Ask the Car People.SM


Oldsmobile Aurora

5876 messages,  Last post on Mar 23, 2012 at 3:08 PM

You are in the Oldsmobile Aurora Forum.

What is this discussion about? Oldsmobile Aurora, Sedan



Messages Page 461 of 588

#4600 of 5876 by fjk57702

Sep 23, 2003 (1:41 pm)

Oldsmobile is GM's marketing division for Oldsmobiles. They are the ones who goofed. However, most of the car magazines ran pre_introduction test drives of the Aurora months before it went into production. These articles were all quite complimentary of the car. These were pre_production cars though. After the car went into production, I saw advertisements for it in a number of non_automotive magazines, so I don't think that Oldsmobile failed to advertize. In fact the Aurora was a decent seller in 1995 and early 1996. I think the sales slowed in 1997 after the price tag run up. The car was worth the orginal $32,000. My 1998 had a $37,500 (more or less) price tag. My car was a program car, so I got a fair deal on it, but the car was probably only worth $33-34,000, not the $37-38,000.
 
The 1992 Seville was planned for a later introduction on the Aurora platform, but Cadillac realized that the Seville was in trouble and needed redone sooner than the Aurora platform could be finished. This also explains why the northstar V8 was not available till a year later. The entire Cadillac line was upgraded to the 92 Seville body in 94. The Aurora platform was put into production a few months later, but they were not ready for the 94 model year.

#4601 of 5876 Many, many errors by hammen2

Sep 23, 2003 (2:38 pm)

a) the car didn't even have the Oldsmobile name on it, except for the radio.
 
b) they contemplated renaming Oldsmobile to Aurora. The stylized "A" logo almost became the Olds division logo. Frankly, I wish they'd done that - would have been a clean break from the past. The "traditional" Oldsmobile buyer wanted a bench seat, and was unhappy with the model lineup in 2000.
 
c) they were going after the "import" crowd with the Aurora/Intrigue/Alero. Yet, wasn't Saturn supposed to do that? I still think the styling between the Aurora and the first-generation Saturns was complementary. I would have tried to combine the divisions - Saturn has just recently got an SUV, and will soon get a minivan, revamped mid-size car (the L-series still isn't selling), etc. Think of what they'd have had if they had the Oldsmobile product in 1998/1999.
 
d) the dealer network. Frankly, it sucked, especially service. This is another place where "Saturnizing" the brand might have saved it. I know John Rock (ex-Olds head) wanted to go fixed, non-negotiated pricing on the whole Olds line, but the dealer body revolted. Disgusted, Rock eventually walked away from Olds and retired.
 
e) the Aurora did have a number of lemons. Likewise, the Intrigue did have a number of build issues. UAW-GM relations were in the pits in the late 90's, and this led to some of those things. Had the Aurora been built somewhere other than Lake Orion, MI or the Intrigue built somewhere other than Fairfax, KS, it would have certainly helped.
 
Someday there will be books written (if they aren't being worked on already) about the colossal mistakes GM made with marketing the Oldsmobile brand since 1989 or so (the original date of the "not your father's Oldsmobile" tagline).
 
Bottom line is, as someone who buys only GM cars (I'm not pro-union or Buy American, but I have relatives who are autoworkers, and I want to keep them employed/insured), the death of Olds means the demise of the most attractive car lineup (IMHO) that GM offers. Caddy is coming on, but one size ($$$) does not fit all.
 
*sigh*
 
--Robert

#4602 of 5876 The Defenders by Henry

Sep 23, 2003 (3:08 pm)

I have noticed that any negative comment about the car produces a relatively quick armanda of postings.
 
I really dont think there is a more passionate group out there than us Aurorians.
 
    "Don't Tread on Us"

#4603 of 5876 by fjk57702

Sep 23, 2003 (3:40 pm)

The reviews of the 95-99 Aurora (in various places - like Edmunds) talked about the car not meeting their expectations - interior space seemed small for a big (Park Avenue size) car. I think that is a valid point. My 95 Riviera seemed much bigger inside. I really liked the Aurora's V8 and trip computer. Perhaps the "real" problem was that it was not rear wheel drive.

#4604 of 5876 Olds marketing by rjs200240

Sep 23, 2003 (4:56 pm)

While Olds is responsible for their own marketing, they aren't in charge of their own budget. I get the feeling they did not have a large advertising budget. While there were a fair amount of Aurora ads in 1994, and at least a few in 2000, there really weren't a lot in the other years. Plus, what did those ads push? I don't recall any Indy-related ads, or IMSA-related ads. Nor any that compared the luxury/power to other $35,000 cars. I think marketing was a big factor in Old's lack of profitability.

#4605 of 5876 rjs - I agree by larryfl

Sep 24, 2003 (6:36 am)

I think Olds' advertising of the car - such as it was - completely missed the mark. Not only was the message totally wrong (I especially remember an ad showing a woman driving the car inside a painting - huh?), I think some GM execs had begun to decide to kill Olds and so didn't fully fund or get behind the marketing.
 
Corporate politics can be an ugly thing, and I think the Aurora was a "classic" victim.
 
And yes, most of my friends that aren't gear heads like me have no idea what kind of car I drive and are shocked when they learn it's a 9 year old american car.

#4606 of 5876 by fjk57702

Sep 24, 2003 (7:44 am)

I think at some point after the Saturn division was put in place, GM must have decided they had too many divisions. I don't think the Oldsmobile divisions problems were any one single thing. Marketing may have been badly done, but the classic Oldsmobile buyer must have drifted off for other reasons too.
 
At the end of the 50's Buick was in trouble, mainly because they were too successfull in the mid 50's. They had tried to build more cars than the factory capacity could do right, so they had a lot of problem cars. That resulted in sales dropping to 1/3 of what they had been.
 
I think Oldsmobile could have been brought back, but all of GM needs help. Cadillac is really developing some good products (CTS, SRX, XLR and soon to be STS), the rest of GM's product line is not real good (its not real bad either - just not great).

#4607 of 5876 Amen on that, by javidogg

Sep 24, 2003 (8:15 am)

In Reply To:
 
a) the car didn't even have the Oldsmobile name on it, except for the radio.
 
b) they contemplated renaming Oldsmobile to Aurora. The stylized "A" logo almost became the Olds division logo. Frankly, I wish they'd done that - would have been a clean break from the past. The "traditional" Oldsmobile buyer wanted a bench seat, and was unhappy with the model lineup in 2000.
 
__________________________________________________
 
You are so right on that, I still cannot get over how they tried to use the thing about attracting younger buyers versus old timers for Oldsmobile.
 
So their plan did not work out well (because of the bad marketing division) they could of moved on and not kill the Olds brand, Also anyone noticed how they introduced the Classic Aurora, "Aurora by Oldsmobile", not "Oldsmobile Aurora", hm.
 
I don't know why they gave up easily.
 
Peace.
 
J.M.

#4608 of 5876 I also heard by fjk57702

Sep 24, 2003 (9:21 am)

that Oldsmobile dealers had to pay for a franchise to sell the Aurora. I don't know if this is true or not - but this is what an Oldsmobile/Aurora salesman told me and others.

#4609 of 5876 Aurora name by sda

Sep 24, 2003 (10:34 am)

I think there was some consideration about changing Oldsmobile to Aurora, but GM ran into copyright problems with Hankook tire which already had claim to the Aurora name. In some literature you will see the disclaimer, Aurora name used with permission from Hankook. oops.

Messages Page 461 of 588

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement