I honestly think that for the GM performance vehicles (Vseries, vette, gto, v8 camaro(in the future), etc) GM should have a bag of goodies to give to the driver as a no added cost thing that is just plain cool. there could be special driving shoes, maybe driving gloves, a laptop case, jacket, etc. stuff like that i think would help the person buying the car feel more like they are one with the car or something

 

you know, i actually think the driving gloves idea would be better suited to an m3 buyer

imo, no, don';t do it
just wasting money
find some other way (ads, et.c) to get the message across
jmho

 

Sure, I'd love to get free stuff when buying a car, but of all people to give away free stuff, it won't be GM. GM does everything in their power to hack away at cars to save money. They sure as heck won't be spending more cash to give us free crap anytime soon.

 

Free stuff is great. Like luggage that matches the car, or a leather jacket like the Marauder came with for a couple years.

I know Benzs still come with luggage on some of the upper end models and according to Will & Grace you get a years worth of steaks when you buy a Bentley.

 

A friend of mine has a new Audi and it came with a "Accessories Book" that was thicker then my Summit Magazine. They had EVERYTHING imaginable from Accessories for the car, to just Audi wear. Kind of cool. (I think my parents got one with their Monte Carlo; but I don't remember it having NEAR as much equipment...

 

It's a terrific idea.

Harley Davidson makes truckloads of cash doing that very thing. They've got a true parts catalog as big as a phone book, and another that size full of mechandise/doo-dads/clothing. The doo-dads (coffee cups and dog collars and keychains and clocks and such...) are one thing, but remember... on a motorcycle, clothing is not just for looks - if you're smart, it can save your limbs, skin, or even life...

Anyway, the point is that Harley is a powerful brand, backed up by a terrific product - most likely the best product in it's segment.

That just came from a guy who owns a Hayabusa, BTW... so don't give me the line that Harleys are only for Neandertals or image-hounds who, if they were smarter, would buy a HonYamaKawiZuki.

The points are:

1) Have a great product. An inspiring, high-quality product that holds it's value. APPLIANCES don't qualify. No one ever bought a leather jacket for $500 with the name of their DISHWASHER on it.

2) Establish your brand properly to create a CULTURE around that product and invite people into the CULTURE. People want to be part of something identified as "cool". Harley owners buy $600 leather jackets, $300 leather chaps, $300 rainsuits, T-shirts, jeans, boots, underware... And Harley does two things for sure - they maintain their image in the product, and they make damned sure the product is top-notch. Harley's line of leather riding jackets that are engineered with safety in mind (they have backprotectors and integral armor, etc...) are second to none.

3) There has to be a bit of a premium associated with it. Harleys are NOT inexpensive. Matter of fact, you'll shell out as much money for Harley's lower-line 1200cc Sportster as you will for a Hayabusa... and the Hayabusa has THREE TIMES the horsepower and is more technologically advanced by light-years. The Sportster, on the other hand, has something the Hayabusa does not - an intrinsic value. The day I rode my Busa off the lot, I lost about $3000 in resale. Hold on to a Sportster for 5 years, ride it as often as you please, and you'll sell it for pretty much what you paid for it.

4) Create your own aftermarket. Install your own upgrades. Sell your own performance and appearance parts.

5) Do the Harley trick. Merchandise the crap out of it.

Camaro did that... somewhat. Corvette is the undisputed king of it where cars in North America are concerned. Mustang does it to a lesser degree than Corvette.

"SS" can be the same thing - as long as the vehicles are true to the intent, that being that the owner just joined a culture, became part of something special, instead of just buying a car.

In part, this is where the Japanese cruisers have failed so miserably. They can copy Harley's motors and make amazing motors of their own, they can copy the styling, they can bolt together extremely competent motorcycles, but they can't get that last part of it - the culture part.

GM needs to note what the differences are between Japanese cruisers and a Harley Davidson, take the best of both, and turn each of their brands, one by one, into a similar experience, targeted toward different market segments.


BTW - in most, if not all cases, installing Harley's "Screaming Eagle" performance parts, from camshafts to cylinder heads DOES NOT void the warranty. Now, I know motorcycles have different requirements than cars, but the fact of the matter remains that Harley supports those owners who want a custom experience, and GM DOES NOT.

 

Good post Pacer, all very true

 

Shoes and gloves seem a little funny to me, but I like the idea of matching, fitted luggage. That could actually be useful.

 

That would be neat.

 

I vote for PacerX as the new head of GM performance marketing!

 

Just remember, the free stuff won't really be free

 

I second that vote!

What about a 1:24 scale replica of the car? Color matched. A baseball cap. Just something... Hell, a poster.

 

That is the best idea I have heard yet.

 

I could see the Corvette and maybe Cadillacs getting this sort of treatment, but as for other cars, hell will freeze over before GM gives away anything as a thank you for buying their car.

One thing I think that would be really neat is have a panel on the dash that is metal. Allow the new owner to get whatever they want engraved onto this plaque on the dash. The dealership would engrave it for you. You could put your name there, put Camaro Z/28 on it, whatever your heart's desire.

 

How about a free tank of gas? They used to always throw that in automatically. When we bought our 2002 Tahoe, my wife asked the dealer to throw in its first oil change for FREE. They agreed so fast, she said, "Dang I should've asked for a year of FREE oil changes."

The Chevrolet/Cadillac dealer I now go to for service, washes the cars free of charge before returning them (something my old dealer did for a FEE). Its those little extras that make buyers stay loyal. Let's face it, selling you a car is one thing; its the service on the vehicle where they make most of their money.

I kind of like Pacer's idea, and to be quite honest, GM does actually offer accessories and products like that now... its just not advertised as well as H-D does it (some dealers are better than others). It could be a lot more lucrative if they did a better job of marketing their current program.