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But if you lose every single one for whom that brand name will matter, you won't have lost much. And by the way, where will they go anyway? Will they suddenly become Lincoln buyers or something?
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Yes, remember the Impala SS. Hell of a car. Sold everyone they built, even without fire sales. Not so with this one. But why are you bringing this car up, it doesn't have an IRS, that automatically makes it inferior in your book remember? :P
I think you know what I'm talking about, you just won't admit it. My point is, you're still guessing, predicting what the car will do. You yourself haven't taken your car or anyone else's car and performed those tests. So until you do, you have to rely on the same data that the person you tried to put down is using. See my point? Again, your information is not first-hand; it's second-, third- perhaps even fourth-hand. So don't blast someone for not praising this vehicle or when they present data that doesn't show this vehicle in a light you would like. Granted, I agree that the comparison between the two cars was kind of weird, I don't see the two cars competing in the same market. But Edmunds did, the test is what it is and the data shows the results. Live with it, the GTO can't beat every car in everything.
With the the platform sharing mandated by its beancounters, GM just cannot possibly address enough automotive niches to make this many domestic brands relevant.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
No I don't see your point. When you drive or test drive a car, do you just go around the block? I don't. We have things like nice curvy back roads, 360 degree on/off ramps, and empty parking lots around here. Actually seeing and feeling how fast you can go around certain corners and curves is a lot more telling than one slalom test, of which as I pointed happens to be the lowest number anyone has pulled for this car.
Live with it, the GTO can't beat every car in everything.
Did I ever say that? No. Again, someone needs to step in when the same people keep repeating the same BS on this thread - like the Cobalt is junk, all GM cars break down, or the GTO cannot outhandle a Camry. If the GTO can't handle, how do you explain these Top Gear test times?
1:29.4 min - 113.68 km/h - Subaru Impreza WRX STi WR1
1:30.1 min - 112.80 km/h - Subaru Impreza Sti Type UK PPP
1:30.1 min - 112.80 km/h - Vauxhall Monaro 6.0
I'm currently living in sunny Bahrain in the Middle East, recently returned from a 3-year stint in Houston, TX. In the Persian Gulf or GCC countries (Emirates (better known as home of Dubai), Saudi, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar) we have an interesting variety of cars in the sense that we have all the American market car brands, plus the European market, and a spattering of Chinese cars. So naturally, a car enthusiast can sample the best from just about any manufacturer in the world and a have a good perspective on the market.
Japanese cars (Toyota in particular) enjoy blind loyalty here, but Chevy's array of American SUV's, Korean (think Suzuki Forenza, Verona) and Australian sedans, and the Corvette attract many and I can say with confidence that Chevy is second only to the Japanese here. The Lumina is a perennial favorite second only to Camry, it's sold in many trims, stripped LS, reasonable LTZ, luxurious V8 Royale, sporty Lumina S (sporty looks but with V6), and the hot-rod V8 SS. In its home of Aus, it is the Holden Commodore. The offspring of the Lumina/Commodore is the Lumina Coupe SS/Pontiac GTO/Holden Monaro and the stretched wheelbase Chevrolet Caprice.
These cars enjoy great popularity because at about $19,300 american you get a 300C sized comfy cruiser with the 3.6L V6 found in the Caddy CTS, and the amenities of a Toyota Corolla albeit stripped of safety, upgrade to about 21,000 and you have the safety. Step up to 26,000 and you have a leather-lined, 350-hp V8 powered, chrome accented Lumina with more than enough features, room, and handling prowess to blow the doors off the ES 300. Or for the same price tag opt for the Lumina SS, same V8, but with GTO interior (visualize GTO interior with four doors) and dimmed head-and-taillights, spoiler, loud red paint or venomous black paint. These killer family sedans really give the Camry and Accord a run for their money. The Caprice's packaging is the same albeit with more subtle implications to its sporting intentions in SS trim than the Lumina and an Impala badge (just like the good ol' Caprices of yore). The Caprice is the sole reason for the Avalon's lukewarm sales here. Also, the Lumina and Caprice have built a reputation for dependability in the harsh climate, and long-distance comfort. The Lumina Coupe SS, however, is a lame duck, selling only a tad more then Mitsu EVOs. Why? It's considered a bad [non-permissible content removed] car, sure, but more of a teen's tuner fantasy than a real competitor in the luxury coupe market. Those who are interested in the V8 usually go for the roomy and luxurious Royale or fierce SS sedans.
