Motor Authority
Here's what GM needs to do in order to keep it's head above the water:
1. Get rid of both GMC and Saturn, GMC trucks ARE Chevy trucks with different badges. Saturn is failing and its original mission is no longer relevant to the current state of GM. All of the capital spent on these two brands would allow GM's profitable divisions some more room to develop.
2. Keep Chevy the way it is (Apple Pie American) so that the buyers who always go American have something to identify with
3. Only sell Buick in foriegn markets where it is doing well, such as China where it is actually considered cool to own a Buick
4. Cadillac is just fine the way it is just make sure that it stays upmarket with the lux Euros.
5. Position Pontiac as a rare and limited brand consisting of only performance oriented vehicles. This "new" Pontiac should fill the small niche between Chevy and Cadillac. This Pontiac should appeal to buyers looking for performance without the price tag, the typical buyer should range from males in college all the way to empty nest middle aged men. The brand should sell such few cars that one would actually be considered cool if they had a Pontiac. Also, if GM develops new performance equipment, that equipment should be tested on this brand first. This Pontiac should only sell cars, NO trucks, minivans, crossovers, or Toyota Matrix's should be sold under this brand. Nameplates such as Trans Am, GTO, G8, and Solstice should be brought back. The nameplates should be arranged in this order from highest price and performance to lowest: GTO, G8, Tran Am, and Solstice. The biggest thing to get right is that these vehicles cannot be energy inefficient, i.e. the Solstice should get 200 hp and 29 mpg from a four cylinder engine. Why so efficient? Since the brand will not be mass producing vehicles, stringent efficiency must be obtained in order to appeal to buyers.
This is what I believe the surest way to stay above the water but also to stay American.
1. Get rid of both GMC and Saturn, GMC trucks ARE Chevy trucks with different badges. Saturn is failing and its original mission is no longer relevant to the current state of GM. All of the capital spent on these two brands would allow GM's profitable divisions some more room to develop.
2. Keep Chevy the way it is (Apple Pie American) so that the buyers who always go American have something to identify with
3. Only sell Buick in foriegn markets where it is doing well, such as China where it is actually considered cool to own a Buick
4. Cadillac is just fine the way it is just make sure that it stays upmarket with the lux Euros.
5. Position Pontiac as a rare and limited brand consisting of only performance oriented vehicles. This "new" Pontiac should fill the small niche between Chevy and Cadillac. This Pontiac should appeal to buyers looking for performance without the price tag, the typical buyer should range from males in college all the way to empty nest middle aged men. The brand should sell such few cars that one would actually be considered cool if they had a Pontiac. Also, if GM develops new performance equipment, that equipment should be tested on this brand first. This Pontiac should only sell cars, NO trucks, minivans, crossovers, or Toyota Matrix's should be sold under this brand. Nameplates such as Trans Am, GTO, G8, and Solstice should be brought back. The nameplates should be arranged in this order from highest price and performance to lowest: GTO, G8, Tran Am, and Solstice. The biggest thing to get right is that these vehicles cannot be energy inefficient, i.e. the Solstice should get 200 hp and 29 mpg from a four cylinder engine. Why so efficient? Since the brand will not be mass producing vehicles, stringent efficiency must be obtained in order to appeal to buyers.
This is what I believe the surest way to stay above the water but also to stay American.
