RIP Pontiac

[Jim Richards]

Looks like GM's going to kill off Pontiac, according to a banner on CNN.com.



So long, Poncho.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Should have been killed off 20 (or more) years ago.

Both my wife and I have had the displeasure of owning various models in our lives. Utter rubbish.

The (original) GTO and possibly the Trans Am were arguably the only interesting cars they ever made. Don't even get me started on the Aztek.

[Heel n Toe]

Is there anything more pitiful than a crapped-out Fiero?

It just screams out for being turned into a bonfire.

[The Gaijin]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Don't even get me started on the Aztek.

The Pacer of the modern era. So bad it is cool in some circles..

[speeder]

My first job at an auto dealership back in HS, (1975), was at a big Pontiac dealer in downtown Mpls that is long-gone. I always liked Pontiacs for their styling and performance back in the '60s and '70s but could not even tell you what their line-up is these days. Apparently they make a decent car or two from what I've heard around here but their footprint on the marketplace and buyer's psyche has really shrunken to almost nothing.

They do not even have stand-alone dealers and have not for ages. They are all Chev/Buick/Pontiac/GMC/Cadillac dealers out here, and even those are going tits-up. Sad. I miss the 20th century and the age of American design.

[vash]

the JUDGE is a very nice car...

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by speeder

Sad. I miss the 20th century and the age of American design.

Yep. Take, for instance, the 1966 Pontiac Banshee concept car:

[onewhippedpuppy]

Pity. The G8 GTP is really the only GM product I would consider buying. I'd take a CTS-V in a few years when it's selling for $10k.

It's been a long time coming though. Is there anyone that believes that "badge engineering" works? I mean seriously, you take the same car and brand it as a Chevy, GMC, Saturn, Pontiac, and Buick. WTF is the point?

Considering that GMC consists of rebadged Chevy products, are they next? Again, what's the point of a Silverado and Sierra that are exactly the same truck with superficial changes? At least Buick and Cadillac have distinct products.

[HardDrive]

Sorry, but as a car company, you can't produce something like the Aztek, and expect to survive. The Pontiac brand has been long dead.

It really was a breath taking failure, wasn't it?

[Z-man]

Thanks HardDrive - I just threw up in my mouth a little...

-Z

[Jim Richards]

only a little?

[gtc]

See ya Pontiac... don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya!

[Zeke]

Never owned one and I won't miss them. I know there will be musing about the old days and the Goats. I was a Chevy guy then and to this day. If the whole GM thing goes away, I'll just buy a vintage non smog truck and hope the smog nazis let me keep it.

This has been an eyesore for me since day one.

If that's what they were banking on, well that bank went bust.

[red-beard]

The basic problem with GM is they compete with themselves. With Ford, you have the same lines in good-better-best. With GM, they have different brands which actually have similar products and go head to head.

GM needs to sort out a single line of products. Upgraded versions, sure, but a single line of products. Or it will surely die.

Chrysler has similar problems. They make SUVs which compete with the Jeep line. Stupid, really.

[peppy]

I think Pontiac outsold Buick and Cadillac by 3 fold.

I guess I should have checked first. Pontiac sold more than Cadillac and twice as many as Buick.

"That year the brand sold more than Cadillac and twice as many vehicles as Buick."

http://money.cnn.com/2009/04/24/autos/pontiac_obit

[the]

This should have no negative effect on GM car sales, since they aren't necessarily killing any cars, but just a name. If there are certain "pontiacs" they want to still make, they can still do it, and simply stick one of the remaining brand names on it.

The "ladder of names" strategy certainly seemed to work in the 50s, maybe even into the 60s. But it hasn't worked for at at least 30 years now.

[dd74]

I wonder how Ford feels about this.

[red-beard]

The issue is, they need few production lines, and to consolidate the brands.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by dd74

I wonder how Ford feels about this.

They let the Edsel go a long time ago.

[creaturecat]

Owned the very last sd 455 trans am that was ever produced. 1974. Thing pulled like a freight train.