GM should have brought these Lumina sedans, along with the Caprice, to the States and rebadged them as the new RWD Malibu and the Impala respectively. It's too late now though, the GTO has left a bad taste in mainstream US consumers' mouths, and the mighty sedans well never make it across from Aus. For a few pics to satisfy your curiosity check out: Chevrolet Arabia Lumina for the Lumina and for the Caprice check out: Chevrolet Arabia Caprice
And the Malibu interior is an exercise in masochism.
Geez, A/C vents in the doors... :confuse:
Rocky
Rocky
Keep in mind that as late as 1960, a division was focused around a single product. A new product required a new division. Various models saw diffences in wheelbase, options and trim, but were basically all the same car.
This practice virtually ended in 1960, with the move to market classes over price classes. Chrysler was last last to offer two distict models (1975).
But progressive marketing didn't end, it just changed how we see it. If we look at 1975 for example;
Chevrolet=Vega/Monza, Astre, etc..
Poniac=Nova, Ventura, Omega, Skylark
Oldmobile=Chevelle/Monte Carlo, Lemans/Grand Prix, Cutlass, etc..
Buick=Caprice, Bonniville, 88, Lesabre
Cadillac=98, Electra, Deville
If Cadillac could sell 4 "models" in the 50's, the should be plenty of room for a DTS and a Lucern, or a Cobalt and a Puruit.
The Lucerne makes more sense to me as a downmarket DTS under the Chevy brand, since they are pairing Chevy with Cadillac now. I was looking again at the Buick dealer last night to get a sense of the models, and sheesh! The LaCrosse CX stickers at more than $22K with the plastic wheel covers and the Rubbermaid interior. The Buick version of the minivan just looks gross with the 17" chrome rims on it. The Rendezvous up close is hardly easier on the eyes than the Aztek was, not to mention quite expensive - almost $27K at base price for the FWD and every one on that dealer's lot was stickering over $30K. And it actually hurts the eyes to look inside the '05 Centurys that are still there - it is UNBELIEVABLE that GM was still trying to sell that car in early '05. Interior straight outta the 80s, gross little steel rims with plastic wheel covers, the world's oldest engine, how will that dealer EVER sell those things? He will have to send them to the auction and write them off as a loss.
Plus, if I have it right then, Buick is to be a 3-model line-up after this year? LaCrosse, Lucerne, Enclave? That's not much of a line-up. Again I ask, why bother?
ubber: NOTHING which applied at GM in the 50s still applies today.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
As for the '05 Buick Century, the one thing I will say for it is that its interior DID seem a step up from the likes of the '00-05 Impala. At least to me it did. It's basically the same interior as my Dad's '03 Regal, except his Regal has a tach, console with a floor shift, and these seats that have a fabric that looks like a combination of cordurouy and burlap in pictures, but in person isn't too bad. I remember the day my Dad got that car, we had looked at some Impalas first. He didn't like them at all. Couldn't stand the exterior OR the interior!
So to him, the Regal was a step up. A small one, but a step nonetheless. However, these days there just isn't much of a market for cars that are only one minor step up from each other. An ES330 is a much nicer car than a Camry, but a LaCrosse or Grand Prix isn't that big of a jump from the Impala.
As for saying the Century has an interior straight out of the 80's, heck, I think that's an insult to the 80's! Those old 80's Centuries almost seemed limosine-like (or bordello-like) in comparison to the newer ones! :P
By comparison, the interior of the LaCrosse looks modern but cheapish. Lots of low-cost materials in there, much like the Corolla, which of course is in a whole different (less expensive) class. The Camry is not much better, and I hope for great things from the revised '07 next month. But GM already has cars to go head to head with the Camry - the Malibu and Impala bracket it quite neatly. Plus there will be the Aura come the summer. And the G6 for as long as Pontiac survives. The LaCrosse is completely redundant and has little to recommend it. That sums up the larger problem with Buick and/or Pontiac quite well, I think.
As for the Lucerne, I don't know why you would have to decontent it to be a Chevy - it overlaps the Impala line a bit but not too much, it sells in the same price range as the Avalon sells for Toyota, and it gives Chevy buyers with a bit more dough somewhere to go besides the Corvette (!!). Getting into an STS will still cost more, which is as it should be from a marketing POV.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
What is really needed I think is a RWD midsize platform that the Buick sedans can move to. What I see happening though, is a RWD midsize platform for the Camaro. Then this platform will be used for the Impala, and probably a Pontiac and Buick.
One think that I have to say is that the Impala does not offer the same equipment that the LaCrosse and Grand Prix do. Automatic Climate Control is one particular difference.
Put ACC in whatever replaces the Grand Prix, and in the Aura, and voila! You have solved your problem. Actually, it isn't a problem at all - when you cancel the Buick division, put optional ACC in the Impala - no prob. These cars all share (broadly speaking) mechanicals and platforms, even interiors in part, so I am sure there would be no cost involved in doing that. It would make the Impala more competitive, in fact. This is just another example of the General trying to create totally arbitrary distinctions between its brands and models.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Hey, waitaminute, the impact of that just hit me...you CAN'T get automatic climate control in an Impala these days?! Heck, IIRC you could get automatic climate control on an Impala way back in 1985! Back then, I think standard a/c was a $750 option, and a/c with climate control was $900. At least that's how it was on my Grandma's '85 LeSabre. I swear I've seen Caprices and the occasional civilian Impala from back then with the same acc setup as our LeSabre.
Back in 2000, if I had gotten an Intrepid ES instead of just an Intrepid, it would've had acc standard. Do cars like the Taurus and 500 offer it? I'm guessing the Camry and Accord have been offering it for years now?
Automatic Climate control could be added to everything as an option. At one time, the full size cars all offered it, but I think that Chevy owners were reluctant to buy it, either because they didn't want it or the dealers thought so. I bought an 83 Buick Skyhawk because Automatic Climate Control was optional - the Cadillac Cimmarron did not offer it, ever.
rad more: http://www.autospies.com/article/index.asp?articleId=6631&categoryId=21
I wonder how much profit will they bring in when less than a month after the introduction they sell without profit...
I smell more trouble on the way to GM... especially with a ll the Delphi and other strikes looming.
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/content/11407149391580627324/index.php
Igor
SLS, didn't you have a '72 Riviera or something like that with ACC?
Cadillac needs to move the DeVille, now called DTS, onto a RWD platform, probably with a wheelbase of 126 inches. This platform size is probably outside of the current Sigma platform's size range. The Sigma is really designed for sports sedans anyway. So I think an RWD platform could be designed that is for longer wheelbases and more refined than the Camaro platform, but less expensive than the Sigma platform. This platform could span wheelbases from say 118 inches to 126 inches. The 118 inch wheelbase could be used for a Buick and perhaps a 122 inch wheel base could be used by both a larger Buick and a smaller Cadillac (DeVille), with the 126 inch wheelbase used by Cadillac for a Fleetwood Sixty Special.
What I like about the automatic system is that in the winter the systems waits for the engine to warmup enough to provide heat before starting to blow air. Then as the car's interior reaches the set temperature, the fan is turned down along with the heat level so that one never feels too warm, unless you accidently grab the temperature button on the steering wheel and turn the temp setting way up. Usually I accidently turn is way down.
Between Pontiac and GMC, there will be more individual models than Toyota has, and the combo would be pretty much a full line from small cars to sporty cars to midsize cars, all manner of crossovers and mid- and full-size trucks. I guess there would be no van, but GM obviously has no idea how to make a minivan that appeals to Americans anyway, so that is a necessary omission.
It is easy to be attached to antiquated models of brand line-ups, but there is no good reason to think that Pontiac-GMC dealers would go belly up - if the product is not "there" they might - Pontiac is mostly a fleet brand for GM after all - but GMC is a popular brand, right? And Pontiac would offer a wide selection of cars if a car is what someone wants.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
What I think GM needs to do is to have distinct platforms at Chevy-Pontiac and other platforms at Buick-Cadillac. I think putting a Cadillac platform into a Chevy product would be a disaster for Cadillac. This is the problem that Cadillac had with the Cimmarron. It was a Chevy Cavalier, and built in the Cavalier factory. Probably why it never got automatic climate control.
R&T shows GTO at 64.1 for their 700 ft slalom test. R&T Summary pages show many sedans that have beaten GTO in slalom and skidpad tests.
Just as in the need of human agility to do well in skiing slalom, auto slalom is telling about a car's agility or transient response. I think that most folks would desire a car that has balanced power and weight and can make moves with finese, whether on twisty back roads or in everyday driving, rather than have a bias of great acceleration.
Maybe fairer comparison of a sedan to GTO would be using same price class of low 30's. Check out Edmunds test of front-driver Acura TL to GTO. Look at "measured" data and look at reviewers "subjective" comments. Reviewers praise TL handling but say that GTO is clumsy.
Acura TL, with 17" all-season tires reviled by TL owners, does Edmunds slalom at 67.5 MPH vs 60.0 MPH for GTO in 17” tires. Perhaps the GTO is like a overmuscled weightlifter that can lift huge amount of weight but not very good at skiing slalom, tennis or similar sports that require agility.
GTO could have been success. Lower price, lower weight, better handling and good styling that included essence of the best GTO’s of the 60’s. It might have been a resounding success if only the styling were a knockout, gotta-have situation such as Chrysler 300.
One thing I like about some Buicks of the 80's is that, when you got a leather interior, they kept the cloth/velour on the door panels. Okay, so it didn't exactly match up, but it still gave a more opulent, upscale feel compared to the vinyl that normally goes along as the accent to leather.
Should large global manufacturers, in business for decades, be able to "somehow" increase production capacity if a new product takes off and has waiting lists?
Did GTO have waiting lists of 1, 2, 3, 4, etc months long of buyers?
In that case, what would Pontiac be? "Sport" to Chevy's "comfort"? I just don't think there is enough of a distinction between "sport" and "comfort" to justify two separate divisions in each case. You can easily do this with sport trims of otherwise comfort-leaning cars, which is what every manufacturer outside the U.S. does with great success. Keeps costs down, and gets the consumer what they want.
Remember, there is a huge and inevitable downsizing in GM's near future, and it has already announced the latest plan to continue that effort. When they sell 80% as many vehicles in 5 or 10 years, if they still have as many divisions as they do now, there will be less sales per division, increasing costs unnecessarily.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
But then again, I'm the type that would have rather seen Chrysler take what's currently the 300 base, touring, and limited, call them all a Plymouth Gran Fury or something, and then keep some exlusivity to the 300C.
The DTS could be the larger version of the Lucerne, sharing its platform but with a wheelbase stretch, and the Northstar as standard engine, as well as all the latest tech and gadgetry to show off the high-tech nature of Cadillac.
Right now, I can't figure out why ANYBODY would pay $50K for a DTS, but at $40K I guess it's a decent brick of a car.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I decided to pony up the extra bucks for leather .. man, was I amazed at the color choices I had! I could have had pretty much any color of the rainbow, plus quite a few shades found in nature. I chose a putty color that happened to match the color of the headliner almost perfectly and truly complemented the black carpets and faux-aluminum trim on the dash.
The installer even replaced the inserts on the doors with leather as well.
I would think that represents a pretty good deal.
In thinking about GM, I envision a matrix, with brands across the top (Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, GMC, Cadillac and Saturn) and vehicle types down the side (small car, medium car, large car, SUV, minivan, sports car, pickup) then filling out the matrix with the different models.
Like others have posted before, not every brand should offer every type of vehicle:
Chevy is the entry level brand and while they should offer a large car, it wouldn't necessarily be as luxurious as the large car offered by Buick.
Buick is the "near lux" brand
Pontiac is the "sporty" brand
Cadillac is the "luxury / sport" brand
Saturn is the "import fighter" brand
GMC is the "truck" brand
Minimize overlap and you might be able to be successful.
The problem, of course, is that the dealers would probably never go for that. In response, GM should say to them what my wife tells her preschoolers when they don't get the treat they want:
"You get what you get and you don't throw a fit"
Buick as "near lux": OK, so it goes up against the likes of Acura, Volvo, Audi, and Saab. Also the bottom end Lexus and Infiniti, BMW and Mercedes. Does anyone really think that the Lucerne, LaCrosse, and Enclave have what it takes to stand their ground against that competition? "Entry lux" might work for Buick, but then it needs a complete reworking of models.
Pontiac as "sport": sure, maybe Pontiac could be GM's Honda or Nissan to Chevy's Toyota. But it has to have products with honest sportiness in that case. 4-cylinder G6s, minivans, and the like need not apply.
GMC as "truck" division: Yeah, OK, it is pretty much the only GM division whose mission the public still understands, and this is it - trucks. But maybe it should have trucks that are all its own, rather than just being populated with clones of Chevys? I dunno, from everything I hear about GMC profitability, it is probably the only one that really doesn't need any sorting out.
Parts of your formula will work, I think, but will need a rethink of product lines.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
My understanding is that when the ION goes out of production at the end of the year, it will be replaced by a version of the Opel/Vauxhall Astra. There are many of the Saturn faithful who are reacting to that news as if GM had turned into the anti-Christ .. of course, these are the folks who swear by the polymer panels and selling environment that Saturn established back in the early 90's.
OTOH, I am quite pleased to see some interesting cars come over to this side of the pond with a Saturn badge on it.
Anyway, yeah, it's sort of an unfinished theory at this point, but instead of offering 4 different "versions" of the same minivan, only offer one or two, but make them different enough to uphold the brand's mission.
Interestingly enough, I'm working on my spreadsheet idea and have found that only Chevrolet offers vehicles in every category I can think of:
Entry Level Car Aveo
Small Car Cobalt
Medium Car Malibu
Large Car Impala
Sports Car Corvette
Small Truck Colorado
Large Truck Silverado
Small SUV Equinox
Medium SUV Trailblazer
Large SUV Tahoe
XL SUV Suburban
Minivan Uplander
Specialty Avalanche
Let's just face it -- for the most part, these nameplates are fairly worthless. Rather than fight to maintain full lines for each nameplate, I'd be merging them together and working to restore dignity to each, while dealing with the reality that fleet sales will be with them for quite some time.
Not a definitive answer, but here's one series of options:
-Merge Pontiac and Cadillac together as one bloc, with Pontiac being lower-priced and performance, and Cadillac having luxury, both performance or not. Create a line of cars that serves each mission, with no overlaps.
-Combine Chevy, GMC and Buick together. Chevy would provide the bulk of the cars and SUV's, pick-up trucks and vans would be co-branded as GMC-Chevies or just GMC's. Buick would be the old guys' brand and dumping ground for all the fleet cars -- going forward, few Chevys, Pontiacs, etc. would go to fleets except if the cars were exceptional and the fleet cars could provide the brands with a showcase for their new image. Eventually, Buick could get dumped entirely if the fleet business can be trimmed back and the fleet-type cars of such good quality that they no longer tarnish the brand.
-Saturn is a toss-up, as it is in decline but still has some positive goodwill and a unique dealer network that might be worth building and preserving. I'd be inclined to spin it out on its own, and give a timeframe to either be autonomous and profitable on its own, or die.
-SAAB is an odd bird. I'd be tempted to sell it if possible, although I can't imagine who'd buy it. I'd have to research this one.
In any case, you should be able to dump at least half of the GM nameplates in North America by doing this. Of course, the dealers would be an issue, but you can't reform the company without first cleaning up the excessive nameplates and marques.
I absolutely believe that there is too much overlap .. 4 minivans (Terraza, SV6, Relay and Uplander), 3 "medium" SUV's (Trailblazer, Envoy and Rainer), 3 "large" SUV's (Tahoe, Yukon, Escalade), etc., etc.
I understand the economies of badge engineering, but GM, IMO, took it too far. Should they get rid of another division? Probably, but I think that GM learned that when they closed down Oldsmobile, there was a huge cost involved; I'm not sure that the upper management wants to have a repeat of that scenario.
So, they should work with the brands they have but give each one a very specific mission and then build cars that fulfill that mission to the best of their ability.
I have deliberately left Saab and Daewoo out of this discussion as I believe they are "external" to the GM family, even though GM owns both.
This was posted on Edmunds news site early this week:
"GM will produce 10,000 to 12,000 more GTOs before the car ends its production run, Automotive News reported Tuesday. Last year, the GTO suffered a 14.6 percent drop in sales, with GM unloading 11,590 units compared to 13,569 in 2004.
The disappointing sales compared to the projected 18,000 in 2003 have been attributed to the vehicle's bland styling as well as its lack of retro styling cues which would have appealed to GTO fans."
