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GM News, New Models and Market Share

8237 messages,  Last post on Nov 22, 2009 at 8:40 AM

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What is this discussion about? Automotive News


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#6822 of 8237
Re: Buick sales may rebound [andre1969] by steve_ HOST
Jul 04, 2009 (11:50 am)
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Replying to: andre1969 (Jul 04, 2009 11:11 am)

Parking photos on your CarSpace page is pretty painless too (famous last words, lol).
#6823 of 8237
Re: Buick sales may rebound [lemko] by circlew
Jul 04, 2009 (6:31 pm)
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Replying to: lemko (Jul 04, 2009 5:23 am)

That gets back to something I've been complaining about for a long time. American car manufacturers forgot how to make AMERICAN CARS!
 
Bingo!
 
Cars.com's American-Made Index highlights the cars that are built here, have the highest amount of domestic parts — with eligible models having parts-content ratings of 75% or higher — and are bought in the largest numbers by Americans.
 
The Toyota Camry, once an American-Made Index presence, hasn't appeared on this list since 2007. Not only does it return for 2009, it's displaced Ford's F-150 as the only leader this list has had since we began compiling it in 2006. Three others joined the list, two of which — the Ford Taurus and Toyota Venza — have never been on the AMI before, and Detroit automakers claimed just five of the 10 spots. That's a record low for them.
 
MP: "Foreign" automakers captured half of the top ten spots for American-made cars in 2009:
 
#1. Toyota Camry (pictured above)
#4. Honda Odyssey
#6. Toyota Sienna
#7. Toyota Tundra
#10. Toyota Venza

 
Regards,
OW
#6824 of 8237
Re: Buick sales may rebound [cooterbfd] by circlew
Jul 04, 2009 (6:35 pm)
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Replying to: cooterbfd (Jul 04, 2009 11:01 am)

cooterbfd, find a picture on the net in another browser window that is no more than 600 x 480 or around that. Right click it and click "copy image location".
 
Then, go to your post, clik the "Img" button, then right clikc your mouse and click "past" so the image location appears after the
#6825 of 8237
Re: Buick sales may rebound [circlew] by cooterbfd
Jul 05, 2009 (4:37 am)
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Replying to: circlew (Jul 04, 2009 6:35 pm)

I'll try.
 
BTW, I think lemko was referring to "American" cars in the sense of styling, and not domestic content (though don't get me wrong, DC IS a major component). There has been, since at least the post war (WWII) a major difference in the way we and the Europeans have designed cars. I would say that here the car you drove was always as much of a fashon statement as it was transportation.
#6826 of 8237
Re: Buick sales may rebound [cooterbfd] by fezo
Jul 05, 2009 (7:26 am)
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Replying to: cooterbfd (Jul 05, 2009 4:37 am)

I'm sure that's what he meant and he's right.
 
I don't understand the move to have everything LOOK like a Camry. People don't buy Camrys because they look good. Certain generations of them have been nice looking and some at least not offensive (I don't include the current version in either camp) but people buy them no matter what for what they perceive it offers - long, reliable life.
 
Now most here would agree that a Buick will provide you with a long, reliable life as well but you need to make it look American and be uniquely American to draw people in. It can be done. I look at what Ford is doing and they have the idea. NO reason GM can't do it other than the plug gets pulled before they accomplish it.
#6827 of 8237
Re: Buick sales may rebound [cooterbfd] by m4d_cow
Jul 05, 2009 (8:04 am)
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Replying to: cooterbfd (Jul 03, 2009 7:08 am)

OK, but this begs the question; aside from the "bling" crowd, what is wrong with traditional "American" styling in a car, which generally means a little bit bigger and the chrome accents and grilles?
 
When it comes to design, I believe the problem is: American cars still haven't managed to find the right theme that can last in the long run. And no, not even the Japanese have found that, so far only Europeans managed to do so.
 
The second problem is American consumers' love for chrome, which adds flash, but at the price of losing class. You don't see classy cars with chrome overkill, and yes, the same problem applies to Cadillac.
#6828 of 8237
Re: Buick sales may rebound [buyamerican2] by m4d_cow
Jul 05, 2009 (8:20 am)
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Replying to: buyamerican2 (Jul 03, 2009 5:41 am)

I've seen it, still not enough to lure the younger market IMO.
 
Remember Pontiac's old philosophy:
"An old man will drive a young man's car, but a young man will not drive an old man's car"
 
Positive, negative, no matter. Give them what the market wants and sales will rise, that simple.
 
Like I said, Buick is pretty much dead. Now what's left is to salvage the best parts of it, namely fit-finish and reliability, and place them in the other divisions like Cadillac.
#6829 of 8237
Re: Buick sales may rebound [m4d_cow] by cooterbfd
Jul 05, 2009 (8:23 am)
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Replying to: m4d_cow (Jul 05, 2009 8:04 am)

".....When it comes to design, I believe the problem is: American cars still haven't managed to find the right theme that can last in the long run."
 
I believe that is because Americans are conditioned to "what have you done for me lately". And that is from a style and fashon sense. Think about it for a sec; EVERY SINGLE CHEVY IMPALA from 1958 thru 1972 had it's own separate and distinct look, even if they shared a body style or frame among the years. Can you tell the difference between an '09 or a '10 Impala? Camry? Accord? Malibu?? No. only by the vin #.
#6830 of 8237
Re: Buick sales may rebound [cooterbfd] by steve_ HOST
Jul 05, 2009 (9:28 am)
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Replying to: cooterbfd (Jul 05, 2009 8:23 am)

VW sold a lot of Bugs poking fun at those annual model changes out of Detroit. VW touted the incremental improvements, not big styling changes. When the tail lights got big and round, that was a big deal.
 
Even now, while the new Rabbit is a bit of departure, does it really look all that different from the old Golf and the original Rabbit?
#6831 of 8237
Re: Buick sales may rebound [m4d_cow] by tlong
Jul 05, 2009 (12:48 pm)
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Replying to: m4d_cow (Jul 05, 2009 8:04 am)

OK, but this begs the question; aside from the "bling" crowd, what is wrong with traditional "American" styling in a car, which generally means a little bit bigger and the chrome accents and grilles? If they made an AWD variant of the old Lacrosse with a 6 sp. manual, and a 450 hp twin turbo 3.6L, and put a Corvette suspension in it, would it not get attention from the younger crowd??
 
The problem with that styling is that it has become associated with inferior cars. If BMW and Audi had been blinging their cars and they were otherwise praised for reliability, refinement, handling, interior quality -- then those external aesthetics would become associated with desirability. Conversely, you have unrefined GM rental fodder with bling and after a while everybody associates those styling elements with crappy cars.
 
So for the New GM to break with their old past, they should ditch the "American styling" -- not because it is inherently bad, but because it helps the consumer believe that this is different and these companies have changed. Same reason why they should dump the Buick name and even the GM name should change somewhat. The more people feel GM has not changed the less likely they are going to be successful.

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