R.I.P. Pontiac: 1926-2010

[campgottagopee]

At first I was kind of hoping people would share their memories of Pontiac and keep their armchair automobile industry analysis to themselves, but now I am glad that so many experts with MBAs and years of experience are on this board and willing to share their wisdom and insight (even if it's too late to save this industrial icon).

I look forward to the day y'all's businesses are forced to "restructure", which is a P.C. way of saying lowering your wages and benefits to bring them in line with subsidized and protected foreign competitors. I'm sure you and your families will appreciate at that point the general public telling you how clueless and "fat" you are, too.

Anyway, to get my good vibes going again, I'm going to look at a nice GTO and think about what could have/should have been....

LOL--no MBA, just 20+ years in the auto retail end of things----oh, we've restructured our dealersips like you can't believe---difference is I got "fat" by working my ass off, getting paid for results and proividing good service.

 

[ComeBackMudPuddles]

LOL--no MBA, just 20+ years in the auto retail end of things----oh, we've restructured our dealersips like you can't believe---difference is I got "fat" by working my ass off, getting paid for results and proividing good service.

If you say so.

 

[thorski]

Sorry for the rant...I should have just quoted a portion of this Business Week article, which better conveys my thoughts/emotions/bewilderment:


"So the question becomes this: Why are so many people now rooting for the demise of America's auto industry? After all, in the early 1990s both BMW and Mercedes-Benz saw their sales fall in this country to barely over what Saab has been selling in recent years. And 15 years ago both Kia and Hyundai were considered automotive jokes—not to mention that both Korean carmakers were effectively bankrupt a few years later. Volkswagen's total U.S. sales in the mid-'90s were less than half the volume GM's new Malibu is achieving.

All of these car companies experienced incredible comebacks and did so in short order. People today spend in excess of $40,000 to buy a new Hyundai Genesis, although it is likely none ever made payments on a 1994 Excel. Then again, no one dismisses Hyundai's resurgence or new engineering brilliance by constantly throwing up their past products to marginalize their present vehicles. Much in the same way, no one discusses the fact that Honda's Acura division lost money in this country for more than a decade; but if GM has a division that is losing money—whoa, that's a big problem.

So what are we going to do if we lose most of our domestic auto industry? Import more automobiles to make up the volume? Wait for the Japanese and Germans to build more factories here to supply U.S. demand? Or give China the big opening they've been waiting for into the U.S. market?

And if we do, then how do we deal with another couple of million good-paying jobs lost forever, or another massive increase in our foreign deficit? That's right, we don't have any good policy options.

I suspect that most politicians, like the public, don't remember that General Motors collapsed in 1910 and 1920 and nearly collapsed in the Great Depression. It went down three times and came back four, much like our economy. Can you imagine the American Century if we had let GM go back then?

I can't either."

Wir würden Deutsch oder Japaner sprechen

 

[thorski]

If you say so.

Don't worry, this guy is obviously jaded and no longer believes in the ability of america to rebound.

 

[campgottagopee]

If you say so.

Thanks, I do say so.

 

[campgottagopee]

Don't worry, this guy is obviously jaded and no longer believes in the ability of america to rebound.

Has nothing to do with America

 

[Warp Daddy]

Don't worry, this guy is obviously jaded and no longer believes in the ability of america to rebound.

No T : Sorry but you are once again using selective listening and misdirected negative fantasy .

Neither Camp nor anyone else ever said anything about "America's ability to ADAPT to a new reality" .

We are however aware of the multiple decade long self destructive behavior and performance of GM and others and are tired of the whining and siphoning of taxpayer $$$ for their own benefit


With the latest Taxpayer bailout GM is now officially GOVERNMENT MOTORS, i.e. no longer a real business -- sad but true .

But i am sick of working hard all my life, saving my $$ , being fiscally responsibile and then letting these damned fools who did it to themselves reap the reward -- let them go bankrupt

If this is truly a private sector issue then those who profess to believe in GM and Chrysler's to make it -- let them do so ON THEIR OWN $$----------- not mine or other hard working responsible citizens

 

[Philpug]

No T : Sorry but you are once again using selective listening and misdirected negative fantasy .

Neither Camp nor anyone else ever said anything about "America's ability to ADAPT to a new reality" .

We are however aware of the multiple decade long self destructive behavior and performance of GM and others and are tired of the whining and siphoning of taxpayer $$$ for their own benefit


With the latest Taxpayer bailout GM is now officially GOVERNMENT MOTORS, i.e. no longer a real business -- sad but true .