GM might want to do a little more refinement on Camaro concept. Looks too much like a cartoon car that Batman or Rodman would drive. Interesting why they chose awkward looking 69 for cues rather than 71 Z28. The 71 Z28 and Firebird Trans Am were highly acclaimed for good styling and using Italian theme.
The GTO sales have been somewhat less than expected perhaps, but I think not bad. It is not a car that I have any interest in. The Camaro would probably do somewhat better, if an assortment of engines are available. They could have sold about 18,000 per year. To me a failure would have been selling only 2000 per year.
But back then though, GM had the volume to sustain it, and the resources to at least make the cars all look different, even if they were the same underneath. GM also had a very strong brand loyalty back then, and I think that ultimately bit them on the butt.
For example, instead of people moving from a Chevy on up to a Pontiac, Olds, or Buick, they started wanting more luxurious Chevies. When one division came out with something that proved popular, like the musclecar, everybody else wanted in on it. So instead of going to Pontiac for a GTO, Olds buyers wanted an Olds musclecar, Buick buyers wanted a Buick musclecar, etc.
Now this was partly a 2-way street, as part of it was the public wanting these things, but part of it was also the divisions, and their dealerships, wanted them as well. So ultimately each division tried to start being all things to all people. It worked though, for awhile.
But then it finally had to happen. There was too much overlap, and someone had to get hurt. In the 70's and early 80's it was Pontiac. Pontiac went into the 70's with a very strong lineup, but then started reaching too far in either direction. At the lower end, they cloned the Nova and Vega, and later the Monza. And at the upper end they trotted out the Grand Ville, which slotted above the Bonneville, and went after the Electra and Ninety Eight. However, they already had the Catalina in several trim lines, and the Bonneville in several trim lines, so it just seems that there was no need for the Grand Ville.
When the fuel crisis hit in late 1973, Pontiac got hit hard. The Catalina and LeMans used to be strong sellers for Pontiac, but '73 was the last good year they'd ever have. And once the fuel started flowing again, buyers were flocking to Buick and especially Olds for their big cars. Pontiac really only had three successful cars later in the 70's: the Grand Prix, which in most years outsold the LeMans by a wide margin, despite the fact that it only offered a coupe; the Firebird/Trans Am, which had a lot of help from Smokey and the Bandit (I wonder if Kenworth sales shot up, too?) and oddly enough, the subcompact Sunbird, which was a strong seller in later years.
Even after the downsizing in the late 70's, the Catalina, Bonneville, and LeMans just didn't sell well. And when the second fuel crunch hit, their sales tumbled again. Oddly though, Buick and Olds retained fairly strong sales through those bleak years of the early 80's. Olds actually outsold Ford a few times, and there was one year that Buick even did it! By 1982-83 Pontiac sales had dried up to around 300K per year, and GM was actually considering pulling the plug, even back then. Just to show how far sales had dropped, they moved around 500K units in 1981, around 650K in 1980, and throughout most of the 70's were usually good for around 700-900K units annually.
Pontiac got turned around in 1984, but a few years later Buick started to stumble. I don't know how close Buick ever got to being put on the chopping block, but it really wasn't until they started getting all the publicity from the JD Powers awards that they made their comeback. And by then it was Oldsmobile's turn to wither and ultimately die. Strangely, it died just as a resurgence seemed eminent, with new products like the Aurora, Bravada, and even the Intrigue and Alero still being pretty fresh.
I think if GM could still build world-class cars, or at least cars that enough people think are world-class, then they'd have the sales volume to support all the divisions. After all, Toyota saw sales expand enough to sprout two new divisions: Lexus and Scion.
But as it is, there just aren't enough people that care if a Grand Prix is sportier than an Impala, or if a LaCrosse is more upscale. Toyota basically does that with the Camry. The basic LE models handle the mass volume, while the SE goes for the sportier crowd, and the XLE goes for the luxury angle.
And - this is based on what I've read, plus my observations of unrestored, original GM cars from the 1950s and 1960s - moving up the GM ladder really did net the buyer a better level of quality control. A 1960s Oldsmobile and Buick, for example, really do look better built than a contemporary Chevrolet or Pontiac.
Today I can't really say that a LaCrosse, for example, is better built than an Impala.