What GM should have done with Oldsmobile

[NINETY_EIGHT_REGENCY]

I agree with Bob Lutz. He said they should have turned Oldsmobile into a smaller boutique brand. I have other feelings on this subject, but this video from You Tube from a dealership to me says what GM should have done. It is at the 1 second mark. Freeze frame it and just look at that sign. That is what should have happened.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIMMcNVSA5E

[Firebird00]

How hard would it be to restart Oldsmobile in the future if they wanted to? I'm sure it'd be a lot (dealer establishment, plant establishment, blah blah blah.)

[marinerbc]

Originally Posted by Firebird00

How hard would it be to restart Oldsmobile in the future if they wanted to? I'm sure it'd be a lot (dealer establishment, plant establishment, blah blah blah.)

The investment would be huge to rekindle the brand. It would be counterproductive at this time, and would only drain scarce resources from a now recovering General Motors Corp.

I'm an Olds fan, I still have two of them, but I realize that the brand is gone for good.

I appreciate NINETY_EIGHT_REGENCY's enthusiasm for nostalgia, and often click on his links, but the day of the Delta and Rocket is done.

[IROCNROL1]

Originally Posted by marinerbc

The investment would be huge to rekindle the brand. It would be counterproductive at this time, and would only drain scarce resources from a now recovering General Motors Corp.

I'm an Olds fan, I still have two of them, but I realize that the brand is gone for good.

I appreciate NINETY_EIGHT_REGENCY's enthusiasm for nostalgia, and often click on his links, but the day of the Delta and Rocket is done.

Oldsmobile and Elvis will never go away.

[isszy]

He's never gonna start that GTO with any of the key the dealer threw him ...

[Odin]

From my side of the pond it seems GM had too many brands, one had to go, look at Toyota, it's number two now and it has three brands in the usa, Toyota, scion and Lexus, how many does GM have?

[NINETY_EIGHT_REGENCY]

It would not be too hard for several reasons. There is a established dealer body.

Since Buick did not want the Statesman/Caprice, bring it here as an Oldsmobile.
Oldsmobile would have 4 models:

Ninety Eight( either Holden Caprice/Statesman or super large rear drive car shared with Cadillac)
Cutlass (sedan and maybe coupe )
Custom Cruiser( Holden Commodore wagon)
Toronado (personal luxury coupe and sedan.Share this platform with another GM division Cadillac perhaps?? )

Just like that sign in the video, it would not be hard to do.

The theme for this reinvigorated Oldsmobile:

Sport/Luxury cars that are high technology. Oldsmobile would be the test bed for new GM technologies. They would be very American in appearance and style just like the Oldsmobiles of the hey day of Oldsmobile.

This new Oldsmobile can be all RWD or a mix of FWD /RWD and AWD

If you wanted to throw a 5th model into play, a new Bravada crossover/suv would round out the group. There really would not be a need for it since they will be sold at the same dealerships as Buick, Pontiac and GMC.

Pontiac is performance
Buick is American luxury
GMC is professional grade
Oldsmobile is sport/ luxury with technology. Oldsmobile would bridge that gap between Cadillac( luxury) and Chevrolet( mainstream sedans)

[bhoppes]

I really wish GM would bring back Oldsmobile as well. I still say that is why GM has lost sales to older people. I saw a 1996 Olds Cutlass Supreme 2 door the other day..... I think destroying the Cutlass and the 88 really hurt Olds too.

[1931Chevy]

Well my local Chevy dealer still have the Oldsmobile sign on display

[HoeyHimself]

As history shows, Oldsmobile was the innovative division...some of the coolest, and most benefitial components saw their way into Oldsmobiles before all else. Thats why i think it would be a real cool idea to instill that in Oldsmobile if they brought it back...I really wish they would.

[alberry05]

That's interesting. I'm surprised GM hasn't made them take it down. Most of that signage is actually leased from GM, and they maintain and update it.

[Ttple]

I think Oldsmobile was the best division GM had but they got rid of it for a reason. Bringing it back would look desperate. It would be like Ford renaming their cars every year.

[LoveMyCentury]

I have seen a few dealerships in different places that still have Oldsmobile on their signs, but they are very few and far between.

As for bringing back Oldsmobile, I feel like there are enough problems with potential overlap as it is without adding antoher brand. Yeah, it sucks that such a legendary name had to be the one to get the axe, but what's done is done. We can't change history (as much as we may want to). The glory days of GM having 50-60% market share and being able to offer everything in every brand are done.

Of course, my parents (hardcore GM people, Buick and GMC specifically) have always refused to get Oldsmobiles because "that's what they test the new stuff on, so it always breaks. Wait til it's in a Buick and they have all the bugs out of it." Oh those kids, what to do with them...

[Chaz_23]

It should have been the retro brand: give it the HHR, SSR, whatever that purple Holden at NAIAS was, etc.

[Bravada]

They should've merged Olds and Saturn and make Oldsmobiles the more upscale offerings at Saturn stores.

I'd say a 3-model lineup would do:

1) mid-size car with a cabrio option (a la Cutlass, but please no Cutlass, Intrigue would be fine with me)

2) large premium car (Aurora, call it the 88 Aurora or 98 Aurora if you please)

3) crossover

The rest of current Saturn models should've gone to Pontiac and Pontiac should be the third brand to be sold at Saturn stores.