Nissan moves on plans to revive Datsun nameplate as budget sub-brand

[Jedi3]

Nissan moves on plans to revive Datsun nameplate as budget sub-brand

Plans are reportedly progressing to bring back Datsun. Wait, what? Wasn't Datsun just the name of Nissan before it became Nissan? Why yes, yes it was. But the Japanese automaker is – as we initially reported back in July – planning on dipping back into its own history to launch a budget brand for developing markets.

The sub-brand would further increase the number of marques in CEO Carlos Ghosn's portfolio that already includes Renault, Dacia, Nissan, Infiniti, Renault-Samsung Motors and a significant stake in Russia's AvtoVAZ.

As Auto Express points out, the Renault-Nissan Alliance already has a budget brand called Dacia (pictured above) that's managed by the French side of the equation and based in Romania. (You may recognize the name from the brand's off-road racing exploits in the Andros Trophy or Pikes Peak, or from James May's obsession with the brand's sensible vehicles on Top Gear.) Nissan's revived Datsun nameplate may, then, amount to little more than rebadged versions of Dacias for markets like Russia and China.

Whatever they sell and wherever they sell them, one thing's all but certain: Datsun won't be coming back to the United States any time soon. Oh well, we'll just have to stick with Nissan and vehicles like the 370Z and GT-R.

Sorce: Autoblog.com

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/04/nissan-...s-budget-sub-b/

[Ringo64]

Interesting, I've always liked the name Datsun better than Nissan but meh whatever

[markpetersonii]

Hopefully this will spark the beginning of bringing back car companies, LIKE PONTIAC!!!!????

[Young gun]

Hopefully this will spark the beginning of bringing back car companies, LIKE PONTIAC!!!!????

[[ChaosweaveR]]

I have a solution to the Pontiac dillema...

I dunno...take Holden, and bring them over as Pontiac. No more bland Pontiacs. Problem solved...

But this is stubborn GM we're talking about...

[Ringo64]

' date='Oct 5 2011, 08:15 PM' post='59929']

I have a solution to the Pontiac dillema...

I dunno...take Holden, and bring them over as Pontiac. No more bland Pontiacs. Problem solved...

But this is stubborn GM we're talking about...

Honestly I would have made Pontiac a 2 car brand, the G8 and the Solstice... but I do like this Holden and am not 100% off this idea but on the other hand I think that Pontiac should be American inspired muscle/exciting cars or stay dormant.

I'm all for bringing Holden cars over to America though

[[ChaosweaveR]]

Holden is WHAT Pontiac should have been here.

[Ringo64]

' date='Oct 5 2011, 08:41 PM' post='59931']

Holden is WHAT Pontiac should have been here.

[havoc1482]

Well remember GM didn't want to drop Pontiac because they are stubborn. The government has to stick a cattle prod up their ass.

[[ChaosweaveR]]

Well remember GM didn't want to drop Pontiac because they are stubborn. The government has to stick a cattle prod up their ass.

Not really, more like dangle money in front of GM for a bailout, and GM was kissing ass like a slave to his master.

[Ringo64]

' date='Oct 5 2011, 10:24 PM' post='59941']

Not really, more like dangle money in front of GM for a bailout, and GM was kissing ass like a slave to his master.

I'd say GM getting rid of Pontiac was a last resort to get the bailout, not really giving in to it at first. They proposed all sorts of plans including getting rid of Saturn and Hummer of course but the government really wanted Pontiac gone as well, which once GM accepted that the Gov gave them the bailout.

[Moanalua]

I'd say GM getting rid of Pontiac was a last resort to get the bailout, not really giving in to it at first. They proposed all sorts of plans including getting rid of Saturn and Hummer of course but the government really wanted Pontiac gone as well, which once GM accepted that the Gov gave them the bailout.

I appreciate it that the Feds rescued GM, but I don't think they should have gone as far as to force GM to kill Pontiac. GM needs to pay the Feds back, at which point they will finally be out of GM's hair. Then GM should resuscitate the Pontiac brand. Just last month, GM passed Toyota to become the world's #1 automaker. GM is now healthy again, and is in a position to resuscitate Pontiac. The Feds shouldn't object to that, now that GM is once again #1.

[havoc1482]

Newbie alert

[Frosty]

I'd say GM getting rid of Pontiac was a last resort to get the bailout, not really giving in to it at first. They proposed all sorts of plans including getting rid of Saturn and Hummer of course but the government really wanted Pontiac gone as well, which once GM accepted that the Gov gave them the bailout.

