Pontiac Is Now Gone

[Ron61]

This in the early news this morning. So much for the new Firebird I guess. Kind of sad to me in a way.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090427/..._ge/us_gm_plan

Ron

[VRM]

Yeah, it's too bad. I heard that the Solstice/Sky was actually doing pretty well. They really missed the boat with the new GTO though. As ugly as the Camaro is at least it does not look like every other Chevy. The Firebird might have been somewhat cool.

Steve

[Ron61]

I know they say they are going to continue to build the new Camaro, but I wonder if that will be possible under the new guidelines.

Ron

[trularin]

A history of great cars will be like other ghosts that have graced the streets of our cities.

[RedBarchetta]

What I don't get is how Buick, according to reports, was more profitable and hence saved over Pontiac? Maybe they should take their Buick management and tell them they now run Pontiac. This certainly spells death for any Firebird/Trans-Am to co-exist with the new Camaro, too. GM has to build the new Camaro...they have no choice and need a car to compete head-to-head with Ford's Mustang and Chrysler's Challenger (which is overpriced anyways). But it might end up being a short run if it doesn't take hold and is priced right. I already promised my 17 year old one IF he gets a college scholarship next year.

-Dean

[Cobrabill]

Originally Posted by RedBarchetta

What I don't get is how Buick, according to reports, was more profitable and hence saved over Pontiac? Maybe they should take their Buick management and tell them they now run Pontiac. This certainly spells death for any Firebird/Trans-Am to co-exist with the new Camaro, too. GM has to build the new Camaro...they have no choice and need a car to compete head-to-head with Ford's Mustang and Chrysler's Challenger (which is overpriced anyways). But it might end up being a short run if it doesn't take hold and is priced right. I already promised my 17 year old one IF he gets a college scholarship next year.

-Dean

It's not a matter of division management.It's the 14th floor of corporate,where there has been a "Chevy bias"dating back to the late 50's.

Whenever a division came up with a potential"'Vette killer",Chevy whined to the 14th floor and they(management)promptly killed the potentially offending program.Delorean had what was essentially a"Pontiac Cobra" on the drawing board in '63.It had a Fiberglass body with an OHC I-6 in it.It was called the "Banshee".It would have just wrecked the Corvette(and this would have been right after the GTO demolished the 'Vette) and given the Cobra fits.But it was cancelled.Numerous examples can be cited.

THe blame for"Todays GM" sits firmly on the 14th floor.



http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicl...ble/index.html

[SPF2245]

I'm hopping after all the billions spent to get some of Holdens products into the US (the '04-06 GTO and current G8)...maybe they can slap a bow-tie on the hood of the current G8 and call it the Impala SS. As for the Solstice...maybe it could be a baby 'vette.

[FuzzyDiceRide]

I looked up the Pontiac Banshee it would have been
a Vette killer for sure . Hope this link works and take
a look that the pics, way cool .They made a convertible
prototype with a V8 also.
http://www.motorcities.com/vehicle/07L9F400804827.html

[joyridin']

GM always seems to wait till the last minute to make a decision, then they make the wrong one. I remember the Fiero fiasco. The first year out, it was a great car, but needed a v6 and a 5 speed. It wasn't until 1988 they put a decent engine/trans combo, and fixed the cheap Chevette front suspension and Citation rear suspension. Then they killed the car.

GM is going to regret killing Pontiac.

[cobra de capell]

Would you buy a new car from this man?

[VRM]

Originally Posted by FuzzyDiceRide

I looked up the Pontiac Banshee it would have been
a Vette killer for sure . Hope this link works and take
a look that the pics, way cool .They made a convertible
prototype with a V8 also.
http://www.motorcities.com/vehicle/07L9F400804827.html

The coupe was very cool. It looked like a cross between an Opel GT and a '68 Vette. It only had a 6 cylinder though. That would be easy enough to fix...

Back then it would have made a lot more sense for other divisions to have performance cars as well, and then factory race them in different series. I wonder how the Caddy XLR is doing. It is basically a square Vette.

Steve

[Cobrabill]

Originally Posted by joyridin'

GM always seems to wait till the last minute to make a decision, then they make the wrong one. I remember the Fiero fiasco. The first year out, it was a great car, but needed a v6 and a 5 speed. It wasn't until 1988 they put a decent engine/trans combo, and fixed the cheap Chevette front suspension and Citation rear suspension. Then they killed the car.

GM is going to regret killing Pontiac.

Yep,they fixed the few issues the car had.Chevy figured out what would happen if Pontiac put a "real" motor(think Buick GN turbo-6) in the Fiero-another 'Vette killer.So off whining to the 14th floor they went....Fiero-gone.
Toyota copied it with their "MR-2" and went on to sell a bazillion units of it.

GM will not regret killing Pontiac.After 30 years of screwing up,they're just now coming to the realization that they've been doing"it" wrong.

The expression"there are none so blind as those who will not see"comes to mind.

[Cobrabill]

Originally Posted by VRM

The coupe was very cool. It looked like a cross between an Opel GT and a '68 Vette. It only had a 6 cylinder though. That would be easy enough to fix...

Back then it would have made a lot more sense for other divisions to have performance cars as well, and then factory race them in different series. I wonder how the Caddy XLR is doing. It is basically a square Vette.

Steve

Steve,the OHC 6 was another Delorean idea that was ahead of it's time.It came in a "sprint version" that came with a QuadraJet from the factory.I know that in the back of JZD's mind he just wanted to get the car "out the door" with the six in it.Once that happened,all bets were off.A 421 Super Duty would have bolted in.

This makes me ill just thinking about it.

[VRM]

Originally Posted by Cobrabill

Steve,the OHC 6 was another Delorean idea that was ahead of it's time.It came in a "sprint version" that came with a QuadraJet from the factory.I know that in the back of JZD's mind he just wanted to get the car "out the door" with the six in it.Once that happened,all bets were off.A 421 Super Duty would have bolted in.

This makes me ill just thinking about it.

Bill,
Yeah - I'm a bit ill about it too, but I have to agree with you that they will never miss Pontiac.

I used to work with a guy that had a Tempest with an OHC 6. He loved that car - I hope he is doing well and the car is still alive.

The Banshee aerodynamics look like it may have had the same front end lift problems at speed as the Stingray. But it would have been real interesting to see Pontiac do a tuned 421 SD for their version of a Grand Sport type Banshee. Until GM corporate comes along and kills the whole thing.

Steve

[Excaliber]

Surprisingly the Buick is doing VERY well in the oversea's market. Seem's to me China in particular is a big fan. Go figure...

[joyridin']

Maybe GM will get smart and take some of the better Pontiac models and sell them under the Chevy or Buick nameplate?

Nahh......

[Cobrabill]

Originally Posted by joyridin'

Maybe GM will get smart and take some of the better Pontiac models and sell them under the Chevy or Buick nameplate?

Nahh......

That would require intelligence and forethought.Of which,if GM had any-they wouldn't be in the situation they are in today.

[Ron61]

Plus if the Govt. takes a controlling interest in GM, they will have even less intelligence running things.

Ron

[Ronbo]

The government should just sell it off to AT&T, they're very efficent at running a company into the ground now.

Pontiac was always the "bad kid" in the GM family. Buick and Olds tested the waters, Pontiac peed in the pool. (a lot)

[Cobrabill]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahQKd9DrBFY