Bobby Bennett
Nitro Member
Nitromater
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The Next Victim of Detroit
- Thread starter Bobby Bennett
- Start date
StockersRock
Nitro Member
I'm surprised this hadn't happened already. But, I didn't see GMC on the list? Do they really need to make the GMC line that is really the same as the Chevy line anyway? If the GMC name is important to them, they could brand their "Professional Grade" Chevy trucks as GMC models. Seems to me it would save alot of money in brand marketing having to only market under one banner. While these auto makers put their hand out to Washington and cut jobs all over the place, it'd be nice to see the auto makers cut out all the "same" models with different badges in an effort to save money.
StockersRock
Nitro Member
Take your pick, I'm not a GM guy! 
But in all seriousness, how many Mercury Mariners do you see on the road compared to Ford Escapes (see I'm not just picking on GM). I really don't have a problem with the Pontiac brand at all. Their models are pretty much unique to them. But does Chrysler need a Town and Country when there's the Dodge Voyager, while the Chrysler Corporation is barely staying afloat. It just seems akin to the guy that's on the phone with his mortgage company begging for "another week", while he's sitting on the beach on vacation.
But in all seriousness, how many Mercury Mariners do you see on the road compared to Ford Escapes (see I'm not just picking on GM). I really don't have a problem with the Pontiac brand at all. Their models are pretty much unique to them. But does Chrysler need a Town and Country when there's the Dodge Voyager, while the Chrysler Corporation is barely staying afloat. It just seems akin to the guy that's on the phone with his mortgage company begging for "another week", while he's sitting on the beach on vacation.
yoda
Nitro Member
Agreed.. Auto manufacturers lost the concept of brand individuality decades ago when it became more important to them to push customer brand loyalty than it was to use common sense. Why else would the car manufacturers continue to create similar products that share the same platform, other than keeping the assembly line running, no matter how FEW of a product sold on a less popular brand. Remember when Stock/ Super Stock and to some extent, P/S, were having issues with brand intermixing because one brand had a few more cc's in a head or a different valve angle?
GM could easily form under that company name as a single entity, realistically cut duplicate production down to its most popular models and save themselves a world of money, but the ones to make that decision would also be placing their own heads on the chopping block, as the need for division white collar workers would also be radically reduced. Same applies for Chrysler/Dodge and Ford/ Mercury/ Lincon.. So, we'll just continue to see redundancy in cross-products as long as some suit needs a company to sit on the Board of...
GM could easily form under that company name as a single entity, realistically cut duplicate production down to its most popular models and save themselves a world of money, but the ones to make that decision would also be placing their own heads on the chopping block, as the need for division white collar workers would also be radically reduced. Same applies for Chrysler/Dodge and Ford/ Mercury/ Lincon.. So, we'll just continue to see redundancy in cross-products as long as some suit needs a company to sit on the Board of...
Super Mod
Nitro Member
It's obvious that there is redundancy in GM's lineup. But dropping an icon like Pontiac makes no sense to me. So does that me Buick outsells Pontiac year after year? Do they figure Pontiac people will slide over to Chevy, but Buick owners will go elsewhere if Buick ceases to exist? ( Saturn,Saab, Hummer who cares
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yoda
Nitro Member
When GM stopped using brand specific engines ( olds pont buick) and replaced them with the s/b chevy that was the end of the GM lineup and the start of the cookie cutter line. And the trucks if chevy & gmc had not split the line ford's f150 would not have been the top seller of truck for years. Mopar got the idea and dropped plymouth. Then we have ford and mercury, same thing with them.
yoda
Nitro Member
More signs of bad times: Just got off the phone with a friend in my industry (entertainment production) who's winter has been dedicated to doing the New car show circuit for almost two decades.. He does the majors from overseas companies and just got the call that 3 of his clients are cancelling their spots on the floor for the rest of the car show season in the U.S... Announcements haven't been made to the regular press yet, so I'm not at liberty to mention the companies by name, but his client handles these company's car shows worldwide and millions are spent on display sets, lighting/sound, labor, hotels, resturants and travel/ vehicle transport... So the next victims aren't limited to Detroit, and with all the companies- both local and national- that are losing out, don't even make cars...
Announcements haven't been made to the regular press yet, so I'm not at liberty to mention the companies by name, but his client handles these company's car shows worldwide and millions are spent on display sets, lighting/sound, labor, hotels, resturants and travel/ vehicle transport... So the next victims aren't limited to Detroit, and with all the companies- both local and national- that are losing out, don't even make cars...
Super Mod
Nitro Member
More signs of bad times: Just got off the phone with a friend in my industry (entertainment production) who's winter has been dedicated to doing the New car show circuit for almost two decades.. He does the majors from overseas companies and just got the call that 3 of his clients are cancelling their spots on the floor for the rest of the car show season in the U.S...
The ripple effect will be more like a TIDAL WAVE
Von Halen
Nitro Member
Weren't you one of the guys bashing me when I called the new "GTO" a soccer mom car?
The GTO would have been a decent car if they hadn't called it a GTO. I am sorry, it was more soccer mom, than GTO.
I like the G8. No, it's not a 2 door muscle type car, but I like the styling. If I were a young family and needed 4 doors, I'd probably buy that over most of the other stuff that is out right now.
It has gotten ugly here in DTown.....
afx421
Nitro Member
you got me confused with another guy. i hated the newer GTOs, soccer mom cars is putting it nicely, i own a 66 GTO convertible and its a blown rear half pro street car, thats a GTO not a grand prix with GTO badges, ill say it agian pontiacs last good car was in 74, the super duty t/a. the g8 is too cookie cutter for me, pontiac should have gone the retro design like ford and mopar did. sadly goodbye poncho
