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It's official, dealers told to brace for smaller Buick, Pontiac and GMC line-ups
GM announced officially to its dealers on Thursday that they should expect to see even more consolidation of its GMC, Buick and Pontiac dealerships. Dealers don't seems to mind the new strategy as they expect to benefit from a stronger GM, but are waiting to see what the future holds for them. GM is expected to boost Chevy's portfolio possibly up to 26 models and Cadillac to 11, making them the backbone of GM's recovery strategy. Buick will be pared down to 4 or 5 models, but GM was still vague about Pontiac's branding strategy.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Tim P 12:29AM (12/19/2005)
Well, this sucks for my Dad who owns a Buick-only dealership. The way GM is these days makes me glad I didn't get into the business.
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Dogdrawz 12:29AM (12/19/2005)
One of those 26 better be the Camaro!
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paul 12:29AM (12/19/2005)
another step towards the end of GM
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zak 12:29AM (12/19/2005)
everybody complains about the overlapping of products these days form GM and when they acknowledge it and in turn DO something about it, people complain even more! I don't get it...
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Erik 12:29AM (12/19/2005)
Another insightful gem from everyone's favorite jackass - thanks Paul!
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William Crabtree 12:29AM (12/19/2005)
Is it me or do I count already 26 models in Chevy's line up? Does this also mean consolidation of the other brands or just that "look we are hugging" feeling being evoked by making it all one dealership?
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Sid Ghosh 12:29AM (12/19/2005)
It's OK, zak. People who HATE GM, do it for fun, not because they actually have some issues with the company. A normal car fan would acknowledge the hard work GM is putting in nowadays.
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Josh 12:29AM (12/19/2005)
Yes paul is a jackass. The market will eventually bounce GM out of its current problems, which are not centered around the auto sales. For the buick only dealership, well that sounded like a mistake to begin with, unless it was in the middle of a retirement community. By the end of the next year when you are driving your wish (camero) GM will have bounded back from its problems.
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James 12:29AM (12/19/2005)
Buick only has 5 vehicles right now. Lacrosse, Terraza, Rendevous, Rainier, and the LeSabre-soon to be Lucerne. That's according to Buick.com. Does this mean that when they drop the trucks they'll actually add cars?
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Bryan 12:29AM (12/19/2005)
This is wonderful! Imagine those Buick and Pontiac dealers, with acres and acres of asphalt....now half of it will be empty. What a precious moment that will be, driving by, seeing half-empty lots, and the pimp salesmen standing alone...saying "But wait now, the ones we DO have...they're GOOD...trust me!". This is great, a further retrenchment of GM and should be welcomed by all.
Was it just me...or did anyone else notice the new badges were missing something: "The Mark of Excellence". (Not that there Was any to begin with..but at least they tried to humor you).
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Stratojet 12:29AM (12/19/2005)
Dear Paul,
I thought for a moment that you were a Toyota or Honda rep. Come to think of it, naah. Those cies have respect for people as a work philosophy. The way you treat US cies, their workers, and the families they raise shows the opposite.
Therefore, sorry to say, you would not qualify for the position. You seem to suffer from what they called Recto-vision; your optical nerve is connected to your rear-end nerve, which cause your view to see everything in brown. It is well documented in medical books, and fortunatly, it can be cured. In your case, many treatments will be necessary but it is not without hope.
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Seth L 12:29AM (12/19/2005)
I am really glad to see GM doing this. Focus on Strengthening chevy, and continue to support Caddy with good product.
I'm sure there will be some crying over what models go (from both owners and dealers), but it's a really necessary step.
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Sid Ghosh 12:29AM (12/19/2005)
LOL Stratojet.
BTW, Bryan...there is nothing to gain by seeing GM dealers lose money/jobs etc. They also have families to support like everyone else and every GM salesman isin't a 'pimp salesman' like you put it.
The Toyota CEO has more respect for GM than some of you domestic bashing ricer-bois. Wake up. American car industry isin't going anywhere. Here in Canada, GM is working marvels in it's plants. We now have the best GM plants on the planet in Ontario. New GM cars are EVERYWHERE here in Toronto. There are GM dealerships all over. GM Canada is seeing healthy sales.
