Which GM Brand(s) Do You Think Should Get The Chop?

[Bggriffi]

Hard choice for me, because my dad works at a BPG dealership. If, however, Saturn was added into the BPG dealership, I would be ok with one being cut. I think GMC would be the best choice unless the next Lacrosse sucks. If Buick drops the ball on the Lacrosse, I say kill Buick.

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by Ed753

Looks like GMC is in the lead so far!?

This I can not understand, owning 3 GMC's in my life so far........

Hummer should have never been pushed like it was, I didn't know the push for stand alone dealers was wrong, but I sure questioned it. Hummer has 2 vehicles, and they are entirely "fashion over function" - Huge vehicles, with minimal attributes, other than "being noticed" .............. interior room and one can't even tow!? (anything big)

Anyway back to GMC - Why not make GMC "The Truck Division" then make every Chevrolet Dealer "Chevrolet Cars & GM(c) Trucks"

Trucks are not going away ....................

Another good idea, to combine Chevy/GMC dealers into one. However, again, I don't know how people who are loyal to Chevy would react to being forced to buy a GMC. Like it or not, brand loyalty still plays a role in car buying. Some wouldn't care, some wouldn't like it. I know some people who love one brand but hate the other, even if they're the same car.

[GMC-70]

None of the brands needs to go---just adjust the business to be flexible with the ups and downs of the market.

If for example GMC were to get the axe would those 500,000 or so buyers all just shop at another GM division? Not likely--I say 1/4 of them deflect just like they did with Oldsmobile (only Olds lost more).

Cutting brands is just not the magic pill that so many people think--scale them down if needed (Pontiac does not need an Aveo clone) and increase the sales channels.

All of the GM brands have recognition and all have a place in the market--just not all an be full-line brands at this time.

[ksr]

Originally Posted by Bggriffi

Hard choice for me, because my dad works at a BPG dealership. If, however, Saturn was added into the BPG dealership, I would be ok with one being cut. I think GMC would be the best choice unless the next Lacrosse sucks. If Buick drops the ball on the Lacrosse, I say kill Buick.

Buick survives because of China. I guess you could drop them in North America only.

[tgagneguam]

Interesting question: who should get the chop? I'm gonna elect choices not available to me:

1) Jill Lajdziak of Saturn, since she cannot seem to run a division with entirely new products and a relatively new dealership body.

2) Jim Bunnell of Pontiac-GMC-Buick. Sorry, Jim, you've got three storied brands, and you've done little to rationalize brands or product strategy.

3) Ed Peper is to be placed on alert. Your retail sales have been surpassed by a foreign brand, Toyota, which also crushes you on the car side of the business. You have access to global resources, and you've done little to leverage those resources.

4) Mark LaNeve, Vice President of Sales, Service and Marketing of General Motors. GMNA's marketing sucks, and you head it. Sales have continued their downward spiral, and you simply rationalize this with spin like "Malibu sales are up in April." Hmmmm, you need to do a whole lot better, Mark.

To be clear, there's nothing wrong with the brands. There's a whole lot wrong with underworked, overpaid, visionless, uninspired executives at the RenCen. Whole lot of fancy MBA-style titles, not a lot of convincing output. The real chopping's got to start with impunity on Jefferson Avenue in Michigan.

[Archangel]

If Saturn goes away, then Pontiac can have a version of the Astra with perhaps the 2.2L Ecotec and compete against Mazda 3. So Astra transfers to Pontiac, Aura and Sky go but hey, there's Malibu and Solstice. Vue and Outlook won't be missed IMO. So, we have a more complete and competitive Pontiac division with the Astra replacing the G5, and perhaps a transfer of the Vue to Pontiac, but only if it only comes with standard AWD and the 3.6L V6 also as standard (Remember Pontiacs should be sports oriented). GM could use some of the slightly higher end interior bits formerly used for Saturns to compliment the Solstice and G6 for the top-of-the-line sub-models. Now, GM gets rid of three re-badges (Outlook, Sky and Aura) and strenghtens Pontiac as an import fighter division. What could go wrong?

[Nasty_SS]

Saab should be axed too...but Saturn should turn into Pontiac and give the g8 and sport truck to Chevy....GMC should go and sell Hummer off
And lets hear more about
toyota and their Human Rights Violations again.........

[nikivee]

After looking at 2007 sales figures, I would say kill Saturn or Buick in North America.

[FenwickHockey65]

2) Jim Bunnell of Pontiac-GMC-Buick. Sorry, Jim, you've got three storied brands, and you've done little to rationalize brands or product strategy.

I'll gladly take his job. I'd revamp that entire dealer network.

[SigEpCutlass]

I've always found GMC's products more pleasing to the eye than an equivalent Chevy, but I think GMC is going to be the odd man out here. GMC will probably get axed due to reduced truck & SUV sales...well because that's basically all they sell (yes I'm aware of the Acadia)!!! GMC will remain for industrial trucks and that's all she wrote.

[Archangel]

Originally Posted by Nasty_SS

Saab should be axed too...but Saturn should turn into Pontiac and give the g8 and sport truck to Chevy....GMC should go and sell Hummer off
And lets hear more about
toyota and their Human Rights Violations again.........

I think G8 should definitely stay with Pontiac. A coupe version should also be added. The sport truck, well, Chevy can have it if they want.

[minnfang]

Kill GMC and sell Saab.

Restyle the GMC Terrain inside and out and give it to Buick.

Restyle the Acadia inside and out and give it to Caddy as the new Escalade.

Kill the rest of the Caddy BOF SUVs.

Totally re-work Hummer to compliment non-BOF Caddy lineup. Pair Caddy with Hummer in large cities. Pair Caddy with Chevy in small towns with no Hummer presence. (Already done a lot.)

[camaro_freak]

Originally Posted by Penthos

Its funny in the Buick thread a couple weeks ago I mentioned that GM should kill GMC. I own a GMC and think the GMC looks 10x better than the Chevy but I feel it would make the best business sense to kill GMC.

kill GMC, but send Denali package to Chevy ... looks and all, just change the grille!

[camaro_freak]

Originally Posted by D C

Frankly, you do NOT get ride of GMC in a logical scenario.

Yes, they're all rebadges. But look at the sales. Why are that many people buying a rebadged Silverado instead of buying the Silverado? Why are they buying an Acadia over an Outlook? A Canyon over a Colorado? There is a perceived difference between GMC and those other brands. And being re-badges, their cost delta is low relative to their counterparts. If they can command a higher transaction price that justifies the increase in production cost, it's a net win for the company.

Kill GMC and those GMC buyers would NOT go to other brands, just like Olds buyers opted by & large for non-GM brands.

because people are stupid why buy a 'slade over a Suburban? People still fork over ridiculous amounts of money for them.

[61BelAir]

No way should they kill GMC. I've always liked the styling of GMC's better than the Chevrolets and there are many more people just like me out there! If anythings gonna be axed it should be Saturn. Sell Hummer and Saab and be done with it. BPG should be kept in the same group.