What GM should have done with Oldsmobile

[montrealvue]

That commercial alone buried Oldsmobile....ow, my ears ...... Oldsmobile was too close a "cousin" to Buick.....they could not support both when sales dropped. They did the right thing, from a business point of view, by burying the brand.

[Bravada]

They could not support the old business model, but the brand and the accompanying assets were still very valuable. From a business point of view, they've made a lot of waste at the time GM could least afford it. Just like with Saturn - rather than reorganize GM, start a separate company that would be ran like GM should no matter that both companies lost money in the end...

[Smoothcat]

I think mixing Oldsmobile with Saturn would have been a nice fit. It would have allowed Saturn to move into markets that don't have a Saturn dealer. My hometown, for instance, is an area of over 100k people, but the closest Saturn dealer is an hour away. We had an Oldmobile dealership though, albeit one that was combined with Chevrolet.

Oldsmobile could have been a division specializing in design cues from the past. It could have had maybe a midsize Cutlass, fullsize Aurora, crossover Bravada (the Outlook?), and maybe even what we know as the Saturn Sky under a different name. Meanwhile, Saturn could have retained some of the "quirkiness" it was known for, albeit with more development dollars pumped into it to develop more competitve products. I would have liked to have seen it refocused at the Japanese import market, with vehicles aimed at killing the Civics, Corollas, Scions, etc. It could have been the relatively inexpensive, "youthful" brand that GM seems to be missing.

I miss Oldsmobile, as there were some great designs in the last few years. I would love to have a second-gen Aurora - man, that's a good looking car. Too bad that GM allowed itself to get into a situation where they were forced to kill such a historic brand.

[MCGARRETT]

That sign is ancient, check out the 60's style font on the Pontiac name and GMC has not gone by the "GMC Trucks" moniker since the 80's, though really, it's up to the dealer to call GMDI, which handles GM dealer signs and change it. If they dont, it can stay like that forever. Most dealers do change them eventually. There are still some Chrysler dealerships around here with "Plymouth" and "Jeep/Eagle" signs.

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

That was debated in the late 1980's before Saturn debuted in 1990. When Oldsmoblie was just begining to slide. If you look at the first S-Series sedans, their roofline is very similar to the Cutlass Supreme sedan. Also around the time that Saturn appeared in 1990, GM experimented with offering Saturn style techniques at some Oldsmobile dealers, like one price selling, 30 day exchange programs, expanded roadside assistance etc. The plan was never fully adopted. I think that it would have been a good idea, but there were too many objections from both Oldsmobile management and Oldsmobile dealers. Ideally, the Saturns would have ended with the L-series type car, and then the Oldsmobile side would have carried cars like the Intrigue, the aborted Antares(which became the 2nd gen Aurora) and a top of the line Aurora, along with cars like the Bravada and Shillouette. Saturns would have just had the S-Series/ION, Vue and L-Series, which would have replaced cars like the Firenza and Acheiva in the Oldsmobile line up.

Today, the only possible way that I could see Oldsmobile comming back would be as a highline brand to sell at Saturn dealerships, most if not all Saturn dealerships are stand alone, so adding Oldsmobile as Saturns "Acura" lets say would give you about 400 stand alone Saturn-Oldsmobile dealerships.


If I would have been in charge, before shutting down Oldsmobile all together, I would have just bought out all the stand alone Olds dealerships and given away "free" Oldsmobile franchises to at least half of all the stand alone Chevrolet dealerships.

[Koasterking]

The Holden Efijy would make a nice Olds' ledsled

[Bravada]

I am glad to hear I am not the only one who's noticed that:




I wouldn't say that the Cutlass Supreme here is the best-looking Olds ever, but it's sad to see GM abandon this plan that would keep Oldsmobile not only alive, but also on the leading edge of innovation at GM..

If I would have been in charge, before shutting down Oldsmobile all together, I would have just bought out all the stand alone Olds dealerships and given away "free" Oldsmobile franchises to at least half of all the stand alone Chevrolet dealerships.

I would have just told them to go Saturn/Oldsmobile.

[LeSabre]

Oh yes, I've long noticed/known that the late Cutlass Supreme 4dr was the same as the Saturn SL1/SL2 sedan. I thought it was a sad thing & was kinda of surprised that Saturn had any model that had a rebadge w/one of the long standing GM divisions. I had originally thought that all Saturns' were going to be unique unto their own division. Meaning no exterior rebadges w/the rest of GM. But as we know, I was mistakenly wrong.

I would love to see Oldsmobile resurrected. A campaign such as "The Rocket Returns!!" or something like that would be cool.

As to the Aurora, the 1st gen was a jewel of design. I love seeing this car anywhere. The 2nd gen. of the Aurora design-wise was a ugly POS!!

[LAMRONH]

Originally Posted by 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.

Using Cutlass on about a dozen different models was but one of the many self-inflicted wounds General Van Winkle suffered.

[LAMRONH]

Originally Posted by 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.

GM renaming their cars every year looks good?

[LAMRONH]

Originally Posted by 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

MATTHEW? Is this biblical, or a new GM brand we haven't heard about?

NOW...the new General Motors MATTHEW!

Chevy for the common man.
Pontiac for the hotshoes.
GMC for...GMC lovers.
Saturn for junior astronauts.
Buick for doctors.
Cadillac for the nouveau riche.
Matthew for the religious believers.

[RedVee8]

I'd like to see a brand like Triumph. A sports/luxury brand of 3 or 4 models.
In the US context that would be an Olds like brand or a combined Saturn/Olds brand.

small medium sedan range (Astra?)
medium large sedan range (Aura or Aurora?)
sports car (Sky?)
crossover or family van (Vue/Outlook or Bravada?).

Which isn't so far away, though I'm not sure Saturn (solo) pull off the Sports Luxury image like Triumph or Oldsmobile potentially would.

Without Oldsmobile, I guess there'd be some hope of Saab or a combined Saab/Saturn taking such a role.

[RedVee8]

As far as Saturns lack of reach with limited dealers, and a comeback for the Oldsmobile name: I thought that maybe the Saturn range could be ordered from any GM dealer - at least any in areas not covered by Saturn - but badged as Oldsmobile.
If parts of the US aren't covered by Saturn because they don't fit with the demographics GM have set for Saturn, they could be covered by a GM nameplate. Hopefully leading to increased sales of those vehicles, keeping the plants ticking and Olds visible.
Either that, or sell Saturns directly from the factory with pickup from any GM dealer, badged as Oldsmobiles.

[greenhornet]

Originally Posted by 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.

GM's mistakes with Oldsmobile and Buick were many and the scope of the mistakes were cataclysmic. Buick may survive but Oldsmobile, like Elvis, is dead and stinking. Let it rest in peace

I don't think that I can possibly forgive GM for killing Americas oldest automobile brand. They created an American tragedy. A sad moment in history.

[Bravada]

MATTHEW? Is this biblical, or a new GM brand we haven't heard about?

NOW...the new General Motors MATTHEW!

Perhaps it's the lesser-known companion brand to GMC?

As far as Saturns lack of reach with limited dealers, and a comeback for the Oldsmobile name: I thought that maybe the Saturn range could be ordered from any GM dealer - at least any in areas not covered by Saturn - but badged as Oldsmobile.

This would actually make sense! Make the Aura the new Oldsmobile 88 Intrigue and there you go!

[RedVee8]

Originally Posted by Bravada

This would actually make sense! Make the Aura the new Oldsmobile 88 Intrigue and there you go!

Thanks Bravada, another lost opportunity. Maybe a bit of new thinking is required.