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Pontiac Still Rather Alive


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  • Founders

Well since its death in what many call 2009, Pontiac has still been rather alive in those of its owners/drivers/enthusiast. Not only online but offline as well I have noticed many acts of Pontiac's still being bought, driven, restored, cherished and talked about. Great clubs, such as are own, have been popping up or are still going strong such as POCHI, G6P, GTOAA and NFC. It is great to see these clubs still do activities and take new members on. Pontiac's are still participating in shows, still being restored/customized and still being loved because of groups like ours.

In actual ways of the company of Pontiac, owned by General Motors, Pontiac's website (http://Pontiac.com) is still ranked 242,398 in the world and 80,099 in the US (according to Alexa, "The Web Information Company"), that's amazing that a company that has not made a new car in almost a year is still gathering interest that well to their website! In a report a while back, Pontiac was also a more popular keyword than Buick. This is interesting as said before, they haven't made a car for a while yet people are still searching for them! Overall the best stat to see is that even though GM killed off Pontiac, 53.3% of Pontiac drivers are still buying new GM cars. It's good to see that GM didn't just kill off Pontiac and be done with it, they actually wanted customers to come back to GM with incentives like free Oil Changes for a Year with your Pontiac, incentives for new GM vehicles for just Pontiac owners, etc...

Another interesting component of seeing that Pontiac is alive, is that people are buying brand NEW 2010-2011 Chevy Camaros with intentions of making them into Firebirds and GTOs. Myself being one of these people find this is the best way to make a tribute to a car company that has done so well by its owners.

Overall I just wanted to bring this up and make a point that websites like Forever Pontiac are key to keeping Pontiac around and help those who love Pontiac just as much as we do. Also stating the fact that even though Pontiac's could never be made again and people still are just as much in love with their car, if not even more!

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Well, stated. As an owner of my 5th Pontiac, I'd like to say that I will ALWAYS have at least 1 Pontiac in my family. As much as I look around at other vehicles and think that they offer what I think I want, Pontiac will always have my heart.

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Makes me feel better and also im happy about that stat knowing that im one of the numbers they are talking about for searching for pontiac!!!

Do you think they will ever bring them back????

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I would like to hope so, but even if GM greenlighted one or two cars to be sold as a Pontiac, or as a tribute to Pontiac, it would still take a minimuim of 2-4 years for it to reach production. That is how long it takes to get a car designed, tested, certified by the government to meet safety and emissions, and into production, even if it based on an existing chassis and drivetrain - this is assuming that you have the design already completed and finalized too.

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I would like to hope so, but even if GM greenlighted one or two cars to be sold as a Pontiac, or as a tribute to Pontiac, it would still take a minimuim of 2-4 years for it to reach production. That is how long it takes to get a car designed, tested, certified by the government to meet safety and emissions, and into production, even if it based on an existing chassis and drivetrain - this is assuming that you have the design already completed and finalized too.

Perhaps... perhaps not.

I think a TA could roll into production rather quickly- especially with an aftermarket partner.

:woot:

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The fact that GM did not try to sell Pontiac (like Saturn and Hummer), leaves me with one tiny eensy-weensy shread of hope that it still may be on life support and could be revived in some limited fashion.

BTW (mild rant coming,lol)... since we're talking about the death of Pontiac, why wasn't Buick charged with "accessory to manslaughter"?!! :nuts: IMHO, no matter how "cool" they try to be, they are still stupid looking and they will always be the evil sibling who laughed as the good son died. :lol:

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Most of the cars, I don't like, but the new Regal is pretty dang nice. I suggest actually looking into it. It's nice for a compact car like that.

I know, I know... I've read it's a really nice car for the money. It's just going to take a while for me to get over this hatred of Buick. Now maybe if they were to use the Camaro platform and come out with modern version of the '70 GSX or '87 GN... :lol: ...oops, sorry!

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  • Founders

The reason Buick wasnt killed because they are the number one car company in China

This = true, maybe not number 1 but pretty damn close. Buick is THE high end car to have in China :D

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2011 Buick LaCrosse = win.

