i cant figure out GM on the new malibu (which are selling like crazy) and the impala. the impalas are only slightly larger....so i was wondering why have two so close in size? around our parts of the U.S. GM announced 0% for 72 on the impala. i was wondering if impala was getting the axe. heck...i went and bought one anyway! cant beat the mileage or zero percent finance! so, why not have one mid size car? make the malibu slightly larger or impala slightly smaller and use the name of the car that sells the best?
i agree, it is time GM consolidates its makes and models.
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I can see them selling Hummer. But they won't sell Buick, Pontiac, or anything else. They might drop some brand names, but they won't sell them off. Buick and Saturn will probably be dropped. Thats been in the rumor mill for a while now. Saab should be dropped, but probably won't. Pontiac has been repositioned as the "performance" division, as it once was many years ago. Chevy just has a great following, and Cadillac is building the best cars its built in 50 years. It would be very surprising for them to drop GMC, although at one time it was the "luxury" truck division, there isn't a lot of difference in option/luxury features between GMCs and Chevys these days. So I guess dropping GMC makes some sense too. When all is said and done, I can see Chevy, Cadillac, Pontiac, and Saab left. Maybe GMC.
I for one think they are long over due for making these kinds of moves. All they have been doing is competing against themselves. If they can trim some of the fat, they will probably be a much stronger company in the long term.
Chuck D.
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Campfire Time wrote: It would be very surprising for them to drop GMC, although at one time it was the "luxury" truck division, there isn't a lot of difference in option/luxury features between GMCs and Chevys these days. So I guess dropping GMC makes some sense too. When all is said and done, I can see Chevy, Cadillac, Pontiac, and Saab left. Maybe GMC.
As I ponder this more, I can see GMC trucks surviving in one capacity.....the Kodiak line. Or, didn't GM sell that recently Anyway, if they were to keep the GMC line I could see them keep it as the "commercial" line of trucks. They would be GM's 4500 and up pickup line (with bed or cab & chassis) and MDT's. Then, leave the Chevy line to service consumers with the Colorado, 1500, 2500HD, and 3500 series trucks.
This strategy would clarify brands and give separate, distinct lines for personal and commercial trucks.
I could see Saab and Saturn being combined myself.
Gas prices alone have killed Hummer. I'm not one to say something shouldn't be built myself. GM saw a market, and tried to meet it. I don't think any of us thought 4 dollar gas was on the horizon.
LIKE2BUILD wrote: As I ponder this more, I can see GMC trucks surviving in one capacity.....the Kodiak line. Or, didn't GM sell that recently Anyway, if they were to keep the GMC line I could see them keep it as the "commercial" line of trucks. They would be GM's 4500 and up pickup line (with bed or cab & chassis) and MDT's. Then, leave the Chevy line to service consumers with the Colorado, 1500, 2500HD, and 3500 series trucks.
This strategy would clarify brands and give separate, distinct lines for personal and commercial trucks.
KJ
Thats a market that I wasn't thinking about. You may be right.
LIKE2BUILD wrote: As I ponder this more, I can see GMC trucks surviving in one capacity.....the Kodiak line. Or, didn't GM sell that recently Anyway, if they were to keep the GMC line I could see them keep it as the "commercial" line of trucks. They would be GM's 4500 and up pickup line (with bed or cab & chassis) and MDT's. Then, leave the Chevy line to service consumers with the Colorado, 1500, 2500HD, and 3500 series trucks.
This strategy would clarify brands and give separate, distinct lines for personal and commercial trucks.
KJ
Thats a market that I wasn't thinking about. You may be right.
I think GM already sold its commercial truck lines, to include the Kodiak, to IH.
SoCalDesertRider wrote: GM has never made any sense with all their duplicate, triplicate, quadruplicate, etc cars. I agree that eliminating Buick, Pontiac and GMC and just having Chevy and Caddy would be the wisest thing GM could do. Ok, second wisest... First wisest is to get rid of that rediculus Hummer!
Maybe most already know this but back in the day it did make sense. Up until mid-70s or so, the cars really were different.
GM's marketing plan back then was to get everyone started off in a Chevy, then move them up to Pontiac (the "performance" division), then Olds (a little more lux), onto Buick (still more lux) and ultimately to Cadillac.
Even after the mechanics of the lines basically consolidated, they still had the options and advertising geared to take advantage of the brand identity/mentality they had cultivated all those years.
Granted, now, it doesn't make sense - and I think that's what's going on now, although long overdue.
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Anyway, if they were to keep the GMC line I could see them keep it as the "commercial" line of trucks. They would be GM's 4500 and up pickup line (with bed or cab & chassis) and MDT's. Then, leave the Chevy line to service consumers with the Colorado, 1500, 2500HD, and 3500 series trucks.
