83 Delta for many years. I owned a 94 Cutlass for a very short time and it just wasn't a real 'oldsmobile'

I don't know....I still have an '85 Delta and the Daily Driver is a '94 Cutlass Supreme. What was it that you felt was...un Oldsmobile?...just curious.

[LoneWolf]

While several of the later Olds failed (IMO) to live up to the brand's heritage and identity, the only one I consider absolutely 'un-Oldsmobile' is that hideous monstrocity that began as a Malibu, which GM half-heartedly rebadged and called a Cutlass.

[S8ER99]

Originally Posted by marinerbc

I don't know....I still have an '85 Delta and the Daily Driver is a '94 Cutlass Supreme. What was it that you felt was...un Oldsmobile?...just curious.

FWD, lack of torque, cheezy uncomfortable seats, etc

I guess I was just so used to rwd, tourqy motors and comfort.

[Family Man]

Before my van I had a 2001 Alero sedan, equipped with a V6, mags, spoiler... Out of the mid-size trio offered at the time (Malibu, Alero, Grand Am), the look of the Alero was cleaner and more modern than the other two. The interior was nicely executed and certainly looked more upscale than the "bland-ish" Malibu or "funky" Grand Am.

Olds' other models, Intrigue and Aurora, were very nice cars. Olds brand probably competed too much with Buick, so one of them had to go, I guess. It's just too bad it had to be Olds and not Buick, because I don't think I'll ever want an Buick (of course, I was in my early 30's when I got the Alero, so never say never, I guess...)

[Marauder]

What killed Oldsmobile was eliminating familiar model names like Delta 88, Toronado, Ninety-Eight and Cutlass and introducing weird ones like Aurora, Intrigue and Alero. No one knew what these new names represented or what models they replaced - that Intrigue replaced Cutlass Supreme, for example. Bland (although clean, perhaps) styling certainly didn't help either. Nothing about these new models was recognizable as being "Oldsmobile". In fact, I believe the first few model years of the Aurora (around '95 & '96) were completely devoid of Oldsmobile nameplates or emblems.

[surferdude00711]

Oldsmobile was the epitome of American crap for people who didn't live during their 'good' days.

Originally Posted by S8ER99

I owned a 94 Cutlass for a very short time and it just wasn't a real 'oldsmobile'

Tell me, what makes an Oldsmobile and Oldsmobile other than the badge and the 1-3 thousand dollar premium over a Chevy? Now lets examine the GM Brand dominance chart before Olds was rightfully killed (GMC excluded):
Cadillac
FUZZY; BUICK SAAB OR OLDS
FUZZY; BUICK SAAB OR OLDS
FUZZY; BUICK SAAB OR OLDS
Pontiac
Chevrolet
Saturn

Old's got the ax because it was most Vanilla, it seems. If you want the rainbow (clarity and organization) you must endure the rain (killing Olds). Here's the rainbow:
Cadillac
Saab
Buick
Saturn
Pontiac
Chevrolet

[Marauder]

Oldsmobile was the "engineering" division of GM. They introduced the first fully automatic transmission in '39, the first high-compression V8 engine (with Cadillac) in '49, the '62 turbocharged F-85 Jetfire, the '66 fwd Toronado, offered the first high mounted brake lights (on the '71 Toronado), the passenger car diesel engine in '78. Saying Oldsmobile is the epitome (correct spelling) of American crap is hardly justified. Even in the 1990s, Oldsmobile was quite different from Chevrolet in that they offered cars (Ninety-Eight, Toronado/V8 Aurora, Cutlass Supreme convertible) that Chevrolet didn't.

[surferdude00711]

Originally Posted by Marauder

Saying Oldsmobile is the epitome (correct spelling) of American crap is hardly justified. Even in the 1990s, Oldsmobile was quite different from Chevrolet in that they offered cars (Ninety-Eight, Toronado/V8 Aurora, Cutlass Supreme convertible) that Chevrolet didn't.

Buick being the 'Spirit of American Style' would also do well as the 'Cutting Edge of American Engineering'. Just before those cars cancled and were they GOOD cars? To the competition was it:
Equinox VS Rav 4 (better)
STS VS A6 (comprabile)
Uplander VS Sienna (worse)

Also, Oldsmobile just doesn't sound nice. It rolls off the toungue clumsily. Scion. Just say it; Sie(sy)-on. It just sounds cool, even if 2/3 of its car are fugly.

[Marauder]

Originally Posted by surferdude00711

Buick being the 'Spirit of American Style' would also do well as the 'Cutting Edge of American Engineering'. Just before those cars cancled and were they GOOD cars? To the competition was it:
Equinox VS Rav 4 (better)
STS VS A6 (comprabile)
Uplander VS Sienna (worse)

Also, Oldsmobile just doesn't sound nice. It rolls off the toungue clumsily. Scion. Just say it; Sie(sy)-on. It just sounds cool, even if 2/3 of its car are fugly.

I don't think Buicks have ever been considered "cutting edge" in regard to engineering, so that slogan wouldn't have any justification.

I don't get why you're comparing the vehicles above. What does that have to do with Oldsmobile?

Oldsmobile only sounds stupid if you stress the "old" part of the name, but nobody pronounces it OLD-smobile. Besides, when I hear Scion, I think SIGH-on, as in boring...next. Come to think of it, that pretty well sums up my opinion of these budget Toyotas. No vehicle made today looks more embarrassingly cheap and ugly than the xB, and I'm including the Aztec.

[surferdude00711]

I was saying that since buick is the 'spirit....' they should also be the 'cutting edge...'.

I was asking like were those models that you mentioned better then the comp (eg 1), comparible (eg 2) or worse (eg 3).

Scion sounds bad if you emphasize both sylables. But as one word spoken as close to one sylable as possible it sounds cool. How else do you purnounce Oldsmobile other than Olds-mo-beel?