Date: Sat, 5 May 2007 23:00:27 -0400 From: "Joe" <Joenospamspam.net> Subject: Re: GM's excess baggage - Buick, Pontiac, Saab, Hummer
"GlassVial" <glassvialnospamAM.hotmail.com> wrote in message news:18np335gucrbq1530906tn2nloktq1tjpjnospamcom... > > Chevrolet - value line/catch-all/trucks > GMC - trucks (duh) > Pontiac - sportier line > Caddy - luxe line, absorb Buick into this and come out with a > value-line/affordable Caddy or two! Look at the Jag X-Type, for > example, it's an affordable "luxury" car. > Saturn - niche market/small cars > > Makes sense to me, although I'm sure some will disagree :) > I think it makes pretty good sense. I'd make too exceptions. There's no pricing reason to fold Buick into Cadillac, since Cadillac already has cars that are cheaper than a Jag X-type, for instance. The best reason to save Buick would be to sell Buicks in China. They had a really good distributor there a long time ago, and the people still like them. The second thing nobody talks about is GMC. They don't add anything at all to GM. They don't actually have any products (just Chevrolets). Nobody ever talks about that being a waste. Okay by me. Ultimately, I'm a Sloan man. I think the reason GM got in the shape they're in is price overlap. They should never have badge engineerined a bunch of stuff that sold for the same price across brands. If they hadn't screwed that up they could have had as many brands as they wanted to. The inital poster said Pontiac should be closed down. I am always surprised that people think there's something wrong with Pontiac's position in the market. I think their performance has been miraculous. The products were dull, out of date and awful looking for a long long time, and with no trucks and no SUV until about a year ago, and no minivan now, it's still a really big division. If GM wanted to sell some products, they'd give Pontiac some. Pontiac dealers can sell stuff.
