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

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by breaker104

You can always go to your neighborhood "Truck shop" and get the grille swap like those guys with escalade swaps and such...

And the bumper...lights...fenders...interior accents...

[TimR]

Originally Posted by breaker104

You can always go to your neighborhood "Truck shop" and get the grille swap like those guys with escalade swaps and such...

And what do you plan to swap it with?? You would also need the headlights, fenders, front bumper and facia, and then the hood too. Of course it will no longer match the box but since you can't see that much more is different between the gmc and chevy then the grille it probably wouldn't matter to you

[FStephenMasek]

I voted Chevrolet. To me it is a name which stands for cheap junk and bad styling compared to the other divisons, and that has been true for many decades.

I gave Chevrolet a chance with my 1996 Impala SS and 2005 Malibu Maxx, but both were great disappointments in the interior (carpet which doesn't last 15,000 miles, broken seat tracks, cheap seats, broken seat springs, broken visors, Etc.). I was always happier with the styling and quality of my Pontiacs, compared to the Chevrolets of the same year (1979 Trans Am 400 4-speed, 1979 LeMans, 1984 Sunbird 4 door LE turbo 4 speed, 1988 Bonneville SSE). Compare those to the Chevrolet versions, or compare the Chevrolet to the versions from the other divisions for any year from the 1950s onward.

I am just one of many consumers who never associate Chevrolet with quality and value. The exterior of the Corvette is the exception, although the interior is sub-par.

Whichever brands they keep, GM should advertise all of the non-Cadillac brands together.

[breaker104]

Originally Posted by TimR

And what do you plan to swap it with?? You would also need the headlights, fenders, front bumper and facia, and then the hood too. Of course it will no longer match the box but since you can't see that much more is different between the gmc and chevy then the grille it probably wouldn't matter to you

I didn't say I would do it. Yes the fenders and what makes up pretty much the entire front clip are different but the beauty of aftermarket has a fix for that. I personally tend to like the gmc front ends more than chevy.

[Butz]

Considering current trends in gas prices, GMC and Hummer can't be maintained anymore as seperate brands.

The basic idea is instead of having GMC, Hummer and Chevy Trucks, selling more of the same, all three can be replaced by a single brand and grouped with all sales channels.
Eventually GMC and Hummer can be cut off without having to close any dealerships, because they'll continue to sell the same trucks. That if there is any market left for them.
And if GM ever needed cash they can sell the GMC and Hummer brand names and maybe even plants, while keeping the products.

[Elk]

I read this on the GMI homepage bit:

“They are also toying with placing Saturn into the PBG sales channel if they do end up cutting GMC or Pontiac. This would be done in order to increase sales volume in the channel.”

WTF? Pontiac and GMC by them selves out sell Saturn. Killing one of them and replacing it with Saturn would lower PBG sales volume. Is noone running GM capable of understanding basic math?

[AndrewGS]

Just kill all the brands and make GM-branded 4-door, 4-cyl./automatic cars in small, medium and large with barcodes instead of names. Narrow the color options down to white, gray, beige, silver and black on the outside and neutral or gray on the inside. Get rid of options and just build them one way. Move production to China. No more trucks or SUVs, it's a dead market.

Problem solved.

[63cat]

Why can't we vote for Saab?

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by 63cat

Why can't we vote for Saab?

I would vote to kill Saab as well, but just in the US. It still sells pretty well in other countries.

[footney]

I think GM has too many divisions in North America and worldwide. The NA market and the global market just does not support GM's current business model. It needs to scale back its divisions, models, production, engines, platforms, etc.

In order to be a stronger competitor, GM should have just two global brands--Chevrolet and Cadillac—and at least one indigenous car brand in every major car market. For example, maintain the Daewoo brand while also selling the Chevy and Cadillac brand in Korea. Same for the North America market, have Pontiac as the indigenous brand stable mate.

This same three-tier brand business model should be used in Australia (Holden), Europe (Opel), England (Vauxhall), Middle East (Opel or GMC), Latin America (Opel), and Asia (Buick or Daewoo). Oppositely, I not as optimistic about the Chinese car market as others are, now that the Chinese Government has scaled back its gas subsidies; I think Buick and other car manufacturers will start to falter in China.

As its competitors become more efficient, GM, again, has failed to evolve. If it does not evolve, as either I have outlined or by some other means, just as GM brought pieces of Daewoo, other will do the same with GM once it fails.

[Old Dood]

Whatever GMCSonoma sez I will agree with.

