GM Canada Leftover Sales In 2011

In case you hadn't noticed, the Pontiac sign at your local General Motors dealership is no longer hanging.

Based on the vehicles Pontiac was producing over the last couple of decades, this isn't a sad fact. But based on the reputation held when our fathers first started buying cars, and on the cars Pontiac was just starting to actively market before its untimely death, it's something of a travesty. 

Cheer up, then. GM Canada has provided the opportunity for the faithful to collect leftover Pontiacs in 2011, along with a couple Hummers and a Chevrolet minivan which must have been manufactured before Obama became president. In the chart below you'll see the Chevrolet Cobalt included for a bit of context. The Cobalt-replacing Cruze first started appearing in stores last fall but there've been some of the antiquated Chevy compacts left to languish anyhow. The volume put up by these Cobalts in the first half of 2011 (one of them in June) will help you understand the volume put up by truly defunct GM products.

And don't go thinking that all of this action came in January 2011. Pontiac sold 27 cars in June. That ties Pontiac with Saab and has it ahead of Maserati and Bentley. And The Good Car Guy didn't include Pontiac in June's monthly by-the-brand recap. Gasp.

Click the chart for a closer look. And remember, the Pontiac G6 is out-selling the Lexus LFA this year; the Uplander and Montana SV6 are out-selling the Cadillac STS; and the Pontiac Vibe is out-selling the Nissan GT-R.

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net

Canada Auto Sales By Brand - June 2011

Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In Canada - June 2011

Top 100 Best-Selling Vehicles In Canada - January-June 2011

The 15 Worst-Selling Vehicles In Canada In 2010

In the slightly rejigged and not-so-immortal words from GoodCarBadCar.net's list of America's 15 Worst-Selling Cars, "For the sake of humour and remembrance - and because these vehicles haven't been discussed on GoodCarBadCar.net for ages - the 15 Worst-Selling Cars In Canada in 2010 include dead or mostly dead vehicles. They are either out of production, soon to be out of production, or not a part of the Canadian new vehicle market any longer." 

Pontiac sales in Canada didn't completely disappear in 2010. In fact, sales fell "just" 86.3% to 6801, 15 of which came in December. Saturn's situation was a bit worse as total 2010 sales fell 99.9% from 2009 to 11, none of which came from the final month of the year. Hummer's sales figures were abysmal in 2009 and couldn't get much worse. Falling 66%, Hummer's total dropped to 168 and GoodCarBadCar.net skipped over the H2's two sales in this table because Worst Seller lists are intended to skip over true luxury items.  That said, the Honda S2000 was a $50K+ vehicle in Canada.

Anyway, this list is no means an official rundown of anything meaningful, but it does give us an opportunity to see how the 2011 Dodge Durango's percentage change numbers will be wonderfully flattering.

Rank	Car	2010	% Drop
#1	Pontiac G8	1	-93.8
#2	Saturn Outlook	1	-99.9
#3	Saturn Astra	2	-99.9
#4	Hyundai Tiburon	2	-99.8
#5	Hyundai Azera	3	-98.3
#6	Dodge Durango	6	-93.8
#7	Chevrolet TrailBlazer	7	-97.2
#8	Ford Taurus X	8	-99.1
#9	Saturn Vue	8	-99.7
#10	GMC Envoy	13	-94.2
#11	Chrysler Aspen	15	-96.4
#12	Pontiac Torrent	16	-99.7
#13	Nissan Quest	20	-95
#14	Honda S2000	21	-57
#15	Chevrolet Uplander	30	-99.7

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Top 10 Worst-Selling Cars In Canada - 2011 Year End
The 10 Worst-Selling Cars In Canada - March 2010
Top 15 Worst-Selling Vehicles In America - 2010 Year End
Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In Canada - 2010 Year End

The 15 Worst-Selling Vehicles In America - 2010

During previous instances in which The Good Car Guy found the Worst Selling Cars in America or Canada, even when configuring lists for Sympatico Autos, there's been a host of ground rules. Foremost among those rules was the absence of luxury-branded vehicles. Luxury cars are by their very nature intended to sell in lower volumes. Punishing them for this is petty. Next up for exclusion were SUVs, trucks, crossovers, and minivans. This time, that rule has been forgotten. Finally, defunct brands or models which had already been killed off were obvious slow sellers, so they were ignored.

