balthazar

>>"...F430"<< I'd rather have an F-450.

>>"...daily newspapers, which in the 1960s had a far greater readership share of their local populations than they do today."<< ouch. You never hear those numbers, do you??

I tried; apparently 'serial killer' is not an allowable occupation.

'cause almost no one cares about AMGs?

Perhaps Pontiac is taking "Ultimate Driving Machine" back; it's where BMW got it from in the first place.

Tell that to porsche; their SUV is keeping their head above water.

I am fascinated by the report that a 'great deal of corrosion' was found inside the pipeline. Isn't the pipeline commonly filled with..... oil? I'm sure there's more to it, as there ususally is, but these things always seem so 'duh!' at first report.

The problem as I see it with the above: those burdened by outmoded thinking such as 'european cars are higher quality' are more likely to perceptionally crucify a Chrysler with a strong 'we're American' stance, and those still thinking that way may still outnumber those who are more grounded in actuality. IMO a global corporation should probably slowly gravitate beyond worn nationality-based perceptions and pull the best from all areas to describe their product. In fact, a de-emphasis on nationality-centric advertising/marketing and a focus on engineering & features/details should provide a more reality-based basis for comparison.... and providing real benefits are there, increased sales would follow.

That's what I admire about you, blu; your unbridled optimism.

x 1,000.

I can relate. When I was a kid --maybe 8-- I was playing at the backyard sandbox. I remember taking the tin lid off a tin oval pan with a sand 'meatloaf' inside, resplendant with it's sprig of weed garnish, stepping backwards and proclaiming "Ta-Da!" when I tripped over a root and sat down on an iron stake that anchored the swingset. No stitches, but a lot of blood and a jagged circular scar I wear to this day. Only shows when I'm in my speedo.

Whoa- very expensive on that 2nd site! Looked at stuff for '59 Buick: EX: the sill plates I paid $85/pair a few years ago elsewhere (repro, 95% correct) are listed at the site for $220!

Hmm, Spring Accent 2-tone job AND a 4-dr Vista; nice combo. 364 means LeSabre; I would have to have a 401. I would want it to be pretty damned complete for $3700, and no rot repair neccessary. Worth a look but looks slightly optimistic via the pic. I think this one has made numerous eBay appearances; I've definately seen this pic before....

One might... but the DN has been specifically & pointedly anti-Detroit for decades. You can pick up the editorial glee between the lines if you read carefully. To me, it smacks of a desperate (but unconvincing) move to 'prove' objectivity.

Well, the '40 woody pic's copy says 'Public Relations, Oldsmobile Division'. They are very likely reprints of originals. Back when I got the factory paperwork for my '64 GP (from an aftermarket company handling the '61-circa 81 Pontiac archives), they included a new 8x10 glossy of the factory pic of my car. Cool collection!

"anything", huh?

No one is asking the media to outright lie, just balance the coverage & the editorial slant evenly. We're nowhere even close to that now.

Chevy and Pontiac shared no sheetmetal except most rooflines. Chevy did NOT have the Pontiac 'Coke bottle' fuselage. Sister divisions' competing models in the '60s really were far more different in appearance than modern sister division cars. It's not warm fuzzy emotion but cold hard steel that attests to this.

>>"...oppose taking in the ship, citing local opposition to the Iraq war and the military's stance on gays, among other things."<< WTF is going on out there in CA??? Thank God I've got an entire nation between me and whatever rots people's minds over there.

>>"I would love to make a modern interpretation of this house with some practical interior dimensions and call it my home."<< Most modern homes have far more wasted space, tho they do have a big one-up on closet space.

It worked in 1965 because a Bonneville and an Impala were COMPLETELY different cars!!! It doesn't work in 2005 because the cars are different yet still too similar, and that fact is repeatedly trumpeted to the high heavens by the press. Proof of that?: by association & extension, we have this:

>>"Ninety years later, the same structure is in place"<< FALSE. >>"Even during the 50’s, each brand had no more than two wheelbases and three body styles."<< FALSE. >>"Buick and Olds stayed true to their roots, offering two to three big cars (aside from the Cadet experiment)."<< Wha?? Is this a reference to the Chevy Cadet program of the early '50s? It wasn't even close to production! How would this brain-damaged squirrel have even heard about it?? How is mention of it even topical? >>"Cadillac is still perched at the top of the market, but their line shows little commonality (save a bit of “bling” here and there)."<< FALSE. >>"For every Chevy, there’s one or more up-market counterparts it dare not exceed."<< FALSE. >>"Acting like it’s still 1955..."<< FALSE (& unsubstantiated). >>"It restricts Pontiac, GMC and Buick to marketing cars “better than Chevy” (a standard that keeps slipping lower)."<< FALSE. >>"It detaches Cadillac, Hummer and Saab from the ownership ladder. In fact, GM’s brands don’t just steal sales from each other; they pull each other into a pit of mediocrity."<< FASLE (and laughable). >>"...GM could fold their products into Chevy’s portfolio. The top trim sedans in the largest two sizes could be called Buicks, while a Pontiac would denote a performance model."<< Talk about 'discombobulated'! The idiocy of this barn-buster is staggering. >>"...GM would have to transform all Chevy and all Pontiac/Buick/GMC dealers into Chevy dealers, all selling the same full line."<< What about those people who refuse to buy a '"Chevrolet"? If you don't think there are any, explain GMC... and that's just one marque. What about the near-endless flow of negative 'see-we-told-you-Rome-is-burning' articles from self-centered and self-righteous 'journalists' who will only focus on GM's continuing "decline", all accompanied by faux hand-wringing and 'remember-when' recollections now that it would truely be Too Late? What is the price tag on that bit of image 'efficiency'? >>"This brand consolidation would allow GM to offer a car for every “purpose” and most “purses” under a single roof."<< No it wouldn't- where is saab, hummer & Cadillac's price ranges? Are those Divisions discontinued, or is the 'disassociation' there fine & dandy? >>"...it just might work."<< No, asswipe, it wouldn't. Get your facts straight, filter out the artery-clogging hyperbole and came back with another 'solution'. How can you guys even get past this sh!tstain of an article to react to it???

Without checking, I believe teh GLS is indeed the top model. My wife had a '98, when both the marque name & the trim levels were not badged. Even tho it was a first year/ first production run, it was still a great car that we miss. 3800 II.

>>"There's a reason people will spend that kind of money on a Bentley (or Rolls, or Maybach, or Ferrari, etc.)"<< Common sense isn't one of them, nor is a realistic idea of value. But sure. And yes; nice leather & wood adds to the vehicle's "value", but of course it can never add even $75K to the price of an already $75K car. What does the roughly $200K portion of the bentley's tag tangibly deliver? Anybody know??

When I went to school in central Detroit, I was amazed to see -right out my 10th floor window- numerous blocks of waving grass. Oh, the sidewalks, paved alleys and telephone lines/poles were still there, but the buildings were gone. There were also a great volume of standing buildings waiting for nothing else but the wrecking ball. Still, for an urban explorer at heart, Detroit can be fascinating on an entirely other level.