Chevy Buick Pontiac
Chevy Buick Pontiac
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 55 56 57 58 59 Cadillac Buick Olds Pontiac Chevy GM Harrison Air Conditioning AC  US $1,957.57
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 Chevrolet Cadillac Pontiac Buick W566 59 Windshield New US $1,595.00
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 49 50 51 52 PONTIAC CHEVROLET OLDS BUICK NOS REAR WIPER US $1,295.00
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 1941 1942 1946 1947 1948 CHEVROLET BUICK PONTIAC NOS ACCESSORY REAR WINDOW WIPER US $1,100.00
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 Chevy Olds Buick Pontiac A Body 4 Wheel Disc Brake Conversion Kit Front Rear US $1,035.00
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 1959 1960 Cadillac Buick 6 way power seat Everything Works Chevy Olds Pontiac US $1,000.00
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 1937 39 Chevy Spare Tire Cover 35 36 37 38 39 US $675.00
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 66 IMPALA SS BUCKET SEATS 327 396 427 4 speed Chevelle Nova Buick Pontiac CHEVY US $675.00
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 SPIRAL SHOCK REBUILDING Chevrolet Buick Cadillac Pontiac Oldsmobie US $650.00
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 1961 62 Chevy ImpalaBuickPontiac Windshield Mouldings US $649.61
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 49 50 51 52 CHEVROLET OLDS BUICK PONTIAC NOS SPOTLIGHT US $599.00
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 SPIRAL SHOCKS Chevrolet Buick Cadillac Pontiac Nova US $550.00
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 NOS 59 60 PONTIAC CHEVY SPOTLIGHT 348 409 389 tripower GM BUICK Caddilac Olds US $550.00
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 1964 1965 Corvette Chevelle GTO 442 Muncie M21 Close Ratio 4 Speed Transmission US $500.00
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 NOS DELCO ETR RADIO RECEIVER 1979 1981 CAMARO Z28 CORVETTE FIREBIRD US $499.99
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 64 65 PONTIAC GTO LEMANS BUCKET SEATS CHEVY OLDS BUICK GS 442 CHEVELLE SS 396 US $475.00
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 85 86 87 OLDS PONTIAC BUICK CHEVY CADILLAC CUTLASS 307 50 MOTOR ENGINE US $450.00
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 vintage 1937 38 39 Guide Parking Lights chevrolet mercury ford cadillac buick VW US $450.00
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 67 68 BUICK CHEVY OLDS PONTIAC DOOR QUARTER POWER WINDOW REGULATOR MOTOR US $450.00
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 55 56 57 58 59 60 64 Impala Belair Convertible Dinsmore Compass NICE US $449.95
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 1959 1960 buick chevrolet pontiac oldsmobile convertible quarter windows pair US $425.00
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 1961 1962 chevy STATION WAGON impala belair ROOF GM olds buick pontiac rat rod US $400.00
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 Original Gm Bucket Seats seat w track tracks A body gs ss super sport corvair rs US $400.00
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 1940 1941 1950 1955 1960 GM DASH COMPASS BUICK CHEVROLET OLDSMOBILE PONTIAC NOS US $399.99
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 NOS GM DELCO STEREO AM FM RADIO 1979 1984 CADILLAC US $399.99
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 1966 1967 GM A BODY ROOF 2 DOOR HARDTOP NEW CHEVROLET PONTIAC BUICK OLDSMOBILE US $399.95
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Another One Bites the Dust Again
It's no surprise to anyone that the car industry has been in a slump these past couple years. Automakers have tried everything from redesign to rebates to get people onto their lots. We have seen hybrids take over the roads, SUV's disappear and well-loved brands cease to exist. There have been a lot of changes for sure and GM was another on the list when they announced that production of Saturn would end and they would phase out the Pontiac name.
While Saturn has been a well-known brand for GM, in the 20 years it has been around it has never been profitable for the company. This stems from an original brand image problem when Saturn was first introduced. Saturn became synonymous with cheap and poorly made cars. Whether or not that was true, the reputation stuck. While GM improved the models over the years, consumers never really jumped on the Saturn bandwagon.
When Saturn was first introduced back in the early 1990's, it was supposed to be "a different kind of car company". The idea was to attract young buyers with efficient, affordable, trendy cars that could compete with the ever-growing Japanese brands. Unfortunately, developers were slow to promote the new brand and found it difficult to find and attract these buyers they were hoping for. In the end, it looks as though it was just never meant to be for Saturn.
Former race car driver Roger Penske had been in negotiations with GM to buy the Saturn brand and reintroduce it to the world. They had planned on allowing GM to manufacture Saturn through 2011 and then let Penske and the Saturn brand run on its own two feet. After deals with Penske fell through, GM was left with no choice but to shut down the brand. The Saturn brand will most likely be completely halted by the end of 2010.
Another blow to the GM brand is the phasing out of the Pontiac name. When GM was initially forced to rework their infrastructure because of government intervention, they wanted to phase out the Pontiac name. GM was hoping to keep certain well-marketed models under the Pontiac brand name but sell them at Chevrolet dealerships. After reviewing the entire plan, it became obvious that there was no hope for Pontiac. The brand has not been profitable for the company for the past few years so GM was again, left with no choice but to shut down production. Like Saturn, GM believes production will come to an end by December 2010.
While these were hard decisions for GM to make, it did provide them with a bit of hope. By shutting down two unprofitable brands within the company, they are able to devote the rest of their resources to developing and promoting their other brands - Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC. It's always difficult to see a huge brand name go under but it is much better than the alternative. What we really can't afford to see is an entire American icon fold under economic hardships. Americans need industrial staples like GM to push through this hard time and serve as a beacon of hope for the future of American industry. So, while we say goodbye to Saturn and Pontiac, let's hope this is a push in the right direction for GM to get back on its own two feet and help pull America out of this economic slump.
About the Author
Scott Conklin is the president of Conklin Cars, a leading provider of
Kansas GMC
,
Kansas Chevy
, and
Wichita Cars
. Conklin Cars can be found online at: ConklinCars.com .
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