REPORT: GM China spokesman denies pondering selling Buick to SAIC
Chinese-spec Buick Regal - Click above for high-res image galleryYesterday's rumors regarding a possible Buick sale to China's Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC) might have been a wee bit premature according to an unnamed executive at GM China. This news should be anything but surprising – we didn't put much stock in the rumor when we first reported it – since the success of the Buick brand is one of GM's few current bright spots.
In America, General Motors has singled out Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick as the core brands that it will concentrate on, which gives further reason to believe that the Buick nameplate will be staying right where it is in the General Motors portfolio. Hummer, Saab and Saturn, on the other hand, remain very much for sale.
Gallery: 2009 Chinese-spec Buick Regal
[Source: Gasgoo]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Sam 3:36PM (4/10/2009)
Opel Insignia then.
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airswingman 6:43PM (4/10/2009)
GM should only carry 2 or 3 brand and focus on how to build car instead of "marketing produc".
tbirdfive0 3:40PM (4/10/2009)
Buick still makes no sense to me. There is NO need for the brand... GMC is the same way.
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Ed 3:42PM (4/10/2009)
How does it not make sense?
Nobody wants to plunk down $25-35k on a car with a Chevy badge. And Cadillac needs to be taken completely out of the sub-40k segment to preserve and grow its luxury image.
tekd 3:47PM (4/10/2009)
@Ed
Cadillac shouldn't be taken out of the sub 40K segment at all. Luxury car brands make a lot of money selling mass market models (3 series, C class, ES, etc.) which feed off of the brand image the higher end vehicles give.
Honestly I'm not sure if it's worth rebuilding the Buick brand image in the US if people can just purchase low-end Cadillac models and a higher end Chevy trim level. Would be better for the Chevy brand too if nicer cars took up residence there. Or at least combine Buick and Chevy dealers or something.
tbirdfive0 3:54PM (4/10/2009)
@tekd
exactly! Bucik has little appeal to people who will be around for two more generations of their current models.
There is no reason why Chevy can't have higher end models (with higher profit margins) and Cadillac can stay where it is.
cdwrx 3:48PM (4/10/2009)
GM should at least "ponder" all of their options no matter how absurd some may seem on the surface.
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TriShield 3:54PM (4/10/2009)
How is Buick "a bright spot" in GM's US product line? It certainly isn't in sales numbers or marketshare.
There's no reason the brand can't be phased out here and continue being sold in China or wherever under GM or SAIC. Here it is about as dead as dead gets and GM's Mercury. It doesn't do anything at all that Chevrolet or Cadillac don't already do or couldn't do better.
When GM's bankruptcy finally happens Buick is likely toast.
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whofan 4:03PM (4/10/2009)
Buick is a great car. The American public is so giddy about brand names of whats the in thing or not.
If Toyotas` or Hondas` badges were on Buick models they would slaughter the competition.
Yeh it`s an old farts car because the older people like the older models that were squared off and big.
The new Buicks are nice and few brands ever had anything as cool as the GS or Grand National.
Lately I`ve seen more old farts driving Camrys.
Maybe the Camry is the new Buick?
Can`t be because its a Toyota so as always it gets a free pass.
The Chinese know a good thing when they see it. With out a biased perception.
Because Grandpa drives a Buick doesn`t make it a bad car.
Buick is the nicest car GM makes.
Snap out of it and check one out!
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David 8:24AM (4/11/2009)
It makes no sense to me, as published, that Buick's quality is high; whereas, the same cars badged as Chevys have poor quality. Only a fool would believe that hype.
I think it far more likely that there's no difference between a Buick and a Chevy and a Pontiac, and that's the problem.
I think Buick could disappear tomorrow and no one would notice or miss them too much. We'd give up nothing in terms of various models available. They all exist under Chevy or other brands as well.
The Chinese are enamored with Buick simply because they don't know any better, have a taste for the garish, and/or their own cars are even worse. That love affair won't last long!
jsb 4:13PM (4/10/2009)
GM needs a middle ground, another option, if you will, for people who don't like the look of the Chevrolet and can't, or won't, afford the Cadillac. It is all about personal preferences, for example, if I don't like the look of the new Chevy truck I would not buy one, but if I don't mind the look of the GMC, I might buy one of those. The cost of producing a truck for both lines is not that much in the grand scheme of things.
Buick may not mean much to some of you posting here, but the chances of the people who DO buy them are different than you. Not everyone wants a WRX, an STi, or an EVO. Different people have different needs and wants and Buick-GMC-Pontiac might just fit.
It's not all about you.....
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whofan 4:21PM (4/10/2009)
Agree 100% on the trucks. As long as Chevrolet is making ugly trucks GM needs GMC.
Those bulging fenders on the Chevy ruin it.
The front on the 2003-05 Chevy truck was ugly too.
Tdogg 5:16PM (4/10/2009)
GM needs Buick. Cadillac is sport luxury (BMW competition). Buick is just bling and luxury (Mercedes competition). btw, anyone know if we're getting the regal yet?
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Tdogg 5:22PM (4/10/2009)
Buick is bling and entry luxury (benz competition). Cadillac is sport luxury (BMW competition). GM needs that. btw, does anyone know if the regal is comin here yet?
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Tdogg 5:23PM (4/10/2009)
sorry bout double post...the site sucks at puttin comments up.
chicagovet 6:52PM (4/10/2009)
Looks-wise, this is one of the nicest Buicks I've seen since the original Riviera.
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Redwood 8:13PM (4/10/2009)
That Buick is gorgeous. I just hope it doesn't come with vinyl seats like my parents' old '77 LeSabre did.
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Mr.Oak 9:51PM (4/10/2009)
In case u didn't notice the world has changed quite a bit since '77, or were you "locked up" and missed it all?
Mike 12:15AM (4/11/2009)
Way to go GM, give the Chinese a modern great looking car as their Buick and all we get in the US are the same old flabby chrome-laden luxo-barges! It's no wonder nobody buys these cars here.
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Avinash machado 6:52AM (4/11/2009)
Good decision on GM's part.
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