• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Tips
Tips

News Tonight...

Share this page

Mickey Richaud

Mickey Richaud

Moderator
Staff member
Gold
Country flag
Online
...Pontiac may well be on the chopping block!

NBC

I know we probably need to make drastic changes, but DANG! :frown:
 
And I hear Saab have filed for bankruptcy after their gov failed to bail them out.
 
Oh, no! They sell too many Buicks in China to get rid of that brand.
 
Hmmm! Maybe I should hang onto my leased G6 for posterity!! In 50 years it'll be just like my BE...a bottom-end collectible!
 
I heard one interesting thought on the radio this week (talk radio, everyone groan now)...

One analyst thought that the best thing for General Motors is to entirely downsize to two brand names - Chevrolet and Cadillac

They are the ones with the most brand recognition, and it would simplify their product lineup so much, his thought was that General Motors has a future but in a much more simplified way, much along the lines of the above

But then there are so many analysts with different thoughts, but I thought his seemed to have some merit...
 
Sherlock said:
...
One analyst thought that the best thing for General Motors is to entirely downsize to two brand names - Chevrolet and Cadillac

...
But then there are so many analysts with different thoughts, but I thought his seemed to have some merit...
Click to expand...

I think they should seriously consider this (& am sure they are).

As was mentioned, Buick is big in China so maybe it should be kept as a brand there. (See Opel et al)

Then an ultra-cheapie to sell in India against Tata.... No good margins in that business for GM but it could pave the way for Buick sales there.
 
I wonder why Ford is being so quiet, with GM and Chrysler tanking??
 
I think that Ford are not wishing to be seen as gloating in bad times. They are quietly taking market share from the other two, and yet maintaining a certain dignity in so doing. Good PR.
 
bgbassplyr said:
Oh, no! They sell too many Buicks in China to get rid of that brand.
Click to expand...

The Chinese Buicks are built in China for the Chinese market. They have a different styling (better IMO) then the US made models. The Chinese factory will not go away, it is making money.
 
Read today that Saab weill be gone by year-end; seems Hummer & Saturn are next.
 
Hard to believe, but latest sales numbers showed more Hummers than Saabs were sold. My guess is that, with GM cutting the division loose, Sweden will help with the re-organization and redesigned cars will be produced for EU sales. Wait a few weeks and the late model used ones should be a bargain. I've been thinking about a mid-size ragtop for touring, perhaps a 3 or 4 year old Saab would fit that bill???
 
tony barnhill said:
Read today that Saab weill be gone by year-end; seems Hummer & Saturn are next.
Click to expand...

Saab doesn't surprise me-they have had a very blah product line for over a decade. Used to be the "interesting" choice for those young up and comers who didn't want the same old BMW 325i or Audi Whatever.

Same for Hummer-they were nothing but a fad brand, with no future whatsoever beyond their first model lineup. I mean, they're not going to start building proper work trucks, or cars, or anything other than luxury SUV's with that Lego block styling. Very limited.

Saturn does surprise me. I would have thought that after giving up on their plastic fantastics that GM would push their Opel based sportsters as VW fighters...

-Wm.
 
DART said:
Hard to believe, but latest sales numbers showed more Hummers than Saabs were sold. My guess is that, with GM cutting the division loose, Sweden will help with the re-organization and redesigned cars will be produced for EU sales. Wait a few weeks and the late model used ones should be a bargain. I've been thinking about a mid-size ragtop for touring, perhaps a 3 or 4 year old Saab would fit that bill???
Click to expand...
Article I saw in local paper said GM was going to the Swedish gov't to see what they'd....& said Sweden was trying to determine what course they should go.
 
William said:
Saturn does surprise me. I would have thought that after giving up on their plastic fantastics that GM would push their Opel based sportsters as VW fighters...

-Wm.
Click to expand...

GM has never really funded the marketing side of Saturn very well. Their attitude was that people would buy them because they were a GM product, even if they were competing in a non-GM market.
 
What I meant about Ford was that they refused the bail out money, saying that they would try to tough it out, at least until summer. It seems that the others just want to feed at the trough and take all they can get without getting rid of waste starting at the top.

Maybe there is something to the fact that the same family still owns the Ford Motor Company 100 years later and the others are strictly a corporate nightmare of layers and layers of over paid and underachieving management.

From what I heard at mt Ford dealer the other day, Mercury will be going bye-bye real soon. The new 2010 Taurus, which is really sharp, debuts in June and there is no Montego in the plans from what they said. The Taurus will soon become the flagship of FoMoCo.
 
We wait... and hope!


GO, Henry!!! :devilgrin:
 
swift6 said:
William said:
Saturn does surprise me. I would have thought that after giving up on their plastic fantastics that GM would push their Opel based sportsters as VW fighters...

-Wm.
Click to expand...

GM has never really funded the marketing side of Saturn very well. Their attitude was that people would buy them because they were a GM product, even if they were competing in a non-GM market.
Click to expand...

True-GM positioned Saturn at the real low end of the market with the "no-haggle" dealerships, even when they started having genuinely desirable cars (cars such as the Aura, Astra, and Sky). At that point they should really have started touting their European heritage instead of trying to steal sales from Hyundai.

-Wm.
 
Skye is so much prettier that the Solstice!!
 
William said:
swift6 said:
William said:
Saturn does surprise me. I would have thought that after giving up on their plastic fantastics that GM would push their Opel based sportsters as VW fighters...

-Wm.
Click to expand...

GM has never really funded the marketing side of Saturn very well. Their attitude was that people would buy them because they were a GM product, even if they were competing in a non-GM market.
Click to expand...

True-GM positioned Saturn at the real low end of the market with the "no-haggle" dealerships, even when they started having genuinely desirable cars (cars such as the Aura, Astra, and Sky). At that point they should really have started touting their European heritage instead of trying to steal sales from Hyundai.

-Wm.
Click to expand...

And they dropped the 'No Haggle Pricing" with the introduction of the ION. They don't tell you that either and there are still several people that go in to a Saturn dealership thinking they don't need, or can't, haggle on the price only the monthly payment.
 
Back
Top