2010 Buick Enclave = win.

2011 Buick Regal = win.

Agreed Pontiac should live again but my first car was a Buick Regal, one of my favorite rides, so I must defend the Buick passion. To me, being the poor man, it's a poor man's Cadillac. 20 years ago when cars turned over almost 100% from RWD to FWD when they forgot how to make a car, the Buicks pulled through with TONS of options. Many wheel choices, appearance packages, velour/leather seats more comfy than your COUCH! I drool over the 2011 Regal... but, when my first impression of my first car was like this

... it just felt amazing. And considering those gauges were designed 21 years ago, they're pretty impressive. Mine had 94k compared to that ones 127k shown on the dash. Pontiac is amazing and also has my heart now, but the Regal... it'll always have me a soft spot :willy_nilly:

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  • 2 months later...

2011 Buick LaCrosse = win.

2010 Buick Enclave = win.

2011 Buick Regal = win.

Agreed Pontiac should live again but my first car was a Buick Regal, one of my favorite rides, so I must defend the Buick passion. To me, being the poor man, it's a poor man's Cadillac. 20 years ago when cars turned over almost 100% from RWD to FWD when they forgot how to make a car, the Buicks pulled through with TONS of options. Many wheel choices, appearance packages, velour/leather seats more comfy than your COUCH! I drool over the 2011 Regal... but, when my first impression of my first car was like this

... it just felt amazing. And considering those gauges were designed 21 years ago, they're pretty impressive. Mine had 94k compared to that ones 127k shown on the dash. Pontiac is amazing and also has my heart now, but the Regal... it'll always have me a soft spot :rofl:

Like you I had a 78 Regal, v8 with buckets, gauges, and console shift. Looked good and drove fantastic. But I've always been a die hard Pontiac guy. Buick really lost me some time around 2k when their designs became so completely indistinguishable from everything else on the road they became the incognito of automobiles. The only distinguishing feature they currently have is the port holes and I've seen after market port holes stuck on everything from fiestas to semi's so that's not much of an styling clue.

GM killed off it's two most identifiable brands, Olds and Pontiac, The next time you drive down the highway, see how long it takes to identify a make of car. The Olds, Pontiac split grill was easy to see and identify from as much as half a mile away or more, some modern Chevy's and Dodges I can decipher at maybe a 1/10th of a mile or so. Buick on the other hand, I've stood in parking lots 5' away from their cars and won't know it was a gm product if I couldn't see a Buick badge somewhere on the car. Most embarrassing for GM has to be when recently I was standing on one of their car lots, and I couldn't tell a new Buick from a used Hyundai, a used Mercury, or even a used Kia. The grills and tail lights all look identical. GM will never build a brand identity with a product that is so bland that it's the equivalent of military camouflage.

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Sadly it's not GM who says lets go this way, it's the customers. That is what customers today want to buy so it gets made.

I personally don't find the Buick Regal that bad looking, it's a little off to what I visually would like but I absolutely love the new Lacrosse. I know they look kinda the same but the Lacrosse is bigger and fills the look better.

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  • Founders

and the old people need something to drive too.

Buick is getting better, I wouldn't mind having a new Lacrosse.

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The reason Buick wasnt killed because they are the number one car company in China

More Buicks are sold in China now than are sold in the U.S. GM is fortunate that Buick has such a huge following in China. I was in Beijing in 2000. The Buick GS (a Chineese version of the Regal) with a V6 3.0L (a detuned 3.2L) was selling like hot cakes. You saw people being chauffeured in these Buicks. It is more presitgious to own a Buick in China than owning a Mercedes, Lincoln, Cadillac, or Maybach.

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  • 4 months later...

did anyone catch that Riviera Concept they made a few years back, neat stuff

yea but.............

I wish buick made this Concept!

2004 Velite Concept

Buick_Velite_Concept_2004_1152x864.jpg

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did anyone catch that Riviera Concept they made a few years back, neat stuff

I did....I was hoping that it would eventually go into production here in the U.S. Still nothing there.....

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Yeah, me too. It would have been a RWD V6-V8 powered Zeta platform car. Instead, we are going to be getting the Buick Verano, off the Delta II platform...aka the Opel/Vauxhall Astra and Chevy Cruze. The Verano will be the Buick Excelle GT in China.

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  • 2 years later...

It's like everything else that "goes away". As long as people still love Pontiacs, look for them, drive them, and restore them, the Pontiac name is still alive and kicking. We just won't get any new ones and will have to be content with those still in circulation. And I don't really see a shortage of Pontiacs out there yet..... In fact, the Montana itself lasted three years longer in Canada than the US, as it was GMs most popular minivan choice here, over the Chevrolet variants.


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