Not this time, however. For the sake of humour and remembrance - and because these vehicles haven't been discussed on GoodCarBadCar.net for ages - the 15 Worst-Selling Cars In America in 2010 include dead or mostly dead vehicles. They are either out of production, soon to be out of production, or not a part of the U.S. new vehicle market any longer.

Rank	Car	2010	% Drop
#1	Pontiac Grand Prix	7	-97.4
#2	Mitsubishi Raider	9	-99.5
#3	Mazda B-Series	10	-98.3
#4	Suzuki Forenza/Reno	12	-99.7
#5	Ford Taurus X	12	-99.8
#6	Pontiac G3	14	-99.8
#7	Saturn Astra	25	-99.6
#8	Chrysler Aspen	30	-99.5
#9	Mercury Sable	37	-99.4
#10	Pontiac Torrent	68	-99.3
#11	Chevrolet Uplander	76	-95.7
#12	GMC Envoy	84	-98.3
#13	Honda S2000	85	-89.3
#14	Pontiac G5	86	-99.3
#15	Pontiac Vibe	97	-99.7

Curiously, Mazda Canada has held on to the B-Series... for now. (Its donor vehicle, the Ford Ranger, is not long for this world.) B-Series sales were up 55% in 2010 to 2545. Speaking of Ford, the Taurus X evolved from the Freestyle. Certainly different in styling, the Freestyle/Taurus X's successor, the Ford Flex, isn't totally unlike its predecessors and doesn't sell much better, either. Mercury, Pontiac, and Saturn are all inoperative. The Honda S2000 is sadly no longer a part of Honda's fleet, let's fondly remember it's sweet shifter and screaming 4-cylinder. General Motors doesn't play the minivan game, so the Uplander is gone. The GMC Acadia has been a successful replacement for the GMC Envoy. You could say the GMC Terrain has been a more-than-adequate stand-in for the Pontiac Torrent. Could the Aspen ever return? It seems unlikely, but the name of its platform-mate, Dodge Durango, is returning on an all-new platform. Does anybody even know what the Suzuki Forenza or Reno was? And the Mitsubishi Raider? Sorry Mitsu, Americans buy F-150s, Silverados, Sierras, Rams, and a few Tacomas. Not much else.

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Top 10 Worst-Selling Cars In America - 2011 Year End
Top 10 Worst-Selling Cars In America - March 2010
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - 2010 Year End
Top 5 Best-Selling Trucks In America - 2010 Year End
U.S. Auto Sales By Brand - 2010 Year End

10 INTERESTING CARS CANADIANS DON'T BUY ANYMORE

You're not surprised when the cars you never noticed in the first place go extinct. More curious are the vehicles which capture your attention at one time or another then fail to anchor down in the Marketplace. They've long since reached their Sales Stats peak, the trend is pointing downward, their chances of regaining their old position is completely dependent on manufacturer-supplied incentives. 

Below, you'll find ten interesting vehicles which no longer interest Canadian automobile buyers. For the research-obsessed, sales figures are submitted as evidence. Then read The Good Car Guy's theories on why these ten interesting vehicles aren't selling like they once were.

Audi TT
June 2007: 70
June 2008: 71
June 2009: 55
June 2010: 36
Why? Sometimes the most beautiful cars are also successful because they are the most visually shocking cars. In the Audi TT's case, nothing else looks anything like it. Though still gorgeous in second-generation form, the 2010 Audi TT can't be visually arresting more than a decade after it was first introduced. Team apathy with the fact that two of the Audi TT's competitors (BMW Z4 and Mercedes-Benz SLK) are simultaneously coupes and convertibles and other rivals from Porsche, the Boxster and Cayman, are more dynamically impressive. There you have a recipe for falling TT sales.

Chrysler PT Cruiser
June 2007: 253
June 2008: 215
June 2009: 103
June 2010: 209
Why? Don't let June 2010's apparent recovery fool you. Half-year PT Cruiser sales are down 73% from 2007 levels. Chrysler dealers were off-loading stock with huge discounts in June because PT Cruiser production has come to an end. And why's that? Designers were doing amazing things with retro styling in the late 90s and in the early part of this century, but how does one go about replacing an older-feeling car? If the PT Cruiser went modern, it wouldn't be much of a PT Cruiser. If it remained retro, nothing would have changed and the love and passion people initially felt for the car would continue to dissipate. The PT Cruiser's been left in the lurch.

Dodge Viper
June 2007: 1
June 2008: 15
June 2009: 3
June 2010: 1

Why? Although Viper sales never shot through the roof, more refined machinery from other automakers have caught up to the Viper's performance credentials. Luxury and quality can be had with jaw-dropping acceleration and handling in cars like the BMW M3, Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Nissan GT-R, and Porsche 911 Carrera S. Are they as rapid around a track as the Dodge Viper SRT-10? Probably not, but in 99% of driving situations, the other cars are far more enjoyable and just as much, if not more fun.

Honda Ridgeline
June 2007: 330
June 2008: 164
June 2009: 357
June 2010: 248
Why? From the beginning, the Honda Ridgeline was criticized for being too ugly and too soft. Yet there was something about the Ridgeline which made it desirable, even as many soft-roaders are sought after more fervently than heavy-duty body-on-frame SUVs. Comfortable seating for five people and an under-bed trunk, along with a measure of towing capacity, haven't made the Ridgeline successful in the Canadian market. Compared with the first half of 2008, sales are down 42% in 2010. Canadian sales of the Ford F-Series reached 10,765 in June.

Honda S2000
June 2007: 9
June 2008: 10
June 2009: 2
June 2010: 0
Why? Recently extinguished from Honda's North American websites, the S2000 ceased production in 2009 but continued to sell in low numbers through the beginning of 2010 because, well.... Honda just couldn't get rid of the $50,000+ roadsters. Initially a hit with enthusiasts and tuners, the S2000 gradually appeared bland in appearance and stagnant in performance. Honda refused to dramatically increase the S2000's output. Roadster buyers looking for something fresh and exciting had many other options. The S2000's been old news for a while.

Lexus IS
June 2007: 311
June 2008: 431
June 2009: 247
June 2010: 217
Why? The IS's 50% drop from June 2008 levels to June 2010 came at the same time its most successful Japanese rival, the Infiniti G, pushed sales upward by 20%. Apart from the wild Lexus ISF, the IS range is not really geared towards the automotive enthusiast. The 2010 Lexus IS250 is the sports sedan your mother would have designed for you: clean and classy but not wild or aggressive. Ranking seventh in its class in Canadian June sales, the Lexus IS isn't as handsome as the first-generation IS and is far too Lexus-like to be a true contender in its segment.

Mazda RX-8
June 2007: 99
June 2008: 78
June 2009: 16
June 2010: 20

Why? RX-8 sales actually perked up in June. May and April totals were significantly lower. Mazda does a great job of making all its cars fun to drive, but the RX-8 needs to take fun to another level. And it does. But seven or eight years on from its debut, the RX-8 is long past the date at which Mazda needed to up the ante with the rotary engine. Mazda should also have spent more time making the RX-8 less of a guzzler. Your run of the mill Chevrolet Corvette uses less fuel.

Nissan Quest
June 2007: 159
June 2008: 49
June 2009: 99
June 2010: 2
Why? Half-year sales of the Nissan Quest are down 98% from 2007. In 2002, Nissan displayed the uniquely designed Quest in Detroit. Wow, everyone thought, maybe this is what minivans are supposed to be. The Quest didn't catch on, however, even with big horsepower and a gigantic interior. News that Nissan is going back to the uniquely shaped drawing board for 2011 or 2012 is.... good, I guess; but it didn't work the first time around. Customers stayed with Chrysler and Dodge for the most part and sales of genuine minivans like the Mazda 5 and Kia Rondo took off.

Pontiac Solstice
June 2007: 225
June 2008: 138
June 2009: 63
June 2010: 11
Why? Obviously Pontiac sales have taken a tumble because, uh, Pontiac is dead. GM's axe also took out Saturn, which killed off the Sky, Saturn's Solstice twin. Although both cars were fun to drive, good-looking, and capable performers, they lacked the storage capacity and refinement Mazda Miata owners have come to expect. The Solstice wasn't a brand rescuer, and apparently the Pontiac G8 wasn't, either.

Toyota FJ Cruiser
June 2007: 395
June 2008: 145
June 2009: 62
June 2010: 54
Why? Canadian prices for the 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser start at $31,900. It may not be a direct competitor of the Jeep Wrangler, but there aren't many other vehicles with which the FJ Cruiser would naturally be cross-shopped. Wranglers have a base price of $19,095. 4-door Wranglers start at $23,495. Wrangler sales in June climbed to 1,238. In other words, every time Toyota sold an FJ Cruiser in June, Jeep sold 23 Wranglers. Poor visibility hurts the FJ's cause, too.

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Canada Auto Sales By Brand - July 2010
Top 10 Best-Selling Cars In Canada - June 2010
The 10 Worst-Selling Cars In Canada - March 2010
Saturn Sky Red Line Driven

WATCH OUT CARBON E7, GM HOPS BACK INTO POLICE ARENA WITH CHEVROLET CAPRICE

From Holden, GM's Australian outpost, comes this re-worked Pontiac G8 Police Package. No, wait a second.... It seems a little longer than the G8, that's not a twin-port grille; and that's a bow-tie badge; not an upside-down arrowhead.

Indeed, the police package General Motors will be offering fleets come 2011 isn't a Pontiac G8 but a Chevrolet Caprice, nee Holden Statesman/Caprice. Although very similar to the defunct Pontiac G8, the Caprice police car is actually based on a larger version of GM's rear-wheel drive Zeta platform.

Holden makes use of large variations of the Zeta platform in the Land Down Under. The Commodore (like our G8) is just the start: Calais, Ute, Caprice, Statesman, and Sportwagon form half of Holden's showroom. As in the Middle East, the larger sedan version of this Holden Zeta platform will be called the Chevrolet Caprice for North America. Ah, but only for fleets; not for private customers. At least not until police auctions show '11s with 180,000 miles and a severely dented rear bumper.

Read The Good Car Guy's call for a Pontiac G8 Police Package

Sadly, not only is the Pontiac G8 dead but its spiritual successor won't be available in Chevrolet showrooms. Take solace in a few simple facts. The Caprice is gigantic. (The G8 wasn't "small", after all.) Its wheelbase is stretched almost four inches and its overall length is about a half-foot beyond that of the Pontiac G8. This brings about a couple hundred more pounds in luxurious Holden formation and should do so anyway with all the extra riot gear. So if you don't like your cars 17-feet long there's no need to complain about the Caprice's absence in Chevy dealers.

Even with all that weight, 355 horsepower and 384 lb-ft of torque from a 6.0L V8 should give the Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle some scoot. Cops should be comfortable with more interior capacity than the Ford Crown Victoria offers in addition to specially contoured seats to allow space for a typical cop's belt.

Check out the full GoodCarBadCar.net POLICE section

Strangely, a "street-appearance" package code-named 9C3 will be available. One would assume that a supposedly "undercover" car ain't gonna appear to undercover when NOBODY ELSE IS ALLOWED TO DRIVE THAT MODEL OF CAR. That being said, the same accusation could be applied to the upcoming Carbon Motors police car, a vehicle which, in basic garb, will still be identifiable by its core.

Nevertheless, it is the diesel-powered Carbon Motors E7 that'll provide the stiffest fleet competition to the Chevrolet Caprice, not the antiquated Ford police package. As sales to consumers drop, will anybody else want to step in and play this game?

MADE IN CANADA - ALL 25 VEHICLES ASSEMBLED BY CANADIANS

How I'd love to hold in my quiver such assets as paid researchers. The New York Times has completed an exhaustive S&D (search and define) to establish which vehicles are Made In America. Alongside this information, the NYT has also provided us with vehicles Hecho En Mexico. For the purpose of this post, the NYT has thankfully gone north of the border, as well. Made In Canada, or as numerous millions say, Fait Au Canada.

Updated: Read The Vehicles Made In Canada List For 2010

In truth, the Times delved much deeper into the so-called American cars. Were the employees who assembled the vehicle unionized; where do the engines and transmissions come from? Before you take a look at the list and jump into a hissyfit, remember that some vehicles are assembled in multiple factories all over the continent or all over the world. And, in many cases, vehicles could be assembled in the USA with engines from different countries; not just the one. Not only that, but the design could have taken place on the other side of the world or just down the street from the factory. Although informative, this list is by no means all-encompassing.

Nevertheless, you ought to feel obligated to take a look at the Made In Canada list below if you want to sound educated at work tomorrow. Oh, and the vehicles below are clearly not in alphabetical order. They're arranged by how pleased I am, as a Canadian, to live in the nation where these cars are built... for reasons unknown even to me.

Chevrolet Camaro

Chrysler 300

Honda Civic Si

Dodge Challenger

Acura MDX

Ford Flex

Toyota RAV4

Honda Civic (sedan & coupe)

Lexus RX350

Toyota Matrix

Dodge Charger

Lincoln MKX/Ford Edge

Chrysler Town & Country/Dodge Grand Caravan/VW Routan
GMC Sierra Hybrid/Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid
Toyota Corolla

Chevrolet Impala 
Suzuki XL7 
Pontiac G6 
Lincoln Town Car/Ford Crown Victoria/Mercury Grand Marquis

5 SIGNS GENERAL MOTORS IS THE "NEW GM"

24 hours ago, GoodCarBadCar.net went on high-alert after General Motors made clear that the company was entering Chapter 11 bankruptcy. One post later, and GCBC's activity skyrocketed. There are plenty of complainers (most of whom don't understand that these same billions of dollars would be directed towards unemployment insurance if the government didn't help) and thousands of ignorant souls who simply don't know better. But in the end, America cares about General Motors.

This has thrown GoodCarBadCar's shcedule for a bit of a loop. Rather than look at five more of the most Memorable Vehicular Debuts of The Good Car Guy's era, it seems an ideal time to attempt to discover how and why the "new" GM will be different. Oh yeah, "new" is an important word in GM's... er, new vernacular. In Fritz Henderson's open letter posted here, new is even capitalized. So, says Henderson, "the New GM is here to stay". Also, though the company is appreciative of the Obama administration's help and doesn't discount the sacrifice so many Americans and Canadians have made, Fritz believes "our product is our future". Which is interesting, given The Good Car Guy's #1 reason GM went bankrupt. Anyway, keep reading for the Five Signs General Motors Has Changed and see if you can manage not to make a joke to your friends about GM being on the Fritz. Ha.

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The #5 Sign That General Motors Is The New GM ........ : Hummer is now owned by the Chinese. Yes indeed; expect the sale to go through by the end of September of this year. We don't know if the mystery buyer is Chinese or not, but few nations have companies willing to spend $500,000,000 on a brand that is distinctly uncompetitive in its largest market.

The #4 Sign That General Motors Is The New GM ........ : Saturns live on as Magna-built Opels. The Aurora, Ontario-based parts maker paid $989,000,000 for Opel; tie-ups with Russia-based OAO GAZ notwithstanding. Magna wants Opel to return to profitability by 2011 with significant increases in market share. Rumour has it that included in Magna's plan is help for dying Saturn dealers who already share some product with Opel.

The #3 Sign That General Motors Is The New GM ........ : Pontiac signs come down. Over the last decade, dealerships that weren't selling multiple GM brands were urged to do so. Typically, that meant Pontiac was sold alongside Buick and GMC. Buick and GMC are surviving - Pontiac is dying. Pontiac/Buick/GMC dealers will become Buick/GMC dealers if they don't take on Chevrolet and Cadillac, too.

The #2 Sign That General Motors Is The New GM ........ : Your GM car is built abroad. Although the New GM wants to "more efficiently utilize U.S. capacity", the New GM doesn't joke around when it comes to increasing vehicle sales in the U.S. of cars built elsewhere. Think China, first and foremost. One doubts that the Bowling Green sticker on your Corvette will be Beijing or Guangzhou anytime soon. However, GM already builds products in the far east that we see as American-made cars here. Why not build them one place, do so for less, and then ship them here?

The #1 Sign That General Motors Is The New GM ........ : You or your friends lose your job(s). Sorry to be so harsh, but listen to New GM's plans: swing downward from 2008's 47 manufacturing plants to 34 by the end of 2010 and 33 by the end of 2012. Meanwhile, GM's salaried North American workforce shrinks from 35,100 to 27,200. Take a look at the table below (click to enlarge) for plant closure timelines.

PONTIAC DIES; FIAT ARRIVES

"Sadly ironic" would be a suitable phrase for the likely occurrence of Pontiac being put out to pasture just as Fiat arrives in the barnyard in 2010. Both scenarios are brought on as a result of two once-gigantic companies realigning themselves for an era of much smaller automotive sales in the USA. Of course, Fiat's arrival will come on the heels of Chrysler's bankruptcy while Pontiac's death hits home because General Motors is far too large and needs to shrink somewhere. Or rather, somewhere(s). Oldsmobile is already dead. Hummer, Saab, and Saturn will be very different companies by 2011, as well.

What is it about Fiat that makes it a probable success in North America that wasn't true with Pontiac? In January, Pontiac sold 9,104 cars, positioning the brand as the 18th best-seller in America that month. Mini sold 2,082 vehicles. Fiat's 500 - the Cinquecento - is a relatively direct competitor for the Mini Cooper. 20,000 sales per annum seems possible. That'd be about 1,666 for Fiat's highest-profile car.

The Panda, Grande Punto, and Bravo are also obvious contenders for North America. Rumour has it that Jeep wants the Panda 4x4. GoodCarBadCar wants the Panda 100HP. The Grande Punto is gorgeous but, with the 500 and Panda, would be the equivalent in North America of Honda selling the Fit, a tall Fit, and a small and stylish Fit. Possible? Yes. Possibly successful? Maybe. Possibly superflous? Yes.

The Bravo, if trunked, would be thrown into the ring with the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Mitsubishi Lancer, Suzuki SX4, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Forte, Nissan Sentra, and Mazda3, among others. Its novelty factor rests upon one item: its badge; which for some people is actually a turn-off. It is not a class leader in Europe as it stands.

In other words, could Fiat sell 10,000 cars per month in America? Of course, Pontiac's problem wasn't the 9,104 cars sold in January. It was the fact that the 9,104 figure was 62% lower than the sales stat from January of '08. Importing Fiats to North America is a much more in-depth process than the American media wants to make it out to be. President Obama doesn't simply hand a pen to the UAW, Canadian government, Treasury department, and Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne for us to see 500s and Pandas appearing in New Jersey.

Crash tests, engine/emission certification, dealer set-up.... all of these things must happen. And whether they can be fast-tracked or not, these things take time and LOTS of money. Thanks to General Motors, Fiat made $2,000,000,000 a few years ago just for GM not to buy it. $2B sounds like a lot. Fiat, however, is a volume player everywhere else. Volume in America should mean 10,000+ sales per month. If Fiat wants to play niche like Mini or smart or even luxury brands like Audi or Porsche, the prices will rise. Then Fiat in North America won't be the value brand it is everywhere else. And after the novelty wears off, nobody will pay Mini Cooper prices for a Fiat 500.

Is this an argument against the potential success of Fiat? Just because Pontiac died, Fiat will too? Of course not, the brands have little in common. Nonetheless, a brand that failed here once and failed miserably in many other parts of the globe multiple times over isn't the knight in shining armour the Obama administration (and Cinquecento lovers) would lead you to believe. Fiat isn't bagging Chrysler out of charity, after all. It's a business decision. Why would Fiat take on an obvious charity case if Fiat didn't need to? Ah. Perhaps Fiat needs Chrysler, if not as much as Chrysler needs Fiat, at least enough to make Marchionne look more seriously at Opel possibilities, too.

OFFICIAL GOODCARBADCAR.NET CORONER'S REPORT - PONTIAC DEAD AS A RESULT OF EUTHANASIA

OFFICE OF THE GOODCARBADCAR.NET CORONER

Date & Hour Autopsy Performed: 04.27.2009

FULL AUTOPSY PERFORMED by:

The Good Car Guy

GoodCarBadCar Towers

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SUMMARY REPORT OF AUTOPSY

Name: General Motors, Pontiac

Date of Birth: 1926

Date of Death: 2010

Age: 84

Body Identified By: Fritz Henderson, Chief Executive Officer at General Motors

Investigative Agency: GoodCarBadCar.net

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EXTERNAL EXAMINATION

The autopsy is begun at 10:53 (AST) on Monday, April 27, of 2009. The body of Pontiac is presented after the death knell has sounded but more than a year in advance of its death. At the time, Pontiac was wearing the Torrent, Solstice, G8, G6, G5, Vibe, and G3. The body is that of a normally developed automotive brand with excess girth as evidenced by the Torrent, G5, and G3. Upon removal of the victim's clothing, an odor of confusion and disarray wafted through the examination room. Strakes, said by witnesses to be called "cladding", were seen up and down the sides of the victim's body. On the front, scoops and gills appear to show signs of being present for more than 15 years.