But i am sick of working hard all my life, saving my $$ , being fiscally responsibile and then letting these damned fools who did it to themselves reap the reward -- let them go bankrupt

If this is truly a private sector issue then those who profess to believe in GM and Chrysler's to make it -- let them do so ON THEIR OWN $$----------- not mine or other hard working responsible citizens

:beer: Good post.

 

[RootDKJ]

Aaaah, yes, the Fiero! I should have included a picture of one in the "positive" things about Pontiac. Sure, they had some quality issues, but it's become somewhat of a cult car and was quite unique and adventurous for GM in its day.

Bump so we all could look at the Fiero again.

 

[campgottagopee]

If this is truly a private sector issue then those who profess to believe in GM and Chrysler's to make it -- let them do so ON THEIR OWN $$----------- not mine or other hard working responsible citizens

That's what Im talkin about---well said Warp

 

[campgottagopee]

Aaaah, yes, the Fiero! I should have included a picture of one in the "positive" things about Pontiac. Sure, they had some quality issues, but it's become somewhat of a cult car and was quite unique and adventurous for GM in its day.

Was a very cool car. Buddy of mine had the GT and that baby flew for what it was.

 

[thorski]

No T : Sorry but you are once again using selective listening and misdirected negative fantasy .

Neither Camp nor anyone else ever said anything about "America's ability to ADAPT to a new reality" .

We are however aware of the multiple decade long self destructive behavior and performance of GM and others and are tired of the whining and siphoning of taxpayer $$$ for their own benefit


With the latest Taxpayer bailout GM is now officially GOVERNMENT MOTORS, i.e. no longer a real business -- sad but true .

But i am sick of working hard all my life, saving my $$ , being fiscally responsibile and then letting these damned fools who did it to themselves reap the reward -- let them go bankrupt

If this is truly a private sector issue then those who profess to believe in GM and Chrysler's to make it -- let them do so ON THEIR OWN $$----------- not mine or other hard working responsible citizens

Two administrations- one republican, and one democrat have seen the importance of spending tax dollars to help these companies. So do you think you are smarter than two think tanks? HA!
Move over W and Obama omnipotent warp daddy thinks you guys are wrong, and if you dont stop spending his money he's gonna secede from the union.

 

[campgottagopee]

Two administrations- one republican, and one democrat have seen the importance of spending tax dollars to help these companies. So do you think you are smarter than two think tanks? HA!
Move over W and Obama omnipotent warp daddy thinks you guys are wrong, and if you dont stop spending his money he's gonna secede from the union.

If Warp were Prez we wouldn't be in this mess!!!!! WARP FOR PREZ!!!!!

 

[SkiDork]

anways, getting back to non-political stuff, what about the Pontiac Solstice? Nice ride.

 

[thorski]

If Warp were Prez we wouldn't be in this mess!!!!! WARP FOR PREZ!!!!!

If he was prez he would probably shut down sikorsky, pratt and whitney and other defense companies and have our all of our equipment for defense built in china. :dunce:

 

[andrec10]

If he was prez he would probably shut down sikorsky, pratt and whitney and other defense companies and have our all of our equipment for defense built in china. :dunce:

Would you Fly an F18 fighter made in China! Oops, the wing fell off:-x

 

[thorski]

anways, getting back to non-political stuff, what about the Pontiac Solstice? Nice ride.

One of the nicest looking cars out there right now. the saturn sky as well.
I was glad when michael bay the director of the transformers made Jazz a solstice instead of the VW P.O.S. that jazz was in the cartoon.
Was sad when jazz got ripped in half like some lame assed hyundai,

 

[ComeBackMudPuddles]

another proud pontiac moment:

 

[Warp Daddy]

If Warp were Prez we wouldn't be in this mess!!!!! WARP FOR PREZ!!!!!

Thanks Camp ,, but having been a college president once, that was enough !!!

BTW Thorski --------------------- i and most of us are smarter than damn near any politician _LMAO

Politicians do not WORK for a living .

I think most real people have had it with bailout whiners --

BTW to get back to the thred topic still love the early 60's Pontiacs . Had a 62 Catalina 400 cu in 3 speed was a stealth rocket

 

[campgottagopee]

anways, getting back to non-political stuff, what about the Pontiac Solstice? Nice ride.

Very cool car and not a lot of $$$$