Although Pontiac was once one of the best-selling brands in the United States, its leadership failed to devise a strategy that would allow the Pontiac brand to continue. In business since 1926, Pontiac was discontinued in April 2009.
Why did Pontiac fail?
There were two main reasons for GM’s decision to abandon the brand. Pontiac has been unprofitable for the last few years of its life. With GM on the brink of bankruptcy in 2009, it put Pontiac in a critical position.
Is GM bringing back Pontiac?
Although the Pontiac brand has seen better days, it is ready for a revival. No, GM doesn’t take it back, but they have licensed a special group called Trans Am Depot to take care of it. … The club planned a suit, however, and GM decided to pay the SCCA $5 for every car it sold.
Why did Pontiac fail?
And in recent years—with GM’s troubles—Pontiac has been in terminal decline. In the end, it was a changing market, declining sales, and a brutal restructuring at General Motors that brought down the curtain on Pontiac. General Motors had to save itself from bankruptcy, and Pontiac was one of its victims.
When did Oldsmobile cease production?
However, in the following decades, sales began to decline, prompting GM to announce in 2000 that it would discontinue the Oldsmobile line with the 2004 model year. When the last Oldsmobile rolled off the assembly line in April 2004, more than 35 million Oldsmobile’s had been built during the brand’s lifetime.
What happened to Pontiac? | Wheelhouse
Will Oldsmobile ever come back?
Some auto brands that are associated with even the biggest and most successful automakers have had sales challenges and have had to shut down. Ford Motor Company’s Mercury brand and General Motors’ Hummer, Pontiac, Southern, and Oldsmobile brands have all been discontinued.
What car is GM returning?
By reviving a completely obsolete brand as a new line of vehicles, General Motors is going beyond just bringing back old nameplates. The company is reviving the Hummer, once known for its utilitarian ways, as an electric pickup and SUV under the GMC brand.
Is there a 2020 Pontiac?
New 2020 Pontiac GTO The 2020 Pontiac GTO is the flagship model. The New 2020 Pontiac GTO image was uploaded by the author on December 30th, 2019 in the Car Images category.
What country owns Ford?
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile company headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. Founded by Henry Ford and registered on June 16, 1903.
Does GM own Ford?
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) and Chevrolet, owned by General Motors Company (NYSE: GM), are the two largest automobile brands in the United States. … the largest Ford brand is its namesake Ford, while the largest General Motors brand is Chevrolet.
What will replace the Camaro after 2023?
The Chevy Camaro will die in 2024 and be replaced by an electric sedan.
Is the Pontiac a good car?
It’s just a fun car. Not much to say about the Pontiac Revolution. …regardless of all that, the car handles well, and it’s a lot of fun to drive. They are reliable and enjoyable cars, and you can’t ask for much more for such a bubbly-looking sports car.
Can you still get Pontiac parts?
General Motors will continue to make parts for Pontiac models indefinitely, and most Pontiac dealerships will continue to sell Buick and GMC brands. The automaker continues to produce replacement parts for the aging Oldsmobile, which GM shuttered in 2004.
Why does Buick still exist?
Buick, the company, effectively ceased making cars after 2010, when General Motors closed its large Buick City manufacturing complex in Flint, Mich . Century of production of original Buick vehicles, parts, and engines.
Why do Fords have a bad reputation?
Several of the company’s flagship vehicles, such as the Ford Focus and Ford Fiesta, have often scored low on the reliability scale, citing issues with cooling fans, vehicle leaks, and in-car entertainment as top problems.
Does Ford own a Ferrari?
Simply put, no. Ford does not own Ferrari. …Unfortunately, the Ford-Ferrari merger did not go as the automaker had hoped. Instead, the New York Times reports that in 1963, when Henry Ford II tried to buy Ferrari, Enzo Ferrari ultimately called off the deal.
Does China own Ford?
Changan Ford Automobile Corporation, Ltd. It is a 50-50 Chinese joint venture between Ford Motor Company and the state-owned Chongqing Changing Automobile Corporation of China, one of China’s four largest automobile companies. This company produces and distributes Ford brand cars in China.
Do they still make the Pontiac GTO?
Fifth Generation Pontiac GTO (2004 to 2006) The final generation Pontiac GTO came as a result of General Motors’ decision to discontinue the Pontiac Firebird and Chevy Camaro after 2002, leaving Pontiac no longer a high-performance vehicle. To bring Pontiac back to the production of performance-oriented cars, General Motors revived the GTO.
What does Pontiac GTO stand for?
The ritual is summed up by the three most famous letters ever used in a car: “GTO” stands for ” Gran Truism Homologate “, which translates into Italian as Grand Touring Car.
What is the Pontiac 6000?
The Pontiac 6000 is a mid-size sedan produced and marketed by Pontiac for the 1982-1991 model years in 2-door coupe, 4-door sedan, and 5-door wagon body styles— shown as one of four facelifts., including the Buick of the century. Chevrolet Celebrity and Oldsmobile Cutlass Sierra.
What cars will the Soviets build in 2022?
Chevrolet 2022 model series
- Colorado.
- Colorado ZR2.
- Silverado.
- Silverado 3500HD.
- Silverado 2500HD.
What car will the Soviets bring back in 2023?
According to Motor Trend’s sources, Chevy is set to introduce a new version to complement the current Camaro, and it is said to be powered by the supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 found in the Cadillac CT5-V Black Wing.
What old cars are coming back?
Back to the Future: Vintage cars and license plates are back in 2021
- Volkswagen ID Buzz (Née Microbus) …
- GMC Hummer EV. …
- Land Rover Defender 90. …
- Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. …
- Ford Mustang Mach 1.
- Dakota Ram…
- Mercedes Benz SL Class. …
- Nissan Z
Does Toyota have the name Oldsmobile?
April 1st! Toyota did not buy the Oldsmobile name and no one has yet revived this brand. … a statement from Tokyo, of all places, reports that Toyota has secured the rights to the Oldsmobile name.
A car that came and went quietly
Automobile Group: It has been more than 5 years since the last Pontiac left the General Motors production line, and the number of models of this brand on the road is decreasing day by day.
“Catalina’s”, “Bonneville’s”, GTOs, “Trans-Am” and “Aztecs” are names that gradually disappear in the automotive world, and perhaps only a few of them make it out of museums and collectors’ parking lots. But most of them are recycled to make rebar. In the following, we review the models of Pontiac, one of the wonderful branches of General Motors.
1909 Oakland at the Chicago Auto Show
Before Pontiac even existed, it was Oakland that assembled its first vehicle in 1907 to sell the 2-cylinder car in 1908. In February 1909, at the Chicago Auto Show, Oakland unveiled a 4-cylinder Forty model that he had added to his lineup. On April 9 of the same year, Oakland became a subsidiary of General Motors.
1925 Oakland
By the mid-1920s, it was clear to General Motors executives that there was a gap between the Chevrolet and Oakland based on the company’s product pricing. Accordingly, at the same time as the Oakland 6-cylinder model was introduced under the name 6-44, Pontiac was also developed to accompany this car. The first Pontiac was introduced as a 1926 model and was a huge success. In the first year, 76,742 units of this model were made. In 1932, “Pontiac” replaced “Oakland” at General Motors.
Pontiac 6-27 model 1926
Pontiac 6-27 model 1926, with all its dignity and humility, was considered the first Pontiac and used a 3-liter 6-cylinder engine for propulsion, which had only 40 horsepower. One of the new features of this model at that time was the smaller diameter of the wheels with lower tire pressure for a better ride and better balance of the car.
1926 Pontiac Big Six
Prices for 1926 Pontiac models started at $745, which was well below Buick’s cheapest models at the time. The cheapest Buick was the 24 model with a price of $1,150, which also used a 6-cylinder engine.
The first Pontiac 8V arrived in 1932, which was actually a version of the old Oakland 1/4 liter engine with a power of 85 horsepower. But after 1931, when the production of Oakland products stopped, Pontiac stopped using this engine.
Pontiac and Cadillac both introduced steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters in their 1938 models. Using this option on the Pontiac only cost $10.
1941 Pontiac Streamliner
Model 4 The 1941 Pontiac Streamliner attracted a lot of attention at the Chicago Auto Show that year. By this time, Pontiac had achieved a distinctive approach to design. The 1941 model of the Streamliner brought a sales record of 330,361 units for Pontiac.
1957 Pontiac Bonneville Pontiac
sales had stagnated in the post-World War II years due to the monotony and artificiality of the model designs. For this reason, on July 1, 1956, 43-year-old Simon Banky Knudsen became the manager of the Pontiac branch, and with the cooperation of John Z. DeLorean, changes were on the way.
In 1968, Knudsen told Time magazine that Pontiac’s biggest problem when he entered was the “grandmotherly image” of its products. For this reason, he ordered the designers to change the design of the 1957 models, which were only a few weeks away from production. In 1957, Knudsen managed to put the Star Chief Custom Bonneville Convertible into production with an injection version of Pontiac’s 7.5-liter V8 engine. Only 630 examples of this car were produced.
Pontiac
Wide Track In 1959, Pontiac began advertising its wide-track vehicles. After that, Pontiac was able to achieve success in NASCAR and NHRA competitions in 1960.
1960 Pontiac Bonneville
Between 1959 and 1971, Pontiac ads always featured clever designs by Art Fitzpatrick and Von Coffman. These designs always emphasized the broad design of Pontiac cars and placed them in glamorous settings such as downtown Paris and near a jet plane. All this helped Pontiac to become the third best-selling brand in the automobile industry in 1961.
General Motors Pontiac Catalina model 1962
was not officially present in the 1962 races, But Glenn Fireball Roberts was able to win the qualifying round and emerge victorious from the Daytona 500 in February. This was while he was driving a Catalina tuned by Smokey Tannic.
1964 Pontiac GTO
In 1961, Pat Estes became Pontiac’s chief executive when Knudsen was introduced as a Chevrolet manager. Meanwhile, John Deloris continued to work with Estes as chief engineer and was involved in the design of high-performance cars. In the 1960s, General Motors moved quickly to attract young customers.