[Citation84]

I voted for Hummer as it would be the easiest for GM to eliminate. IIRC it is still contratced out to be built by AM General isn't it ? FOR GM. An easy sale I would think. Somebody call Tata.

Selling off a brand would not mean buying out dealers would it, as it would be with discontinuing the others either. This might be the cheapest way out with the least risk of losing the number of customers cutting Olds did or GMC would.

Hummer is simply the wrong product at the wrong time. Fads come and go. What was looked on as a novelty comes back to haunt later. Hummer seems like a parody of SUVs at this point.

That said, if anyone had the balls at GM it would cut it's decades long losses with Saab and Saturn, dump them and use that money to reinforce their other brands. How long can GM lose money, sustain two money losers like these as well and regain profitibilty ? Like trying to swim upstream with a 50 pound sack of manure on your back.

And I am a fan of Saturn, own two right now, but nothing GM accomplished with Saturn could not have more easily and inexpensively been done with GEO, Opel and NUMMI.

[PONTIACGXP]

If gm was to kill pontiac i will never ever buy a GM product i wouldnt look at it as killing the brand off i will look at it as murder because pontiac still has life in it if GM was to manage the brand correctly are u listening Bob clutz

[Higher Rhymes]

I voted Saturn and Hummer. Useless trash.. people seem to be forgetting Saturn wasn't even created until +/- 1995, the brand really has no identity or history to back itself. It's a flop, but GM won't admit it. They've NEVER had an attractive vehicle that I'd seriously consider purchasing.

This thread made me wonder what GM was thinking trying to develop so many brands at once... because for years they've horribly failed.
Haven't even offered any manual transmission sedans since like the late 70s early 80s.

I can only imagine the conversation in that board room that day.
"All your markets are belong to us!11!"
FAIL.

Its funny how GM and Ford are just NOW catching up to japanese reliability and initial value and build quality that just goes to show how far we've been behind for so long.

I've read all these posts and I liked some of the ideas.. but GM wont listen..
they THINK they know what people want until it boards the FAILBOAT on the market (torrent < lol.. and there's way more)


Pontiac - Stay. But make it EXCLUSIVELY performance cars. None of this rebadging crap.

Chevrolet - Stay. Make it THE PEOPLE'S cars.. and ONLY cars NO trucks or SUVs.

Buick - Have to have a Lincoln/Mercury, Acura fighter

Cadillac - STAY most definitely, they've crossed over to Europe already.. not doing FANTASTIC but still, globalizing the brands is what we're looking for.

GMC - Exclusively trucks and SUVs... make them upscale looking with the same work ethic.

I dont care what happens to the rest.
SAAB is stupid. It's all faux luxury anyway.. egg looking crap cars, slowly developed into a car I'd test drive and not buy.
As long as Volvo is in America, SAAB cannot compete with entry level luxury cars.
GM Daewoo < seriously, who buys Korean crap? Hyundai and Kia came up from their grave. axe this division and save the money for R&D on cars that people WANT to buy.

GLOBALIZATION is the name of the game.

[SierraGS]

Saturn is a drain on GM and will require money GM does not have to build up into a viable brand.

How will Saturn "give Buick/Pontiac dealers volume" all Saturns are duplicates of Pontiac or GMC (Astra = G5, Aura = G6, Sky = Solstice, Vue = Torrent/Terrain, Outlook = Acadia) with one difference - they do not sell as well. All Saturn models can easily be made into Buick, Pontiac or GMC models and would save GM money, with the new Buick, Pontiac and GMC models offered in China, India, Russia and Latin America. GMC truck/SUV's like the Canyon and Terrain can be sold in Europe in Opel/Vauxhall dealers and future small GMC brand CUV can join them.

GM has not figured out that GMC can survive and produce profits even if it is ignored, since many GMC sales are made to Buick/Pontiac owners needing a Truck/SUV. For happy Buick/Pontiac owners they can now buy their GMC truck at the same dealer they have used for years - benefiting both. GMC makes a ton of money for GM and it's cutomers are NOT going to buy Chevy trucks - they will do what Olds buyers did; go to Honda. Nissan and Toyota.

An just a quick drive around the neiborhood proved what I already knew, if there is a Buick/Pontiac or import (lot of BMW's) in the drive there is a GMC truck/SUV next to it. Only Avalanches are seen with any of these cars, this is not scientific but my area has a higher percentage of GMC truck/SUVs than it has Chevy and BMW, Mercedes and Lexus cars are everywhere.

It would make Toyota managements day if GM dropped GMC and guarantee the Tundra will be the best selling truck in the U.S. in a few years.