Ok I get it

 

Well the way I see it, dropping Saturn means it's higher style Opel imports could go to Buick with sportier, less luxurious offerings at Pontiac. After seeing Cadillac recapture its image, I think the same can be accomplished with Buick for a new generation of buyers. You just have to give them the product. Selling Saturn sounds like a great opportunity one of these green EV upstarts looking to get in the market.

So I'm okay with the plan as they laid it out, but will they follow through? What if they don't stick to it? Can the government do something about it or is the discussion of this plan to get the loan enough? Who's to say market conditions won't necessitate another Pontiac "G3" or "G5" down the road?

 

As long as there's 2000-some Pontiac dealers, it will be impossible to operate as a truly niche brand. Especially because those dealers are heavily located in rural areas, not urban areas where Mini/Smart/Scion/etc are concentrated.

This "specialty" business is most likely just corporate-speak for "we aren't developing any new Pontiacs"

 

I suspect that you're right.

 

This part of their game plan makes no sense. Pontiac still has solid customer base that GM management turned their back on with canceling/renaming everything. The brand has an excellent heritage and the ability to increase volume with the right products with this size dealer network.

How will they make any money importing 25,000 g8's, as well as the misbranded sport truck (the next flop) and continuing to sell the unprofitable, low volume, solstice?

 

It doesn't make sense except that GM is broke and the automotive market is way down. So anything new coming out has have a decent profit margin (i.e. not a Pontiac or Saturn), because they ain't making it up on volume.

On the other hand, if GM manages to survive, at least Pontiac and a lot of those dealerships will still be around.

 

Pontiac is far from moving 25K G8's. Once the G8 and Solstice run their courses,, I wonder what will become of Pontiac?

 

The more i think of it this is probably just the start of the process of killing pontiac. Bleed it until it folds, removing a huge dealership burden. Good for the company, bad for the name.

 

So Pontiac is becoming the Mercury of GM.

 

Is Alpha still coming online in 2011?

Being a niche brand, I don't think volume is an issue.

 

But PCS wanted that so Saturn could replace Pontiac and extend its dealer network. Now that Saturn is on the skids, who knows?

 

I don't think that was PCS's ultimate thought. He never specifically said Saturn would expand. He did say numerous times that GME/Opel would have more influence over GMNA's operations and models (which will happen as Opel=Buick becomes reality). By using the Buick dealer network Opel instantly has more dealers to push its product in the states. Saturn seems like it is headed for (further) failure or sale.

 

He even mentioned that Saturn and B/P/GMC we're reporting to the same managers "In case one division happens to fail" (Meaning Pontiac)