Come on folks, the names aren't the key to sales.

As a wise man once said on here (an indirect quote I believe) "It's the product stupid!"

 

Keep Pontiac and take it back to being the "Excitement Division"

I agree with making GMC the high-class Silverado...like Denali is to GMC now. Now if only they could keep the Sky and lose the Solstice.

Buick stays in China and China only. Old people can drive Caddys, or if they can't afford it, a Chevy.

 

Saab, because with a couple decent models they could double sales.

Saturn has a lot of potential, which GM unfortunately will never follow through on.

 

That isn't really saying a lot though is it?

 

Guy I get what you are saying about the volume aspect but overall what is more important volume or profitability? Will people be willing to pay the premium to get a Pontiac over a Chevrolet? Which brand has the potential to sway the largest number of people to pay a premium for over a standard Chevy?

It certainly isn't Saturn (who is still thought of as the company with the plastic cars). It isn't Pontiac who has had so much negative stuff floating around recently that almost nothing positive has happened to the brand since the Solstice came out (and the pricing debacle that followed it, the GTO, and the G8). It certainly isn't SAAB who makes attractive, small, overpriced Opels (Saturns). GMC could pretty much become a trim line on Chevy trucks and still retain 3/4 of their profitability. Buick is the only GM brand aside from Caddy and Chevy that I think people would be willing to pay that premium for IF it is the right product.

 

Kill Buick in the US...Keep Buick in China as rebranded Opel/Saturns (the grill is already close). Move Saturn in the US to Mid Lux..almost Lexus.

Keep GMC...since it costs nothing..and most people buy them because they DO NOT want a Chevrolet

Either Kill/Sell Saab or make it part of the new Saturn/Buick/Opel reband described above.

Make Pontiac a competitor to Mazda and Nissan. It does not need a rack of money, or a bunch of unique products. Just look at Mazda...they are basically are all rebadged Ford with more drama in their design and a little extra under the hood.

 

I think Saturn has the potential to be the Apple/Google of cars. Plus, it brings in import buyers and lots of people don't even associate it with GM.

Pontiac is hopeless IMO

 

I think Pontiac should survive.
But (and it's a big but), they MUST bring the division back to where it was in the late '50s, '60s, and early '70s.
If all the Pontiac players from that time have to be brought in as consultants (so long as they're living), then so be it.
And that probably means no FWD Pontiacs. They can still build a small, fuel efficient, 4 cyl, fun to drive car if need be. I don't see why it HAS to be FWD. Other than GM likes to recycle their platforms ad nauseum.

If they can't do that, or are unwilling to do that, then there is no sense on trying to save Pontiac. In that case, they should probably try to save Saturn. They have a pretty loyal following of people who wouldn't normally buy an American car.

 

Keep Pontiac. I read a while back that a huge chunk of the market that once bought sporty cars got sold on the idea of pickup trucks and SUV's. Now that gas prices has scared off the buyers of fullsize trucks, perhaps the market for sporty, more fuel efficient cars may rise again. Pontiac is in line to capitalize on that with better products and good marketing.

China only with Buick; sell Hummer/Saab and kill GMC light trucks, but add the nicer grille to Chevy trucks; and kill Saturn. Take that Astra and replace the G3 with it. Take the Skye and let Chevy have a cheap, sporty 'vert so that the Kappa platform has a reason to continue.

 

But Saab is a European or worldwide problem -- it's fate has little if any bearing on any of the GMNA divisions. With the exception of the embarassing 9-7 'Saablazer', it hasn't been integrated into the american marketing line-up at all.

If Saab can become more competitive with Audi and Volvo in europe, US sales would skyrocket, which admittedly isn't saying much.

 

As much as I hate to say this this is what I think should be done.

Chevy and caddy, of course, will be left alone, with the exception of absorbing a few vehicles from those divisions that are sold off or disassembled and closed.

Turn Saturn into a Scion-ish brand using opels or whatever...
Close doors on Pontiac, GMC.. As For Buick, keep it in China and overseas, as a buick, as they are a sales leader there.

Sell Off Hummer and SAAB. Get what you can for them and cut ties.

Mesh products from the 3 brands you close in the US into the remaining GM brands.

G8 can be a chevy. Thats really bout the only thing i'd really keep from Pontiac, and its not even a pontiac by nature.

Buick's just go away in the US.

Saturn, while keeping the Opel ties, keep bringing in the "redline" series, and make them cheaper, affordible, customizeable cars. Much like Chevy is doing for Camaro with dealer options, do the same for the entire saturn lineup, thus making it "boy & Girl" racer if you wish, or good economy fuel cars if you dont.

As for People who would only buy a pontiac, then make a trim package if you must, for that for instance, the new camaro is very customizable, already, how much harder would it be to make a new nosecone witha "firebird" edition or whatever... Same may be possible for Chevy trucks, being that folks want a GMC, well offer it too as a package, 2010 Chevy Silvarado GMC Professional Edition or whatever. Trim packages, different badgeing is all im saying, but offer it thru chevy as dealer added on options.. May or may not work, but its an idea.

I realize alot of folks say getting smaller is only going to do one thing, make you smaller, but it also cuts costs, levels the playing field if you will, mimics some successful foreign manufacturers (think Lexus, Toyota, Scion for example) and gives GM a new stance, while hopefully setting it up with proper managemnt, to make some agressive gains in sales, profits, and hopefully one day market share.

Granted, in a perfect world, ALL GM would control 50% market share, we'd have ALL divisions in perfect healthy condition, and all making unique, awesome cars we'd all love to have.. but unfortunately that is not the situation we've found ourselves in for quite a long time.

So thats what i think. sadly.

 

Just thinking out loud but could AM General buy the Hummer brand? They have their own plant (that builds the H2). Sell them the GMT355 chassis and equipment to build the H3 and whatever variants it will produce. Hell just give them the brand to get rid of it, and the negative PR image it produces.

 

Go up to any random non-car person and ask them what a G8 is. They will either look at you like you're stupid or get it confused with a vegetable drink. Now ask that same person what a Grand Prix is.

They may not be key, but there was alot of name reconition with Grand Prx, Grand Am, and Bonneville. Pontiac lost all of that in one dumb move.

What the heck does the "G" stand for anyway?

 

Here's what I'd like to see:

Keep Saturn and Pontiac, but strictly as importers of rebadged Opels and Holdens, respectively. For more popular models, I'd be in favor of establishing stateside manufacturing facilities, but they should be identical to their foreign counterparts, except for minor fascia changes (and, in the Holden case, they should be left-hand drive).

Hummer's existence makes no sense in today's market. If there are any features worth saving that aren't available on Chevy trucks already, make sure to save those, but the rest of the Hummer division can go.

GMC's existence as nothing more than upscale versions of Chevy models doesn't make sense to me. Just offer higher trim levels on the Chevys.

Buick's only solid US offering today is the Enclave, IMO, and that's about as redundant as it could possibly be. Use the Enclave (and maybe the Acadia, since I'm suggesting getting rid of GMC too) as a starting point for a Lambda Cadillac and ditch the rest. In a few years, maybe Buick of China will be good enough that it will deserve to be brought back in to the mix, but as an importer along the lines of what I'm suggesting for Saturn and Pontiac.

Saab should be sold off, and the resulting company given access to GM Powertrain for a few years while they re-establish their own powertrain development department.

 

saturn is the most useful to GM. Some of the best product, loyal customers and good dealer network.

Pontiac has put out too much garbage and the name is tarnished. Might not be able to fix it for the mass consumer.