When General Motors pulled out of racing altogether in 1963, the Tempest GTO was a stealthy way for Delran to get around this limitation by putting Pontiac’s 4.6-liter V8 into a lighter, smaller car.
1969 Pontiac Grand Prix Model
“DeLorean” took over Pontiac in 1965 and by continuing his creations, he set Pontiac on the path of an era of muscle cars. He also transferred his full-size Grand Prix luxury model to the General Motors platform for 1969. However, Pontiac only sold 31,711 Grand Prix hardtops in 1968.
Pontiac Trans-M 455SD model 1974
While the GTO model was fading in the 70s, Pontiac focused the “Trans-M” model on muscle power; That too at a time when many Detroit car manufacturers had given up on this work. The 1974 Firebird Trans-M came with a legendary 7.5-liter 455 Super Duty V8 engine that was ridiculously rated at 290 horsepower.
1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am
In 1976, Pontiac introduced a special edition version of the Trans-Am with black paint and gold accents and a large bird on the hood. The power of the 6.6-liter V8 engine was only 200 horsepower; But at the same time, 46 thousand 701 units of “Trans Am” were sold in 1976. Also, a new “Batmobile” front design in 1977 attracted more customers; But that was not the whole story…
Smokey and the Bandit 1977
The movie “Smoky and the Bandit” was another event that happened to Pontiac in 1977 and it brought a lot of profit for it. “Smoky” was a comedic and mischievous character who bought a 1977 Trans Am Special Edition. This movie not only left a lasting impact on American culture but also caused Pontiac to sell 68,745 units of the Trans Am in 1977; Which means about 47% growth compared to the previous year. This trend continued in the following years.
Pontiac Firebird 1980
The Chicago Auto Show in 1980 witnessed a magnificent display of the Firebird. Arguments about Pontiac’s decline can be traced back to when the company lost the Knudsen/Delran duo. But perhaps the presentation of Pontiac’s first front differential model, the 1980 Phoenix, is a more suitable point for discussing this.
The Phoenix was a moving nightmare of poor build quality, constant recalls, and awkward design fits. However, Pontiac managed to sell 178,291 units of this car before the market became more aware of this model.
Pontiac 6000STE model 1983
Pontiac’s bright spot in the 1980s was the sportiest version of GM’s front-wheel-drive midsize cars. The 6000STE model in 1983 was considered one of the best in the automobile industry. Driving pleasure, economy, distinctive appearance, comfortable, and at the same time engaging and completely modern design were among the features of this car.
The 1984 Pontiac
Fiero 2M4 was a wonderful car that humbly pushed boundaries. The Fierro was a two-seater, had disc brakes, and had a mid-mounted engine. This car was almost the most beautiful American car made until that time. But what made the Fierro fall behind the pack was the small 2.5-liter engine, as well as a front suspension borrowed from Chevrolet.
1986 Pontiac Grand Am
With the weakness of a model like the Fierro, Pontiac retreated to boring models like the 1985 Grandma Compact. The strange design, the ugly and ugly appearance of the body instead of the great engineering and outstanding performance of the previous, was a complete sign of the departure of the “Knudsen Bank”.
2001
Pontiac Aztec It was a real shame when Pontiac hired a bunch of people at the 2000 Detroit Auto Show to get excited about the arrival of the 2001 Aztec, something of a crossover. Of course, it didn’t seem like a bad idea; But Aztec was an ugly car and had no sense of driving. This car is still considered one of the worst in the car industry.
2002 Pontiac Firebird Trans-M The
Firebird and Trans-M have been recalled by Pontiac for the 2002 model year. But little investment in them made their conditions not suitable for the 21st century. When its sibling, the Chevrolet Camaro, returned to the scene in 2010, Pontiac was gone.
2004 Pontiac GTO The
GTO’s name was revived in 2004 when it was used for a special version of the Monaro 2 coupe (produced by Holden, the Australian division of General Motors). 350 horsepower from a 5.7-liter LS1 V8 would have given it a lot of appeal, but it didn’t and the model only lasted 3 years.
The 2006 Pontiac Solstice Roadster was Pontiac’s
last valiant attempt at a unique product, the 2-seater Solstice Roadster. But it was a sports car that had bits and pieces put together from different places, and it also had a very small gas tank and a disappointing convertible roof. The life of this model ended at the same time as Pontiac in 2009.
Pontiac GXP G8 Model 2009
In the years 2008 and 2009, Pontiac introduced the G8 sedan model from Australia to the American market, which was perhaps the best product offered under the name “Pontiac”. The best G8 was the GXP model with a 2.6-liter LS3V8 engine with a power of 415 horsepower. But with the disintegration of the dealer network, the price of this car was very expensive for a “Pontiac” and due to weak marketing, G8 could not be successful.
2009 Pontiac GT G6 Convertible The last Pontiac built on November 25, 2009, was a boring white G6 sedan. This car, even as a G6 convertible, did not have much to say. The G6 GT was not a commemorative version. Burt Reynolds, the movie actor, was not going to ride it off the production line either; It was just another white Pontiac.
