RIP Pontiac

[cryptique]

DaimlerChrysler, despite the combined name, was a German company through 2007.

 

Now Chrysler is owned by an American private equity firm, though Daimler continued to hold a minority stake, which they just recently decided to sell to the private equity firm (probably as part of the deal with Fiat).

[MattZ]

I didnt think they owned them outright? Isnt Chrysler an American company? If not, why are they asking our govt for bailout?

 

For someone with a lot of opinions, you sure don't have that many facts.

[Duck-Billed Catechist]

Dan Quayle works (or did work) for the equity fund that owns Chrysler. Heh.

[MattZ]

Yeah. Cerberus.

[ZenLunatic]

For someone with a lot of opinions, you sure don't have that many facts.

 

Hey, I never said I knew the history of Chrysler.

[jff]

and I heard talk of Saturn and Saab going.

 

Saab is still around?

[lizish]

Pontiac sold close to 20,000 vehicles in March. Buick, Cadillac, and Saturn sold less than 9,000. And Hummer sold less than 1,000. Chevy dominated, with nearly 100,000 vehicles sold, but it is kind of weird to axe your third most popular brand (GMC sold more than Pontiac). And that is all probably because Pontiac's are relatively cheap or they make cheap models, but how much does it cost to make cars that are, internally, the same as some of your other lines that you are still making?

 

Think it is strategy that speaks to getting rid of dealers more than anything else. GM has 6000 in the US, Toyota and Honda approx 1500.

 

If you can grab the New Yorker with the white house and the dog on the cover. Excellent article on the current state of the US auto industry. It makes the point that GM will probably declare bankruptcy, but only after the union and workers are not left out in the cold.

[ZenLunatic]

Saab is still around?

 

Yes, Saab... the car you never see.

[Duck-Billed Catechist]

Buicks are big in China and the company feels that if they eliminated that line stateside it would lose prestige in China. That's what I heard on the radio, anyway.

[lizish]

 

Used to have one of these. Think it was a Vauxhall underneath, but was labeled a Pontiac Fienza. Terrible terrible car, that I remember fondly.

[caliber66]

My realtor drives a Saab. Two, actually, I think. He seems to like them OK.

[PigSooie]

My realtor drives a Saab. Two, actually, I think. He seems to like them OK.

 

Does he refer to himself as a "Snaab?"

[mountain bed]

Dan Quayle works (or did work) for the equity fund that owns Chrysler. Heh.

Norbs, I'd appreciate it if we didn't use that guy's name please.

[bjorn_skurj]

Yes, Saab... the car you never see.

Except in Kingston, N.Y., where they are all over the place. We also see the occasional K-car on the road to this day around here.

[Guest Jules]

I see plenty of Saabs. Nice cars actually.

[The High Heat]

Rust. In. Pieces.

Pontiac died a long time ago.

My brother-in-law bought my sister a G-6 a couple of years ago. She absolutely hates it and almost ended up hating him for buying it. She'll be graduating nursing school in two weeks, and the first thing she's going to do with her new $20+/per hour job is get a new car. Bet on a Japanese model.

[quarter23cd]

I had a Grand Am that I drove the crap out of and left for dead near 200K miles a couple years ago (it probably could have lasted longer, but I was starting not to trust it merely by reputation alone--the voices inside my head kept reminding me I was driving a GM car that had already outlived its life-expectancy). It was my first new car that I bought myself. I'm not saying it was perfect--in fact, I'm pretty sure the ridiculously non-ergonomic seat has caused some long-term spinal damage, but that kind of stuff builds character. American character.