GM to pull the plug on Pontiac

[BERIGAN]

http://money.cnn.com/2009/04/24/autos/pontiac_obit/index.htm

[Rooster_Ties]

Sounds good to me.

I've never see a Pontiac I've liked (ever!), and I’ve long thought Pontiac commercials were targeted at people with precisely the polar opposite of whatever my tastes were (and are).

Case in point -- the ugliest American car of the last 10 (or maybe even 20) years -- the Pontiac Aztek.

[GA Russell]

I've never owned a Pontiac, but I did have an Oldsmobile for a few years.

[Jazzmoose]

Sounds good to me.

I've never see a Pontiac I've liked (ever)...

I can't agree with you. I thought the Chieftan was a damned fine car!

[Rooster_Ties]

Ok, I've never seen a modern Pontiac I've ever liked (anything in my adult lifetime).

And yes, that means I never particularly liked the Trans-Am or Firebird (at least not from the mid 70's and after).

Edited April 25, 2009 by Rooster_Ties

[Dave Garrett]

If you like powerful, rear-drive cars, the Corvette V8-powered G8 GXP is very nice. As is the GTO (which was only made from 2004-2006, but I seem to remember talk of resurrecting it). But both of those were essentially rebadged Holdens (GM's Australian subsidiary).

The Solstice 2-seat convertible is very nice also, and set a new standard for cars of its class at a lower price point than had previously been the norm. The Saturn Aura convertible shares the Solstice platform, so I guess it'll be going away as well if GM sells off Saturn and shutters Pontiac.

[Chuck Nessa]

Pontiac, Saturn and Cadillac have been making the most interesting cars at GM recently.

[T.D.]

I thought the little Pontiac Vibe was (should we now speak of Pontiac in the past tense?) a reasonably attractive non-gas guzzler. OK, it's not an exciting segment of the market, but it's the kind of stuff I look at.

[catesta]

Pontiac, Saturn and Cadillac have been making the most interesting cars at GM recently.

I more partial to Buick than the Saturn line, but you may be right.

Many fine looking automobiles with Pontiac badge on it. I'm sad to see it go.

[Jazzmoose]

Many fine looking automobiles with Pontiac badge on it. I'm sad to see it go.

I suppose I will as well, but nearly as much as I miss Plymouth.

[papsrus]

This one's nothing to write home about ...

How about this little number?

My all-time favorite, the Fiat 500 cc ... vroom, vroom. They used to have black, tarp sun roofs (flaps) and suicide doors, I think.

Edited April 26, 2009 by papsrus

[JSngry]

I suppose I will as well, but nearly as much as I miss Plymouth.

I had a 1976 Duster with a Slant-6 that I treated with maximum disrespect (only, like, 3 oil changes in over 80,000 miles), and the son-of-a-gun ran like a champ all the way through. I only sold it because I went out on the road for a while and didn't want to be bothered with the garaging. But I would not be surprised if somewhere that car is still running, and hasn't had the oil changed since 1981.

[Quincy]

I thought the little Pontiac Vibe was (should we now speak of Pontiac in the past tense?) a reasonably attractive non-gas guzzler. OK, it's not an exciting segment of the market, but it's the kind of stuff I look at.

It helped that it was essentially a Toyota with a Pontiac nameplate on it.

My grandfather was a GM dealer in a town of 2000 until the early '70s. Obviously GM has been in trouble for some time now, but it's still kind of jarring. It didn't help that in the '70s they'd release the same lemon under 3 different nameplates, such as the Buick Skylark, Olds Starfire, and the Chevy Monza 2+2, thus poisoning all the lines. Our family gave up any loyalty and started buying Hondas, which my grandfather ended up grudgingly admiring for the quality.

[Dave Garrett]

I had a 1976 Duster with a Slant-6 that I treated with maximum disrespect (only, like, 3 oil changes in over 80,000 miles), and the son-of-a-gun ran like a champ all the way through. I only sold it because I went out on the road for a while and didn't want to be bothered with the garaging. But I would not be surprised if somewhere that car is still running, and hasn't had the oil changed since 1981.

My first car was a used Duster of similar vintage with a six. It had a 4-speed with, of all things, a Hurst shifter. I always wondered if the previous owner had harbored thoughts of eventually shoehorning in one of the Mopar V-8s you were more likely to find on the other end of most Hurst shifters.

Those sixes were quiet, smooth, and damn near indestructible. Mine used more oil than it should've, but it didn't smoke. I'd probably still be driving it, but less than a year after I bought it, I was driving around and heard a "bang", and the front end sagged on the passenger side. Took it into the shop, expecting some sort of suspension or shock failure, only to have the mechanic put it up on the rack and point out the big-ass crack in one of the frame rails. Off to the junkyard it went.

[Jazzmoose]

Damn...it's an old Duster fan club! I had a '73 (back around '78, still the 'newest' car I've ever had!) with the old reliable slant-six. Just to let y'all know, you can kill them, if you have a leaky radiator that goes dry and don't know enough about cars so that you fill an overheated engine with cold water...

On the plus side, a 340 fits, and with hot rod loving friends to help...

[BERIGAN]

Sounds good to me.

I've never see a Pontiac I've liked (ever!), and I’ve long thought Pontiac commercials were targeted at people with precisely the polar opposite of whatever my tastes were (and are).

Case in point -- the ugliest American car of the last 10 (or maybe even 20) years -- the Pontiac Aztek.

Well, a lot of people will be out of work when it happens...don't know how good that is. Plus, the fewer U.S. makes, it just means more market share for foreign car makers. I know, they build them here now as well. Most of the money made goes back to Japan and South Korea though.

Once China's slaves start flooding the market with really cheap cars in the very near future, they will take away Toyota and Honda's marker share anyway.....

[blind-blake]

Always loved this line from John Prine's "Middle Man":

She was leaning on the juke box

And was lookin' real good

Like Natalie Wood

On a Pontiac hood

[BruceH]

Sounds good to me.

I've never see a Pontiac I've liked (ever)...

I can't agree with you. I thought the Chieftan was a damned fine car!

And such a fine name, too!

Many fine looking automobiles with Pontiac badge on it. I'm sad to see it go.

I suppose I will as well, but nearly as much as I miss Plymouth.

For years I drove a Plymouth Satellite (but not faster than the speed of light.)