Apr

Pontiac to say goodbye by 2011

Posted by Jeff Baker Published in 2009 Vehicles, 2010 Vehicles, Business, Cars, GM, Industry, Pontiac

The poor economy claims another victim — GM has recently announced that they are currently working towards eliminating their Pontiac brand, a brand that has been around for a full 83 years. This means that the rumors we heard about a few days ago are true.

Recent buyers of a Pontiac automobile need not worry as exec Jim Hopson has said that the company will continue to function just as always even though they won’t within the next 5 years. He then went on to say that these automobiles will still be under warranty and that GM will continue to produce Pontiac parts.

Seeing the company that pushed out cars such at the GTO, Firebird, and Trans-Am die marks a sad day for American muscleheads everywhere.

Read (KickingTires)

Tags: Closure, economy, jim hopson, recession

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Apr

It Looks Like Curtains for the Pontiac

Posted by Brian Published in GM, Pontiac

If reports hold true, we may be seeing the official demise of the Pontiac. General Motors has reportedly decided to pull the plug on the classic vehicle line, a sign which clearly shows that GM is in a deep hole. General Motors is preparing to announce that the Pontiac car brand, once marketed as GM’s “Excitement division,” will be killed off, according to a source familiar with the decision.

An official announcement is expected Monday. GM spokesman Jim Hopson declined to comment on Pontiac’s fate, saying the automaker has no announcements to make at this time.

In its most recent “viability plan” – which will be updated to reflect this new brand cut – Pontiac was not named as one of GM’s four “core brands.” Those are Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac. But Pontiac was also not to be killed or sold off, as were Saturn, Saab and Hummer. Instead Pontiac was to continue on as a “niche brand” focusing on just a few models.

That was already a step down for Pontiac which, in 2008, was the third-best selling brand behind Chevrolet and GMC. That year the brand sold more than Cadillac and twice as many vehicles as Buick. Cadillac is a high-profile – and high profit – luxury brand while Buick is a hugely popular brand in China and is seen as seen as resurgent in the U.S.

Today’s Pontiac is part of GM’s Buick-Pontiac-GMC brand channel, created in 2002, with the plan being that all three brands would be sold in combined dealerships. GMC would, as always, sell trucks and SUVs, Buick would sell value-oriented luxury models and Pontiac would sell less expensive, fun-to-drive cars.

(Source) CNN