RIP Pontiac

[TAdan]

RIP P.M.D.

It's been fun.

(Oh, I just cant wait to see what NOS goodies show up once these dealerships close ;D )

[WarbirdTA]

Ya,
I heard and read that.
I still blame Putz though.
He did everything he could to keep Firebirds/Trans Ams from coming back.
Pushed for naming Pontiacs with stupid names (G5, G6, G8), when people bought cars with names that meant something.
Notice he didn't do that with Chevys?
Pushed for the GTO, when people said that they wouldn't buy it from another country.
It never came near the totals he said it would.
Remember he said building a Trans Am wouldn't sell, as they had to make thousands of them?
Yet the GTO could be made with just a so-called 10,000 a year?
Then, he figures that renaming the GTO to a G8 would increase sales.
He did semi-OK with the Solsace, yet kept production way down, and then gave it to Saturn.
When I talked with him around 2002 and later, he always said he would do anything in his power to keep the Firebird from coming back.
And that Pontiac really didn't build anything.
Build what we don't want, and wonder why GM is going nowhere but down.
Ford got it right with the Mustang, and Dodge with the Challenger.
I will never buy a new car from GM.
Never.
Funny how Lutz is gone, yet he is still employed as an adviser?
Gee, millions of dollars still isn't enough.
You would think with his record, GM could save millions by totally getting rid of him.
But maybe that's why Pontiac got the boot, Putz is still around.
Just hang onto your old cars, they will go up in price.

My take,

George

[TAdan]

I agree with alot of your points.

I think people like us that follow this sort of stuff saw it coming for a long time now.

GM was just spreading their resources way to thin with too many brands and too much platform sharing. They happily kept their eye's closed and hands over their ears as they kept on producing oversized SUV's and poorly made chevy's. IMO GM did not respond to the quality of foreign imports until they came out with the latest Malibu...and that was 20+ years too late. Their motto since the 80's should have been "A day late and a dollar short." Just look at the Camaro... The "new" Mustang is onto it's second body style already, and the Challenger has been out for about 2 years now...

I liked the idea of keeping Pontiac as a niche brand, I'll keep my fingers crossed that *someday* that might happen, but it probably wont.

The Solstice, G8, and even the GTO had plenty of promise but were not marketed or promoted all that well.