Pontiac is history

[mdrburchette]

This news saddens me. Pontiac was the only GM division with soul:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04 ... se-plants/

[TulsaSpider]

and they are keeping Buick?? oh jees! Pontiac indeed embodied spirit! Those Solstices are sweet!

[Europa]

Pontiac was #3 in sales for 2008.

2008 GM Vehicle Sales
Chevrolet 1,801,131
GMC 376,996
Pontiac 267,348
Saturn 188,004
Cadillac 161,159
Buick 137,197
Hummer 27,485
Saab 21,368
Total 2,980,688
http://money.cnn.com/2009/04/24/autos/p ... 2009042416

I really like the G8 GXP. Wondering if there will be a fire sale and who will administer the warranty and spare parts.

[Ernie]

Wonder where that article got the GM numbers. That total is more like Chrysler in a good year.

I think GM would have been 8-9 million sold.

[pope]

There was only a little over 10 million cars total sold in USA last year compared to 17 million the previous. Dramatic reduction.

Buick just overtook Lexis for most reliable and even though they are understated in design, they sell three time the amount in ....CHINA....then they sell in USA. Those numbers above are only US sales.

[adrians]

Europa,

You may still be able to buy Pontiac G8 GXP - They're built in Australia based on our Holden Commodore, just like the GTO was a Holden Monaro.

Here's mine.
http://home.people.net.au/~sandrin/Black%20Calais.jpg

[mdrburchette]

One of my favorite commercials and a bad ass car:
http://www.marshu.com/ws6-pontiac-fireb ... hungry.php

[mbouse]

and they are keeping Buick?? oh jees! Pontiac indeed embodied spirit! Those Solstices are sweet!

we sell a pair of parts that go into the top of those Solstices... haven't sold any since Thanksgiving.

we also are the sole provider of the bows for the convertible mustang top. the mustang production sagged terribly thru the winter, but is actually ramping up and we are buying more inventory to cover future orders!!

i too would prefer that the Pontiac division remain open, since their styling beat anything else in the GM lineup IMO. but, Pontiac doesn't sell trucks. no trucks, and goodbye entire regions of the country .. like the state of texas. GM i am sure needed to weigh odds like that.

[So Cal Mark]

GM started the post-mortem on the various divisions when they went corporate in the early 80s and just duplicated models and changed the grilles to differentiate between Olds/Buick/Pont/Chev. As for Buick building the most reliable cars, that's pretty hilarious. That reliability report is not an accurate cross-section, the responses are voluntary from owners and by no means a complete accounting of problems. My problem with the quality of GM cars is a couple of years down the road, not the first year of ownership.

[pope]

Every car manufacture in the 80's did duplicate models. Ford did it with Mercury, Chrysler did it with Dodge. For the last 10 years when Lexis had the title, no problem telling everyone that they were the best car. Now that someone beats them out, ...you make excuses. Cant have it both ways.

[So Cal Mark]

I don't think I made any excuses. Which car would you rather have at 100,000 miles, the Buick or Lexus? The Buick most likely would be on it's second or third tranny and have a completely trashed cooling system as well as 3 failed window regulators. The Lexus would be due for a timing belt

[pope]

I always drive Buicks and not once did I have trans troubles, or acc troubles. Boy you exaggerate.

I could have bought two Buicks in that 100,000 miles for the cost of the Lexis.
I love how conveniently you forget about Lexis having corroded fuel rails, airbags that detach on implosion, brake lines that kink and deteriorate, floor mats that detach and cause acc pedal to get stuck in high rev position....and on and on. All cars have defects, its just the Buicks have less than Lexis

[So Cal Mark]

I'm basing my opinions on the cars I service, not on anyone elses' perceptions. Not only could you buy two Buicks for the price of the Lexus, you'd have to buy two Buicks over the life of the cars if you expected the same service life. To even call one of the GM clones a Buick is funny, take the badges off and you couldn't tell a Chevmobile from a Pontiolet. Why would a Buick be more reliable than the same model as a Chev, Olds or Pont? Same parts, same design, same cars. All GM did was create layers and layers of useless middle managers all doing the same job for a different clone. Then they blame the assembly line workers for bad designs and corporate bonuses. I love it! What's good for GM is good for the USA

[racydave]

I own a 2000 Chevy Impala , and none of the things you are saying are true. It has been a great car, and has never let me down. Mark, I think you are dead wrong. But, what the hell do I know???

[baltobernie]

(somebody hold down Mike Bouse)

I wonder if Buick's terrific sales numbers in China had anything to do with GMs decision? Wouldn't that be a hoot; GM giving more weight to their sales numbers in China than here