INTERNAL EXAMINATION

Head & Central Nervous System: Cruel and unusual punishment was meted out upon Pontiac for more than two decades as punishment for, perhaps, being John Z. DeLorean's favourite brand. Mismanagement at the top resulted in a mismatched product lineup. Like placing an 11-year old soccer player in midfield to play with Ronaldinho, both the youngster and the superstar suffer. Thus, the G3 negatively impacted the G8 while not doing itself any good either.

Skeletal System: A General Motors product revival, as seen in the G8 and even the Torrent GXP as well as in other linked-up families like Chevrolet (Malibu), Cadillac (CTS) and Buick (Enclave), shows core strength deep down in the foundation.

Respiratory System: Automotive brands need $$$ to breathe easy. Pontiac's parent, General Motors, was increasingly reliant on government loans to breathe. Pontiac wasn't getting enough of that air.

Cardiovascular System: Even if Pontiac had been breathing easily, the blood only pumps if consumers are purchasing in large numbers. In the United States this past January for example, Pontiac sales were 62% lower than in the same period of the year before. The blood was not pumping.

Gastrointestinal System: Not only recently but in the distant past, Pontiac was not being fed the same way as other General Motors brands. For instance, despite Pontiac's image as GM's performance brand, it was Chevrolet's Cobalt that received the SS treatment with all its horsepower and suspension trickery while the identical car at Pontiac, the G5, starved with 150 horsepower whether you wanted more or not. In other instances, too much gas could be a problem. The G8 GXP, a terrific car introduced at the wrong time, suffered from a guzzling mentality that results in using a gallon of gasoline every 13 miles in city driving. Besides all that, indigestion still lingers after trying to swallow the guilt and shame otherwise known as the Aztek.

LABORATORY DATA

Excessive steel and iron. Low in gold, silver, and bronze. No potential for hydrogen or diesel. Thankfully, no neon was ever present. Lacking aluminum and titanium. Bilirubin count was normal.

EVIDENCE COLLECTED

Witnesses say the parent, General Motors, has plans to cut the number of nameplates offered in North America from last year's 47 to 34 by the end of 2010. Apparently, the sibling which helped Pontiac the most, Holden, will lose $1,000,000,000 per year as a result of Pontiac's demise. General Motors also plans to save $2,600,000,000 in hourly labour costs by 2010. Also, General Motors has come to grips with the fact that their market share in the USA will likely drop from 19.5 to 18.5 in the near future. GM's market share in the late 1960s was about half of all vehicles sold in America.

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OPINION

Time of Death: 12.01.2010 at the latest

Immediate Cause of Death: Dwindling sales, uninteresting lineup/uninterested public, only enough $$$ to support four General Motors brands (Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, GMC)

Manner of Death: Euthanasia

Remarks: General Motors bigshots like Bob Lutz and Rick Wagoner wanted Pontiac to be America's BMW. After that decision was made, the public was offered a renewed Grand Prix as well as the G6. One wonders, had General Motors decided a decade or more in the past that Pontiac would be America's Porsche, if cars like the Solstice, G8, and the new Camaro-as-a-Trans Am would have resulted in the niche brand GM said they wanted a few months ago. Pontiac's history is either ignored, dismissed, forgotten, or not known by the vast majority of 2009's auto-buying public. Still, attempting to sell excitement and then providing North America with the G3 and G5 was - and will always be remembered as - a big mistake. Indeed, Pontiac's history necessitated a product lineup that: provided a refined Solstice; made the Camaro a Pontiac and not a Chevrolet; made use of the CTS-v Coupe's underpinnings as a modern-day GTO; could turn the Volt into GM's first performance-oriented hybrid; and sold the G8 GT and G8 GXP as an alternative to a similar car that was available at Buick with a V6 only.