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Pontiac gone with the [economy] wind . . .

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vagt6

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Please forgive the bit of nostalgia, but I can't stop myself.

83 years after the first Pontiac rolled off the assembly line, GM will stop Pontiac production. Too bad, they were great cars, and what a wonderful legacy!

For a moment, remember:

> The Star Chief with the backlighted indian head hood ornament(!);
> Bonneville: continuously produced for 52 years! It was the first Pontiac to have fuel injection;
> The beautiful, growling GTO;
> Firebird and Firebird Trans Am!!!

<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">What great cars</span></span>!

First Oldsmobile, then Plymouth. I suspect Buick may be next, probably more to come. Will they be "replaced" by foreign marques? Maybe?

I'm gonna miss those cars. Heck, most of us grew up with 'em, rode many a mile in them, too. My first car was a '55 Plymouth Belvedere; my Dad's best friend Jim was an Oldsmobile man, bought a new one every 3 years for decades. I'll never forget that shiny, new 442 he drove!

And so it goes . . . We're witnessing the end of an era in the automotive biz. I, for one, hate to see them go.

Maybe now's the time to snatch up that vintage Pontiac you've alway wanted?

Discuss amongst yourselves . . .
 
:savewave:

:nonono: Buick not going they are consistently profitable.---Keoke
 
Keoke said:
:savewave:

:nonono: Buick not going they are consistently profitable.---Keoke
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They also rate high on owner satisfaction surveys and are incredibly successful in China.
 
Maybe I should hold onto my '07 G6?...a modern "classic" :rolleyes:
I like the car, but dealing with the dealership is a real pain!!! I just had the front end aligned for $120 (!!) and it still pulls to the left! :madder:
 
Try reversing the front wheels.---Keoke
 
I have posted before about my GM experience. They were my only cars since about 1981. Had them while living in 3 countries, but the 01 Bonneville and the 99 Malibu finished them off for me. As cars they were OK, but the quality issues showed up (always just out of warranty) even though I take good care of my cars. Their customer service was pathetic. Dealer pointed to GM head office who in turn pointed me back to the dealer. See ya GM...
 
I have not bought a GM car since my 82 Cavalier Wagon. I had no problem with the dealer, but by 86 I was looking for more than GM was offering. I have had two Buicks and 3 Chevrolets, and never really a dealer problem. I had a dealer problem with VW back in the mid 70's where the dealer referred me to VW North America, who referred me back to the dealer. The Scirocco was my last VW because of that.

GM has some better cars now than when I was last looking a few years back. The only GM car that made my list then was the Pontiac Vibe, although I have since helped my sister buy her Saturn Aura.

Since most of the GM cars were sold from different divisions anyway, this will just reduce the overlap of too many similar cars.
 
Wonder if they will change the name of Pontiac, MI to something a little more -ota sounding. I owned Gm cars for 40 years, recently bought a Honda. Times, they are a changing. There may be a Ford in my future.

Many of my contemporaries use dental labs in Hong Kong. The work is great and 25% of the local costs.
 
My fond memory is that of a '57 Pontiac Star Chief, two toned green! Now that was a really cool car.
 
bugimike said:
Maybe I should hold onto my '07 G6?...a modern "classic" :rolleyes:
I like the car, but dealing with the dealership is a real pain!!! I just had the front end aligned for $120 (!!) and it still pulls to the left! :madder:
Click to expand...

Go to a private shop with a Hunter 9700 and Hawkeye system. "Shop around" for the shop; I found one that was a surprise over what I've seen before. With those two machines the results should be close to perfect.
 
We have a local dealer who deals in Pontiac,Buick,and GMC. The worst of it is he juuuuust sank a bunch a money into reworking the showroom and car lot with big Pontiac symbols. :wall:
 
Mike, when you took it to the dealer, did you complain of the vehicle pulling or drifting, or did you just ask for an alignment?

If you complained of it pulling and they sold you an alignment to cure the problem then you have recourse. Go back and ask to speak to the service manager. He should have the shop foreman road test the vehicle with you to confirm the problem. Then they need to fix the problem.. On their dime.

If you just asked for an alignment.... sol.
 
mailbox said:
We have a local dealer who deals in Pontiac,Buick,and GMC. The worst of it is he juuuuust sank a bunch a money into reworking the showroom and car lot with big Pontiac symbols. :wall:
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Heck, there are lots of car dealers here in Calgary who have renovated and/or moved to new properties in the last year or two, I wonder how many of them will get to stay in their new digs for very long...
 
Many dealers will go bust and many are closing right now. If GM declares bankruptcy the remaining dealers will be relegated to the courts. Let us hope this does not happen.

Many will lose, some will win. Buick is now one of the most popular car brands in China, for example. Stange, but true.
 
judow said:
My fond memory is that of a '57 Pontiac Star Chief, two toned green! Now that was a really cool car.
Click to expand...

I hold very fond memories of my '53 Pontiac hearse "Grave Undertaking" that I owned back in college in the late '60s :jester: (I wish I had some pictures of THAT car!!)
 
Brooklands said:
Since most of the GM cars were sold from different divisions anyway, this will just reduce the overlap of too many similar cars.
Click to expand...

This has been one of GM's problems for a while, in my opinion. Less of an issue back in the sixties and seventies, when the different divisions went out of their way to offer cars with a true identity, even if they were sharing platforms. For instance, you wouldn't mistake a GTO for a Chevelle or a Buick GS-they all had distinct personalities even if they shared some sheetmetal. By the 80's you had to look at the badge (or the horrible plastic body cladding on Pontiacs).

-Wm.
 
If you think about it, it's kind of ironic. Pontiac started off by killing its parent "marque" and now in turn is being killed off by it's parent firm..

In the late 20's, GM decided to divisionize their divisions with lower priced entry models. Cadillac got LaSalle, which was sort of a half-step between Cadillac and Buick. Oldsmobile got Viking, which was between Olds and Oakland, and Oakland got Pontiac which was placed between Oakland and Chevrolet.. Viking and LaSalle ended up in that same lost parking lot as DeSoto, Plymouth, Edsel, Eagle, Henry J, Allstate, Terraplane and so many others (including Saturn). Pontiac ended up becoming so popular that when an economic downturn forced GM to eliminate brands, they killed the established name Oakland and kept the new, upstart Pontiac.

The more things change.........the more things don't.................
 
rlwhitetr3b said:
I just read that only 27 dealers sold only Pontiacs. It said GM plans to cut 2600 dealers by 2010.
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It includes Hummer, Saturn,and maybe Buick
 
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