Ringo64 is spot on. The Feds told GM they had too many competing cars to support it's existing cost structure. In order to get government bail out funding and government support of its restructuring plan, GM had to eliminate cars. How GM parred down the brands and cars was left to the GM management team to determine. Clearly eliminating all the brands like Saturn, Hummer, and Saab did not par it down enough.

So the next logical brand was either to ax either Buick or Pontiac (sadly). China sales certainly made teh case for keeping Buick over Pontiac. Eliminating GMC would not have really done much to reduce the cost structure since the vast majority of full size truck cost and sales is still with Chrevrolet. So there would be no real savings in killing GMC, it would just kill sales. Plus the margins on trucks is hugely profitable compared to cars.

As I have said before, the only way I see that Pontiac could possibly come back is once the government is out of GM's shorts and GM's cost structure remains as low as it is. Frankly, I still don't expect GM to resurrect Pontiac unless they clearly define the Pontiac market and target those customers with exclusive performance platforms. Right now, GM is more interested in making Chevrolet it's global brand of choice. Cadillac will also be it's global luxury brand. Vauxhall, Holden, Opel, Buick, and GMC will become more regional brands.

Honestly, I think the closest thing we could get is if GM were to bring back some of the legendary names such as Firebord, Trans Am, Grand National, Regal GS, GTO, 442, etc. with some of their future cars. I would envision it sold through GM dealerships with no specific brand associated with it.

[Ringo64]

Honestly, I think the closest thing we could get is if GM were to bring back some of the legendary names such as Firebord, Trans Am, Grand National, Regal GS, GTO, 442, etc. with some of their future cars. I would envision it sold through GM dealerships with no specific brand associated with it.

I think to have a rare GTO, Firebird or something come in and out every couple years would make some money for GM. Granted operating costs for something rare is a bit high but that can hopefully be captured with the selling price, seeing it is rare I would imagine some paying more than a current Camaro SS or ZL1 for one. That is if it's done right. I would buy one for sure if it's done right and I make the money that enables me to

[Frosty]

To that point, it might make sense for GM to allow or sanction speciality shops like Trans Am Depot, Lingenfelter, or others to build Trans Ams out of Camaros. GTOs out Commodores, etc. Just don't put the Pontiac or Oldsmobile emblems on it. That way the low volume/custom parts tooling and production rests on the speciality supplier and off of GM's books.

The other question is can this be done economically? A Firebreather Camaro (for the upcoming movie Jinn) can be purchased but the cost is $92+K. Not my idea of what a Firebird or TA should cost. So cost has to be managed in some way. I don't mind paying for more a Trans Am / Firebird over the cost of a Camaro, but it has to be faster/better performing/and reasonibly priced.

[[ChaosweaveR]]

Sadly, I think Pontiac is gone, and will remain gone. GM has already planned their future around it, and it would cost them too much to necro Pontiac. To boot, the average joe would look at this as a knife in the back, GM making promises to be better, then bring back an axed brand from the "old" GM. GM really doesn't need another shitstorm of bad media bringing their sales and stock down.

But even as a niche brand, GM would just lose money on low volume sales. The costs per production of units versus sales per unit would be terrible, GM doesn't need to go back into the hole.

[Frosty]

As I have always stated, any possible come back for Pontiac (assuming GM wants it in the first place) is to get rid of the government ownership. Period. Without that, GM can never bring back Pontiac.

That said, will GM ever bring back Pontiac. It might and I've outlined in other posts what that will take for it to come back. However, right now, my personal crystal ball says No. Too much pressure for 3-4-6 cylinder engines to get better fuel economy/CO2/NOX and zero emissions cars to get green(er). A performance brand like Pontiac tends to fly in the face of the tree huggers in Washington and elsewhere right now. GM's financial future is tied to green initiatives, not performance ones (sigh). So unless GM's fortunes change, I highly doubt that Pontiac will return.

Oh and to tie this back into this thread, I think bringing back the Datsun name, while cute, is a marketing blunder. People will either be confused or shake their head and say "what? where did the name Datsun come from anyway?" or "why?"

Besides we all know that the reason that Datsun got it's name was over a business lunch between themselves and their German counter parts. The Japanese said it only took 18 months to go from design concept to production. The Germans shock their heads and said "Dat soon?" So that's what the Japaneese called it.