Robert Hall

Well, Buick needed more modern powertrains 5-8 years ago..they still have 4spd automatics and dated pushrod V6s in their sedans. If GMC is low cost to keep around, they may as well keep it...

I couldn't see myself in a Buick either...though a Pontiac (G8) or a Cadillac (CTS) are both high on my list.

I didn't see delusion.. I don't know if his pricing numbers are accurate, but otherwise---the last Oldsmobiles did have more modern drivetrains and were more 'international' than the Buicks, which were more old-fogey style cars. Compare the 2nd gen Aurora to the LeSabre, or the Intrique to the Century/Regal. And GMC is still by and large redundant with Chevy, with only trivial differences. Their most unique model currently is the Acadia.

Yes, they have the Acadia now, had the Envoy w/ the bed, the Denali trim levels, had the Typhoon and Syclone in the '90s. And the unique V6 in the '50s-60s. But by and large, GMCs have been nothing but rebadged Chevies for decades...the biggest differences are in the marketing. What amazes me is consumers don't see them for what they are.

I wonder what the numbers are now, though. 1 in 20 jobs? 1 in 50?

Who knows, but I believe the typical GMC buyer may not the same as be the typical Chevy buyer and would necessarily cross shop the brands... Purely anecdote, but I do know a couple friends that bought GMCs (a Yukon and an Envoy XL)--their wive's cars are an Audi A6 sedan and a Lexus RX--somehow, I just couldn't see them having bought a Tahoe or a TrailBlazer..

That's what GMC has been at least the 40 years.... it's only recently that GMC has had differentiation beyond grilles and badging.

Well, they certainly have existing tiny fuel efficient micro cars they can get from Chevywoo (Matiz) or Suzuki...maybe they plan on federalizing one of them. Or maybe they plan to bring the Beat or whatever (the micro Chevy world car under development) here.

Apparently, though there are truck and SUV buyers that won't buy a Chevy (too mass-market) but will buy a GMC (perceived as more upscale). Which shows the power of effective marketing, considering the trivial cosmetic differences between Chevy and GMC trucks and SUVs. I would assume Chevy has the higher percentage of medium duty, commercial/fleet pickups and vans than GMC?

Disco Volante

Cool...if that were a 9C1 w/ a light bar and decals, it would look like the City of Phoenix Caprice I see at least once a week downtown..it appears to be still in service, odd to see a car that may be over 20 years old still being used by a police department.

Personal Pontiac perspective--my older brother was really into Pontiacs in the '70s--he had a '73 Trans Am, a '75 Formula 400, then a '65 GTO...one of my first lasting memories of Pontiacs was in a Motor Trend Retrospective article he showed me in the late '70s--it was a two-page photo of a maroon '64 GTO in profile, IIRC. I remember how symmetrical the car was front-to-back. The '69-72 Grand Prix, the Grand Villes, and early '70s Firebird Formulas and Trans Ams stick in my mind as very memorable cars that I noticed as a kid. Also the Can Am...remember seeing a couple of those at the Pontiac dealer in my neighborhood in Steubenville, Ohio. '80s Pontiacs really turned me off the brand, didn't pay much attention until the recent GTO, Solstice and G8.

Just called my mother a few min ago. This time of the year, she's always griping about bad the weather is in Ohio. It always sucks in Ohio Nov-Mar. Thread reply: Kermit

Interesting...I notice PCS is strangely absent from these threads..keeping a low profile. By the way, that '63 GP in yer sig is goregous, Harley...

The Dakar would have been so cool..it would been better than the Liberty.

The coolest sighting for me for the month so far had to be the '60-62 GMC panel truck 4x4 I saw downtown today. Primer gray, w/ traces of green paint, lifted on big off-road tires, spare tire on the roof, off road lights across the front of the roof, winch on the custom front bumper. HELLACOOL!!!! Also interesting were a well-worn '70 Mustang Mach 1, light green...great restoration potential... Also saw a sharp bright red '64 or so Dodge Dart convertible w/ the top down. I'm loving the cool fall weather, leaves falling off the trees, wind whipping them up as I go down the street w/ the sunroof open.

The Wrangler is too raw for a daily driver for me, the Grand Cherokee makes a much nicer daily driver SUV. I have thought about a used Wrangler Rubicon as a summer weekend and off-roading toy, though.

14 trucks--don't forget the Express and Savanna. I can see the Canyon going away..it's a pointless rebadge, and I could see the BOF Escalades going away if the next Escalade is Lambda based as has been rumored. Well, SAAB has 2 cars, so if you cut them, you have 29. Does the 31 cars include crossovers?

Well, Chrysler being a private company (unlike Ford and GM) I would expect them to keep it out of the public domain.

Interesting..that should make good reading tonight.

Interesting...Buick is way more niche than Pontiac is now. Though I wonder what Pontiac sales # are compared to Buick if you factor out fleet #s.

Hopefully they will move away from brick styling with tiny greenhouses. I'd love the have the RWD, V8 hardware w/ sleek styling like the 2nd gen LHs.

Then again, I couldn't imagine Nov being a good month for a convertible sports car, outside of Fla and the SW.

Blarch!

$35k is cheap for a V8 RWD sports sedan..only the Charger R/T is in the same price range as the G8 GT. The Camaro and Mustang are sports coupes, a different paradigm.