Buick Brand Dead

[jpratt]

http://wizbangblog.com/archives/005467.php
Pontiac or Buick to die.

 

[jpratt]

"GM's Buick and Pontiac are both "damaged brands" due to lack of investment over the years"

Damaged, can you say Aztec.

"In 1982 Buick introduced a limited edition Regal Grand National. It put Buick back on the map and saved them for another 2 decades."

I hardly think hat selling GN at a number of around 30,000 unit over 4 years hardly saved the Buick brand.

Lots of talk about the Buick brand going on. I hope if the GN name is brought back that it will be something that I want in my garage.

 

[buickpower]

damn, GM needs to get back in the game with buick and make another one that packs a punch. They did it before when buick had the stodgy image in the 80's, I think they could do it again if they really tried, I just don't think they will. GM really needs to quit marketing buick as fogie cars, and make a better all around car that will appear to more people. Maybe GM really does need to trim some fat..

 

[Reaper]

No plans to phase out any brands, GM's vp of sales and marketing says
Posted Date: 3/24/05

DETROIT -- General Motors reasserted on Thursday it has no intention of eliminating any of its brands in the future.

Mark LaNeve, vice president of sales and marketing for GM, told Automotive News the automaker is investing heavily in all eight brands. Phasing out a particular division is not under consideration.

"We have no plans, or even discussions, of killing any brands," LaNeve said, "We're investing more heavily than ever in product and marketing programs."

On Wednesday, GM Vice Chairman Robert Lutz told a Morgan Stanley Automotive conference in New York if one of GM's "troubled brands" fails to turn around, "then we'd have to take a look at a phase-out," Lutz said.

Published reports linked Pontiac and Buick to Lutz's comments.

LaNeve reemphasized in a message to dealers Thursday that both brands are safe.

LaNeve also said GM is managing Buick, Pontiac and GMC as one channel and providing those divisions with a product portfolio "to service that channel and to focus" the lineup.

That represents a key difference from Oldsmobile, which GM killed last year, he said.

"These portfolios we're going to deliver we don't have to deliver an A to Z portfolio for those three brands," he said. "We can tighten and focus them. I'd rather have four or five great Pontiacs or Buicks than eight undistinguishable products. That business model makes a lot of sense."

Source, Autoweek
http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=102052

 

[GNSCOTT]

If they do elimante one, I would have to say Pontiac. GM has plans to make Buick compete with Lexus and other similar brands while Caddy is supposed to take on BMW and Mercedes. Pontiac is supposed to be GM's performance brand, and with the Firebird gone and the GTO dying a slow agonizing death, they now serve no purpose and with GM killing their 2008 RWD platform there doesn't seem to be much coming in the near future.