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GM News, New Models and Market Share

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#6780 of 8470 Re: 4x8? [buyamerican2] by andre1969 Jul 02, 2009 (6:40 am)
Replying to: buyamerican2 (Jul 02, 2009 6:29 am) I've always wondered how much more beefy the C-body from that era was, compared to the B-body? You could definitely see the difference between an A-body (Chevy/Pontiac) and B-body (Olds, smaller Buicks), as the B-body wasn't much bigger, but was a LOT heavier. But then the C-body, didn't seem that much heavier considering the size.   In 1957-58, I think Olds might actually have been the best-built of the GM cars. While Buick and Cadillac went to that wasp-waisted "X-frame" in '57, and Chevy/Pontiac joined for 1958, Olds sort of doubled up, using an X-frame, but with perimeter rails as well. Sort of an X within a box.   For 1959-64, I think Chevy/Buick went with an X-frame, while Pontiac/Olds went with a perimeter frame. I forget now what Cadillac did.
#6781 of 8470 Re: 4x8? [fezo] by andre1969 Jul 02, 2009 (6:43 am)
Replying to: fezo (Jul 02, 2009 6:39 am) Too bad you didn't. You really need another car.   Lessee, that was the summer of 1999. At that time, I had an '89 Gran Fury ex copcar as my daily driver, my grandmother's '85 LeSabre as a spare car, the DeSoto, the Catalina and a '67 Chrysler Newport hardtop coupe. So yeah, a '79 Bonneville would have fit in well.   I probably could have gotten it for a few hundred bucks. The owner was actually planning on donating it to a charity! He also had a 1988 or so Fiero GT, and a Chrysler 300M. Old guy, well into his 60's, but I think he had decent taste in cars.
#6782 of 8470 Re: 4x8? [buyamerican2] by gagrice Jul 02, 2009 (6:51 am)
Replying to: buyamerican2 (Jul 02, 2009 6:29 am) I had a 1947 Pontiac and a 1948 Cadillac. They were night and day difference. Though both good vehicles. My feeling is GM lost it in the middle 1960s. By 1964 Dodge was building tougher trucks. By the 1970s GM was building mostly dogs. They got back into the truck business with the 1988 PU trucks. Lost it again in 1999. And have not done much since.
#6783 of 8470 Re: 4x8? [bpizzuti] by cooterbfd Jul 02, 2009 (7:25 am)
Replying to: bpizzuti (Jul 02, 2009 4:36 am) "......But for a company with a bad rep, or one that needs to be built up, the perception is that they're using the cheap-brand components in the expensive brands...and it becomes a Malibu drivetrain in the CTS, rather than vice versa. See what I'm getting at?"   Absolutely, I do. Fair or not, it IS something GM has to work hard to overcome. Even though the original Lexus ES was a gussied up Camry, the perception is that the Camry was a toned down Lexus. Fortunately, all the car rags seem to agree that the 3.6L is a world class engine. Hopefully, the cars they get put in will someday soon be seen as world class, and it won't matter that they run the same engine, just like it doesn't matter for Chrysler, Ford, Toyota, Nissan, et al.
#6784 of 8470 Re: Buick sales may rebound [lemko] by cooterbfd Jul 02, 2009 (7:27 am)
Replying to: lemko (Jul 02, 2009 5:35 am) "..... I'd be thundering through the streets in my massive 1958 Buick Limitied in an automotive expression of a huge upright middle finger to all those west coasters' import-worshipping elitism."   One caveat; we have to exchange the Limited's 364 Nailhead for a 425 w/ the 6x2bbl setup for more power and effect. Otherwise, the ultra rare Stage III 455 will do.
#6785 of 8470 Re: 4x8? [buyamerican2] by steve_ HOST Jul 02, 2009 (8:08 am)
Replying to: buyamerican2 (Jul 02, 2009 6:29 am) Your 52 Buick frame and body were nothing like a Chevy or Cadillac.   Sure, but impressionable kids like me noticed the Fisher logo on the sills in our Buick, and then I'd see the same logo in friends' Chevys. They should have used different badges there too.   It made me wonder "why bother" getting a Caddy or Buick if "parts are parts."   My father went from the '53 Buick to a Valiant to a Falcon. As much as he loved his Buick, I think it was the only one he drove. He was 36 when he got it and drove it for around 14 years, so he got his money's worth out of it. Replies to this message: fezo (Jul 02, 2009 10:29 am) circlew (Jul 02, 2009 11:42 am)
#6786 of 8470 outdated stereotypes by tomcatt630 Jul 02, 2009 (9:15 am)
"It blows my mind how "old people" are disdained in this country when they are revered and respected in others."   I agree, but for the image 'worry warts', newsflash, I see more older people driving beige Toyotas than other brands these days. [The 90's ended a decade ago, btw] So, in other words, update your 'image consultant catalog'.   Does this mean Toyota will be 'out of business' since older people drive them???? Replies to this message: andre1969 (Jul 02, 2009 10:28 am)
#6787 of 8470 Re: outdated stereotypes [tomcatt630] by andre1969 Jul 02, 2009 (10:28 am)
Replying to: tomcatt630 (Jul 02, 2009 9:15 am) Does this mean Toyota will be 'out of business' since older people drive them????   Only if Toyota "ages" with its clientele and can't bring in younger customers. I think the problem with Buick and Olds was that they once appealed to people in their 40's and 50's. However, sometime in the 1980's, they became less successful at bringing in the "new" 40-50 year olds, but rather stuck it out with the current crop of buyers, and followed them into their 50's, 60's, 70's, etc. Sure, there were SOME younger buyers getting Buicks, but not enough to replace the aging buyers who, as a group, tend to buy cars less and less often as they get older.   IMO, cars like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry are starting to turn into what the Buick Century/Regal and Olds Cutlass Supreme were in the 1970's and early 80's. Actually, they might be more "aged" than that now. Back in the 1970's, I'm sure a 20-something would have been proud to show off his new Cutlass Supreme or Regal. But today, your typical 20-something would probably look at an Accord as a car that screams "family".   There's an old lady at work who used to have a Regal sedan. Not sure of the year, but I think it was around a 1991 or so. When it came time to trade, she got a 2004 or so Camry...so that Regal did give her good service. Now she has another Camry, a 2008 I think.   So, the Accord and Camry are definitely aging, when it comes to the type of customers they attract. They just have to make sure they can maintain the balance between hanging on to older customers, while bringing in new customers to replace those who age and die off.
#6788 of 8470 Re: 4x8? [steve_] by fezo Jul 02, 2009 (10:29 am)
Replying to: steve_ (Jul 02, 2009 8:08 am) My father went from the '53 Buick to a Valiant to a Falcon. As much as he loved his Buick, I think it was the only one he drove. He was 36 when he got it and drove it for around 14 years, so he got his money's worth out of it.   Sounds like my grandfather. Drove a big ol' black 49 Buick from likely before i came into the picture until about 6 months before he died. Spent that 6 months in a 60 or 61 Valiant wagon. We inherited the Valiant. We were convinced that if his heart hadn't done him in the Valiant would have.
#6789 of 8470 Re: Isnt the answer so simple? [tlong] by m4d_cow Jul 02, 2009 (10:53 am)
Replying to: tlong (Jul 01, 2009 1:22 pm) *incrementally improve*   Well, at this rate can we actually expect more???

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