No more Pontiac. :(

[staticorex]

I was hoping they could save it. Now I'm sad. :( Anyone else sad about this? Or do the Toyota fans not care? :p

From CNN...
GM will shed its Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer and Saab brands and cut loose more than 2,000 of its 6,000 U.S. dealerships by next year. That could result in more than 100,000 additional job losses if those dealerships are forced to close.

[MadMax]

Honestly, I thought Saturn would survive as it appeared to have the most fuel-efficient lineup of all the GM brands. I suspect some European company will pick up Saab; but good riddance to Hummer and while Pontiac had some nice cars, they focused too much on the dwindling American market which led to this downfall. Americans are not/can't afford muscle cars right now, not with the state of our economy and the price of gas rising.

The only reason Ford is not going through this right now is that it is more globalized and more broadly focused in its lineup.

[staticorex]

I agree. Pontiac upset me but I wasn't surprised. But I was surprised to see Saturn on the list. No surprise with Hummer and Saab though.

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by MadMax

The only reason Ford is not going through this right now is that it is more globalized and more broadly focused in its lineup.

....not exactly... Ford went through a horrendous shakeup a few years back, shedding tens of thousands of white collar employees and outsourcing quite a few models, especially the smaller ones. They already have been through the mill like GM, except that they did it more quietly.

BTW, Oldsmobile was eliminated a while back. Nobody seemed to think that was a symptom of GM's decay.

Gene

[hatchbackkid82]

Really don't care about Pontiac, that's what happens when you try to sell crap. I feel bad for the employees they are going to be laying off.

[marcus]

damn it i was thinking of getting jazz..i love the pontiac solstice turbo. cheap too.

[staticorex]

Ha. Then buy a Porsche. :p

[yaris-me]

GM has practiced bad brand management and now they cut off the arms to save the body. Saturn could probably be saved, if not become the leading division to save GM. Since Saturn has the least seniority the top managers are in the other division and they will save their own ass before they save someone else.

[Deltasix]

I don't really car for the cars produced by these brands, but I do feel horrible for the people losing their jobs. The people mainly responsible for the downsizing are probably going to rebound just fine, but the other people (sales personal, management, technicians, assembly line workers) have it rough.

[supmet]

Originally Posted by Deltasix

I don't really car for the cars produced by these brands, but I do feel horrible for the people losing their jobs. The people mainly responsible for the downsizing are probably going to rebound just fine, but the other people (sales personal, management, technicians, assembly line workers) have it rough.

I feel a little bad for saturn employees.

The hummer employees losing their jobs is natural selection in action. If you couldn't see with global warming on the news every day, and gas hitting 5 bucks a gallon last year, that hummers were on the way out, I don't think your brain is working.

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by supmet

I feel a little bad for saturn employees.

The hummer employees losing their jobs is natural selection in action. If you couldn't see with global warming on the news every day, and gas hitting 5 bucks a gallon last year, that hummers were on the way out, I don't think your brain is working.

How about we make a little agreement here? You and the rest of the True Believers keep your religious convictions of "climate change" and its sources to yourself and I won't start another political controversy like the one we had in the Fuel Economy section? Sounds fair to me, considering.

As far as the Hummer.... GM probably made good money on them until the price of gasoline spiked. Given how the US Government owns over seventy percent of GM, and that the Hummer is a Politically Incorrect Vehicle, it's a no brainer why GM dumped the line.

Gene

[supmet]

Originally Posted by GeneW

How about we make a little agreement here? You and the rest of the True Believers keep your religious convictions of "climate change" and its sources to yourself and I won't start another political controversy like the one we had in the Fuel Economy section? Sounds fair to me, considering.

As far as the Hummer.... GM probably made good money on them until the price of gasoline spiked. Given how the US Government owns over seventy percent of GM, and that the Hummer is a Politically Incorrect Vehicle, it's a no brainer why GM dumped the line.

Gene

I made no claims as to the truth of global warming, or its causes. I just pointed out that it has been in the news, and quite a bit. Your second paragraph is just an elaboration of what I was saying. Shift out of argue mode and into reading mode, it might do you some good.

And post what you want. 99% of the forum skips over your long winded posts full of hot air. I just read and argue with you out of boredom.

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by supmet

I made no claims as to the truth of global warming, or its causes. I just pointed out that it has been in the news, and quite a bit. Your second paragraph is just an elaboration of what I was saying. Shift out of argue mode and into reading mode, it might do you some good.

And post what you want. 99% of the forum skips over your long winded posts full of hot air. I just read and argue with you out of boredom.

Try reading yourself... I'll edit out the factual parts for the benefit of objective readers.

"If you couldn't see with global warming on the news every day that hummers were on the way out, I don't think your brain is working."

You tried to slip some of your Gaia Worship past the class. I consider Global Warming news to be as factual as the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and so do many others, which means we wouldn't let it affect us.

Nice try with slipping some of your old time religion past the class. Like I said before, keep that Holy Roller crap to your little self, and I'll keep mine to myself. Sounds fair to me.

Gene

[Deltasix]

Originally Posted by supmet

The hummer employees losing their jobs is natural selection in action. If you couldn't see with global warming on the news every day, and gas hitting 5 bucks a gallon last year, that hummers were on the way out, I don't think your brain is working.

Originally Posted by MadMax

Why does everyone feel sorry for the employees who are losing their jobs....

I guess I feel bad for them because I was an employee of a company that went under recently, and despite the company not performing on a corporate level, I know that me and the employees that worked for me did a great job. And while we might not care for what these companies produced in the way of cars (I know I sure don't) I don't really feel the need to be an asshole about thousands upon thousands of people losing there jobs because of it.

And I'm not sure the auto workers union covers the marketing people, the sales people, and the mechanics that service the cars.

[SailDesign]

Originally Posted by Deltasix

I guess I feel bad for them because I was an employee of a company that went under recently, and despite the company not performing on a corporate level, I know that me and the employees that worked for me did a great job. And while we might not care for what these companies produced in the way of cars (I know I sure don't) I don't really feel the need to be an asshole about thousands upon thousands of people losing there jobs because of it.

And I'm not sure the auto workers union covers the marketing people, the sales people, and the mechanics that service the cars.

+1. for a remarkably similar reason.
The hummer employees were not there because they loved Hummers, but because that was the job available in town. I'm sure they would build Yarii with just as much enthusiasm if that was where they were built.

[MadMax]

Why does everyone feel sorry for the employees who are losing their jobs? The UAW will have to continue paying them, that is why they paid such huge union fees for so long. It is why UAW is whining so much, and asking the government to bail them out...

And I really hate Hummers, probably because 1) they are nothing like the original HMMWV, 2) they get even worse gas mileage then my Jeep, 3) they are driven by self-centered pricks who don't realize what a huge piece of crap they are (just like the Prius) and 4) they are a joke offroad, where they are suppose to be at their finest. Just watch this...

I also have a Jeep, and am constantly challenging my neighbor who has an H3 to go offroading with me. He won't, because he knows my 1940s technology will make his Hummer look bad!

[staticorex]

^ I have to agree with you on Hummers. There was a Jeep always parked near me in undergrad that had on its windshield "Hummer rescue vehicle". I always got a kick out of that. :p

But I am sad to know there will be no more GTO's, No G8 just when it was getting started (and getting rave reviews from respectable auto reviewers). A lot of people like the Solstice, rated one of the best in customer satisfaction by CR. It has been a major part of America's auto market, as has Saturn been. They will be missed by many of us.

And I've been a fan of Saab for years. I hope they survive somehow by going back to Europe or something.

[SilverBack]

Originally Posted by staticorex

But I am sad to know there will be no more GTO's, No G8 just when it was getting started (and getting rave reviews from respectable auto reviewers). A lot of people like the Solstice, rated one of the best in customer satisfaction by CR. It has been a major part of America's auto market, as has Saturn been. They will be missed by many of us.

^Agree. The GTO, G6, G8, Solstice/Sky and all Saturns will be missed. Damn shame too