Why Canadian Only Cars?

What is the reason for having the Pursuit and Wave (there may be more - I just don't know it) as Canadian only cars?

Because us Canucks buy more econmy cars (as a percentage of course) then those rich yankees do.

We have less disposable income to spend on high end cars.
That Toyota Echo hatch is Canada only thing too.

Our dealerships are more structured up here. Most GM dealers are either Chev/Olds or Pontiac/Buick (or both). There's very few franchises with just one GM nameplate. Also, GM dealerships cannot share space with other marques, e.g. Buick/Mazda. The result is that many small town GM dealers cannot support a full-line dealership (e.g. all 5 marques) and may have only a Pontiac/Buick franchise. And because our market skews more towards the lower end, those dealers need lower end cars to sell like the Pursuit and Wave.

Another consequence is that Pontiac is a much stronger brand up here than south of the border. Back in the 80s the 6000 sold almost as well as the Celebrity, and in the 90s the Grand Prix was close to the Impala. The Pursuit/Wave is therefore not the first time this has happened: in the 80s we got a Corsica twin called the Tempest and even a completely new marque called Asuna for Pontiac dealers that virtually duplicated Chevy's Geo.

Or maybe it's b/c you like different style vehicles, more European in styling, even in names, and they're playing to the market??

Oh, btw, there's not as much money floating around my neck of the woods, as people have come to believe. I must be really concious of where my money goes too. And I usually favor a Higher-End used car over a Cheap econo New car...more value(said car) for my money, and I don't lose 30% of my investment right off the lot..

Originally posted by R377
Another consequence is that Pontiac is a much stronger brand up here than south of the border.
Y'know you're right............
I had a 98 Sunfire GT about 5 years ago, me and my wife made a trip to LA for vacation - and we drove.
Up here there are TONS of Sunfires - we saw barely a handfull in California.
I thought that was merely a coinedcedence at the time.

The big three still have something like 75% of the market share in certain states in the north and northeast. I think Michigan is something close to 90% domestic in raw sales.

[sarcasm on] GM is simply making up for the fact that we didn't get the GTO [sarcasm off]

I figure they must hate us .... must have been a hockey win, 1812 war, our beer, Pamala Anderson, or maybe the bluenose ....

Hmmm maybe the answer is in the names: Pursuit and Wave . If you have a "pursuit", the only thing you can do is "wave". I can see them laughing in Detriot!

Learning to hate GMcanada ....
Ted

Originally posted by Ted 99 TA WS6 Conv
[sarcasm on] GM is simply making up for the fact that we didn't get the GTO [sarcasm off]

I figure they must hate us .... must have been a hockey win, 1812 war, our beer, Pamala Anderson, or maybe the bluenose ....

Hmmm maybe the answer is in the names: Pursuit and Wave . If you have a "pursuit", the only thing you can do is "wave". I can see them laughing in Detriot!

Learning to hate GMcanada ....
Ted

You guys got 2 cars (Pursuit and Wave) and we only got 1 (GTO) :D At least you will be getting the GXP cars.

Just be glad you don't live in Mexico, They got the Matiz instead of the GTO :) http://www.pontiac.com.mx/content_data/LAAM/MX/es/GMMGM/showroom/pontiac/modelos/matiz/diseno.html