[Shotimes] Re: Lutz comments from the other day

[Ron Porter]

And it didn't at all surprise me that Olds was killed. It was a car in search of a market niche. Buick has always had the specific role of the near-luxury car for people that won't buy Cadillacs.
 
I don't think that either will go away, but if I had to bet, I'll bet Pontiac would go before Buick. Pontiac isn't selling anything. Bonneville is bye-bye, I believe the Grand Prix sales are down, and G6s already have heavy discounts and rebates. And the GTO is a sales bomb. Do they even still make the Aztec? History doen't matter, it's "what have you done for me lately?"
 
Ron Porter

Donald Mallinson <dmall@mwonline.net> wrote:
Any idea what products were on the Zeta platform? This doesn't apply to 
the new 2-seater for Pontiac and Saturn I hope, these actually look like 
something that might sell.

I doubt they will drop Pontiac, but I am still amazed they killed 
Oldsmobile and not Buick. Frankly, GM could do without one of the two 
brands, but as a long-time Pontiac fan, I will root to keep that one.

Don Mallinson

Ron Porter wrote:

>Here are Bob Lutz comments to the Morgan Stanley folks from Crain's (who owns Automotive news). It doesn't directly seem to threaten to can either Buick or Pontiac, but there is a realization that they must restructure. The loss of the new RWD platform could bite them big-time.
>
>Sorry for the format, but was copied from a PDF file, which theV8 folks will receive as an attachment.
>
>Ron Porter