Well...what 50 years want and what 20 year olds want is much different. a 50 year old may have 2-4 more car purchases left (if that)...and tend to buy vehicles less often as they get closer to the nursing home. Hook a young buyer and you may have 5-10+ more car purchases.

 

The purpose of having multi-brands is to appeal to different consumers.

The 20 yo won't have any interest in an Enclave. The 50 yo won't have any interest in a Cobalt. The trick is to get them both to buy from you.

 

That was the idea with Pontiac and Buick in the same showroom. Now Buick will have to have broader appeal.

 

50 year olds would be a significant improvement for Buick

(Seriously, I think the Enclave woke them up to the idea that someone under 70 would actually drive the brand. Whether this will actually work is a huge question mark though. Too bad they can't afford Tiger Woods anymore.)

 

No, Chevy will have the broad appeal. Buick will be a mid-premium brand bridging the gap between Chevy and Cadillac.

What happens to Pontiac in the long run? Your guess is as good as mine. But I sure wouldn't bet on the same old, 'give Pontiac a G8/GTO/Firebird' argument I hear around here. That formula is dead - especially for Pontiac.