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B 12:29AM (12/19/2005)
I thought lazerwizard was everybody's favorite jackass. Or that guy who's Ranger's OHV engine is the epotimy of automotive design. Anyways, good for GM, paring down the overlap has to be a good move, but they really need to figure out what Pontiac is going to be. Is it the performance division? If so, get a firebird and lose the G6, replace it with a hard-top solstice. Pontiac should be big engines and RWD.
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Bryan 12:29AM (12/19/2005)
Sid, I do not drive a ricer...I actually drive GM...which is why I firsthand Like what I see! POS, I'm telling ya. I gave them the doubt, they let me down.
We too have tons of GM cars down here in So. Cal....Avis and Hertz. That's where people go to drive a Buick.
As far as the members of the GM fold whose livelihoods are centered around GM, well...if things don't work out, they can always work for a healthy company...ie, Toyota. No shame in working...regardless of who the boss is. Everyone who works, regardless of which industry it may be in, has to Constantly re-evaluate who they work for and how healthy / stable it is. But for some weird reason, the US auto industry is different...people expect 30 year careers with the same company. Yes, they Expect it. "Why, I've been slaving on the line heah for 30 years!!!...working for Uncle GM". Well, the paternal relationships of most companies are LONG gone..and will never come back. That means the individual has to take the responsibility upon himself/herself. Here's the thing, nobody owes anyone anything, so...you either build a world-class automobile, in which case people will come to you, or you retrench. All this talk about JD Power, blah blah, is total crap. I guess, though, if you repeat something long enough, someone will believe it.
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iQuack 12:29AM (12/19/2005)
Years ago when GM had nearly half the auto market in the U.S., each brand was sold in a separate dealership. Maybe some GM brands doubled up in small towns, but the brands really were distinct from one another with different styles, engines, transmissions, etc. The cars even sounded different!
When GM's brands lost their distinction and their market share declined, the need for so many dealers declined, too. In recent years, most GM dealers I've seen sell several car brands.
GM has 8 brands now and so many models within each brand that exclusivity is impossible. Who needs a Buick mini-van? It's out of character IMO.
Restructured dealers selling Pontiac, Buick, and GMC trucks makes sense if the vehicles are distinct and range from moderate cost to near-luxury.
Chevy can cut back on models served better by Pontiac/Buick/GMC. Cadillac is stronger now because its cars are much improved and the range of models is competitive.
The strategy of making each brand the equivalent of a complete car company has failed, so GM has no other choice. It's time to simplify.
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Seth L 12:29AM (12/19/2005)
So,for full lines there's Chevy for the base, Saturn for the step-up, and Caddy for the big step up. Then Pontiac GMC and Buick all go small-line nich market.
That leaves Suzuki and Saab for the question marks. I think Saabs position is ok, but suzuki may compete zegatively with chevy.
I hate to be so down on suzuki but their portfolio seems really weak right now.
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Glenn 12:29AM (12/19/2005)
pare down and improve quality....good plan. If that's what it takes to build cars that are number one in quality and reliability, I'm all for it.
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casualsuede 12:29AM (12/19/2005)
"Here in Canada, GM is working marvels in it's plants. We now have the best GM plants on the planet in Ontario."
Yeah, well maybe they should be the ones designing and marketing the cars, because those who are doing it, just suk.
"There are GM dealerships all over. GM Canada is seeing healthy sales."
You must be a GM PR person. Only Chrysler saw growth in sales in 2005 from the major 3.
"A normal car fan would acknowledge the hard work GM is putting in nowadays."
I didn't know that making up to 3 copies of one design is considered hard work. If you want to see hard work and determination, look at Ghosn and how he turned around Nissan from a near bankruptcy to a highly profitable company.
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M.M. 12:29AM (12/19/2005)
I my opinion cutting the Pontiac line-up and increasing the Chevy line-up is a stupid move by GM. The Pontiac division is the best looking division GM has. For example what car looks better the Pontiac G6 or the Chevy Malibu? If you have any eye sight you will say the G6...see what I am talking about Pontiac's are nicer looking than Chevy's! Were I live I have seen multiple G6's on the road within the past few weeks and maybe one Malibu(ugly) with the new body style on the road, see Pontiacs look better!
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