Car-Forums.net

[jonas]

For GM: I never really saw the reason for having Pontiac. After Oldsmobile was shut down, I never really saw how Pontiac had any reason to stay operational as well. Buick will still be around. GMC will probably be scaled back, if not shut down. Saturn will remain, or at least the products will remain. I don't know what will happen to Saab.

For Ford: They already shed quite a bit with the sale of Jaguar and Land Rover. They hold small onwership in Mazda and Aston Martin, though I could see them shedding one of them if money gets tight. Volvo might be sold off. Lincoln will stay but I'm not sure about Mercury. It could go either way with that brand.

[arlando41]

For GM: I never really saw the reason for having Pontiac. After Oldsmobile was shut down, I never really saw how Pontiac had any reason to stay operational as well. Buick will still be around. GMC will probably be scaled back, if not shut down. Saturn will remain, or at least the products will remain. I don't know what will happen to Saab.

For Ford: They already shed quite a bit with the sale of Jaguar and Land Rover. They hold small onwership in Mazda and Aston Martin, though I could see them shedding one of them if money gets tight. Volvo might be sold off. Lincoln will stay but I'm not sure about Mercury. It could go either way with that brand.

GM needs to ditch a few brands. Hummer and Pontiac have been on death row for a few years, they need to go. Dump Saab and you can then concentrate on the attempt to make a decent car. I'd consider dumping Saturn, too.

Ford should dump Mercury. Every Mercury that exists is nothing but an up-level Ford. Either make some interesting Mercury only models or dump it.

To me, GMC is a complete waste of time. What exactly do they offer? Nothing but a Chevy with a different badge and a higher payment.

[angelino96]

If they'd just slim some of the brands by marketing ONE car (like a Pontiac G8) available in a multitude of trim levels, that would keep the brand around and lighten their load. Imagine a Saab 9-5 in low-buck, mid-range and performance trim packages, sold at your Saturn dealer along with the Saturn Sky convertible in three 'flavors' and a GMC pickup truck and SUV. Why not? Chevy only sold one car in the early 1950s before they had all of the different models (Impala, Corvair, Chevelle, etc.). Let Chevy sell cars and one type of truck.

I have personally pleaded with the car companies for years to do this (beginning with Plymouth and Oldsmobile) with no results.

Holden and Opel actually turn a profit. I say leave 'em alone.

Ford should do the same thing with Mercury -- keep one or two cars and sell them in the Lincoln stores. Get the Euro Fords over here and rebadge them as a Mercury.

Ford sold most of its share in Mazda and may sell Volvo, but those two could have a terrific merger, don't you think?

Like I was saying, keep the names and the equity that comes with them and slim the number of individual model lines. That would help most of all IMHO.