[mgarblik]

Been following this like allot of people. Also, been back and forth with my own ideas of what GM and or Car and Driver are up to. I guess my conclusion is exactly what GM and Car and Driver were hoping for.......it's really hard to say. GM has been very protective of the Pontiac name, likeness and use for the past 15 years. I think GM is pretty surprised by the staying power of the Pontiac brand and legacy and doesn't want to miss a chance to monetize it. I also think they finally realize the monumental mistake they made by keeping the bland, older than old, Buick division in the US at least and killing off Pontiac. Buick has done nothing in the US in the last 15 years. There are huge holes in the GM Portfolio now which does open some opportunities for a few niche models under the Pontiac name. A new Hummer is already out so they have some history with it. It would cost little to slap some Pontiac stickers on some abomination of off the shelf junk they have laying around to sell a few thousand units. They may do it. Fun to watch, I guess.

[kingbuzzo]

If they could slap together something affordable for the youth that wasn't embarrassing I wouldn't be against it.

[242177P]

Originally Posted by Drag Star Le Mans

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAVkUCGBEPM

I can't say a thing about Ronnie outside the Clubhouse.

[Formulajones]

Don't care, this day and age if they came out with anything it would likely be an electric piece of cow dung anyway

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

I think GM is pretty surprised by the staying power of the Pontiac brand and legacy and doesn't want to miss a chance to monetize it.

I'd be surprised if GM has any awareness of any of this.

K

[1965gp]

My guess is that they were looking for a reaction. It literally says ‘make some noise’. I think it would be easy to engineer, develop and certify a vehicle and sell it under whatever brand you wanted when the time came. If people make noise- maybe they put the effort into the Pontiac brand. If not, it’s the next Camaro.

[mgarblik]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

I'd be surprised if GM has any awareness of any of this.

K

You would certainly be in a better position to know this than me! Buick is the current brand that makes absolutely no sense at all. Didn't make any sense when Pontiac was axed 15 years ago and makes less sense today if that's even possible. Chevy stuff for middle America that don't want an import name tag in their garage or driveway, Cadillac for people of substantial means for the same reason. Corvette is the one outlier and a legitimate supercar. A bunch of Chevy and GMC trucks and that about sums up the GM line. Throw in all the electric car mandates, and GM is a rudderless whale in the automotive ocean. I hope they find shore before it's too late. I do agree that marketing and selling a few thousand cars with a Pontiac sticker on it seems a little strange. But so did bringing the Hummer name back IMO. It's a fun distraction.

[Half-Inch Stud]

PMD or Pontiac Styling Department PSD?

[LastoftheThinkers]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

You would certainly be in a better position to know this than me! Buick is the current brand that makes absolutely no sense at all. Didn't make any sense when Pontiac was axed 15 years ago and makes less sense today if that's even possible. Chevy stuff for middle America that don't want an import name tag in their garage or driveway, Cadillac for people of substantial means for the same reason. Corvette is the one outlier and a legitimate supercar. A bunch of Chevy and GMC trucks and that about sums up the GM line. Throw in all the electric car mandates, and GM is a rudderless whale in the automotive ocean. I hope they find shore before it's too late. I do agree that marketing and selling a few thousand cars with a Pontiac sticker on it seems a little strange. But so did bringing the Hummer name back IMO. It's a fun distraction.

I don't know... Buick increased sales 60% last year. Having worked in GM customer service, I noticed Buick owners are some of the most loyal of the brands as well. I am not saying you are wrong per se. Just possibly how they see it.

[kingbuzzo]

They were selling like crazy in Gina for some reason...at least they were

[mgarblik]

Doing a quick look for some facts and figures, I found Buick without any problem. Pontiac being gone, was a little more difficult. But here are some numbers to chew on at least. Pontiac Annual sales 2006- 410,229 2007- 358,025 2008- 267,357 2009- 178,300. Pontiac had just over 2% of the US market share those 4 years. Now lets look at Buick the last 15 years after GM axed Pontiac and had the benefit of all those "Pontiac" buyers potentially flocking to the nearest Buick dealer. Buick has had an average US market share of 1.3% over the last 15 years.. Here are their sales: 2011- 177,629 2012- 194,431 2013- 205,509 2014-228,963 2015- 222,785 2016- 229,631 2017- 219,231 2018- 207,223 2019 206,926 2020 162,749 2021 182,380 2022 103,468 2023 166,852. I think it's safe to say Buick sales are flat and Buick is on life support. Buicks best year in the last 15 was 229,631 units in 2016. Pontiac's last 4 years sales were higher 3 of those 4 years and almost DOUBLE the best Buick could do in 2006.

I have no real dislike for Buick and they have had a few really cool models over the years and some good engines. The Buick Stage 1 and 2 cars and the Grand Nationals to name a few.

As a little side note Buick sales were indeed up 60% year over year in 2022 and 2023. That's because they barely sold anything in 2022. Only 103,468 units

[Sirrotica]

It's the shirt Mike, someone at GM finally read it..............

[455dan]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

Doing a quick look for some facts and figures, I found Buick without any problem. Pontiac being gone, was a little more difficult. But here are some numbers to chew on at least. Pontiac Annual sales 2006- 410,229 2007- 358,025 2008- 267,357 2009- 178,300. Pontiac had just over 2% of the US market share those 4 years. Now lets look at Buick the last 15 years after GM axed Pontiac and had the benefit of all those "Pontiac" buyers potentially flocking to the nearest Buick dealer. Buick has had an average US market share of 1.3% over the last 15 years.. Here are their sales: 2011- 177,629 2012- 194,431 2013- 205,509 2014-228,963 2015- 222,785 2016- 229,631 2017- 219,231 2018- 207,223 2019 206,926 2020 162,749 2021 182,380 2022 103,468 2023 166,852. I think it's safe to say Buick sales are flat and Buick is on life support. Buicks best year in the last 15 was 229,631 units in 2016. Pontiac's last 4 years sales were higher 3 of those 4 years and almost DOUBLE the best Buick could do in 2006.

I have no real dislike for Buick and they have had a few really cool models over the years and some good engines. The Buick Stage 1 and 2 cars and the Grand Nationals to name a few.

As a little side note Buick sales were indeed up 60% year over year in 2022 and 2023. That's because they barely sold anything in 2022. Only 103,468 units

Another note of interest,
One of Buicks biggest sellers Is the Envision and it is imported from China.

It was 19% of all 2018 Buick sales and Buick's second best seller in 2023.

If GM does bring back Pontiac, I hope they are compelling vehicles like Pontiacs were in the 60's and 70's, made in America would be preferred as well.

If it is going to be a half baked effort, It would be better to leave the Pontiac name alone rather than damaging it.

[Held for Ransom]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

Doing a quick look for some facts and figures, I found Buick without any problem. Pontiac being gone, was a little more difficult. But here are some numbers to chew on at least. Pontiac Annual sales 2006- 410,229 2007- 358,025 2008- 267,357 2009- 178,300. Pontiac had just over 2% of the US market share those 4 years.

And this was after GM started the kill off by renaming the vehicles.

[einstein]

Official GM statement:

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2024/05...ac-is-back-ad/

[MarkS57]

Originally Posted by einstein

Official GM statement:

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2024/05...ac-is-back-ad/

Does appear to be a formal as hell official statement. BUT it still might have had origins somewhere in GM just to gauge the reaction and then deny it while they ponder.

[einstein]

Originally Posted by MarkS57

Does appear to be a formal as hell official statement. BUT it still might have had origins somewhere in GM just to gauge the reaction and then deny it while they ponder.

How's about a couple of comments from the video posted?

And I recall some humorous "road test" articles complete with quarter mile performance... the space shuttle crawler and a GM locomotive come to mind, even though it was probably 40 - 50 years ago.

[MarkS57]

Originally Posted by einstein

How's about a couple of comments from the video posted?

And I recall some humorous "road test" articles complete with quarter mile performance... the space shuttle crawler and a GM locomotive come to mind, even though it was probably 40 - 50 years ago.

Agree, there was a time when reading CD was a joy. Authors like PJ O'Rourke, some of Bedard's stuff, Brock Yates "Cannonball Run". "Letters To The Editor" where they would rip apart some of the letters they got. Wrecking test cars with some regularity..

[1965gp]

Kind of a buzzkill but it is good to see there is still such a following for the brand.

I have to admit there was a glimmer of hope when I saw the Aztec race- some relatively popular people involved in that and it would definitely be ‘creating noise’ for the brand.

[unruhjonny]

I have two things to say;

1) being a print magazine that was on newstands for April, my knee-jerk reaction was that this was purely an April fools joke.

2) the only real curious thing about this ad, is that it offers (or maybe no one pointed it out) that it uses copyrighted names in the ad - but there appears to have been no copyright note(s).
If you buy anything with a Chevy bowtie, Pontiac arrow head, or a 'screaming chicken' on it, and it has a tag with the GM copyright disclaimer...

It seems odd to me that the copyrights for both GM and Dodge products was not acknowledged.