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GM considers axing Saab, Saturn, Pontiac as part of bailout proposal
Source: leftlanenews.com
November 27th, 2008

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard rumors about GM selling or killing off certain brands, but given the automaker’s extremely precarious situation, it sounds more possible than ever. As part of its detailed plan due to the U.S. Congress by December 2nd, GM is considering including the elimination of Saturn, Saab, Hummer and/or Pontiac as part of its strategy, according to Bloomberg.

Hummer has been up for sale since June, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see GM sell it for less than it’s worth in order to quickly raise cash.

But the possible sale or closure of Saab, Saturn, and Pontiac could come as a shock to many in the industry. Saab would almost certainly be sold off, while Saturn or Pontiac are more likely be shuttered.

The demise of Pontiac would be particularly unfortunate, considering the brand’s storied history over 82 years. Saturn, on the other hand, has only been making cars for 18 years, so its closure would come more naturally. Whether popular vehicles like the Pontiac G6 and Saturn Sky would be rebranded as Chevrolet models remains to be seen. A recent report indicates plans for a next-generation Pontiac G8 and Solstice were recently shelved.

We’re surprised to hear GM isn’t considering shedding Buick, which in many ways overlaps with Cadillac. Moreover, some observers have suggested GM could sell Buick to China’s SAIC — a possible win-win for everyone involved. That said, it doesn’t look like this option is currently on the table.

GM’s board of directors will review the finished proposal November 30th, and it will be submitted to Congress on December 2nd. Hearings on Capitol Hill will resume December 5th, and a vote could come as soon as December 8th.

WOW I actually like what they have done with SAAB I would also think Buick would be the 1st to be axed who buys buicks these days

SAAB would find a buyer I think fairly easily, even as "GM'ed" as they have become, they're still a nameplate worth something.

Saturn I'm not surprised at, when they actually let them be "independant" they were a breath of fresh air from a North American car company but as they brought them closer to the GM mothership, they lost everything that made them different from the rest of the GM brands.

Killing off Buick would be a mercy killing at this point, let the old dodders that buy them suck it up and buy Cadillacs like they're supposed to :D

It'd be a shame to lose Pontiac though, if they kill off that division they lose the "performance import fighter" from the lineup.

But the one thing I find odd is that GMC would still live on under this proposal... if ever there was a case of badge engineering meaning nothing, GMC is a textbook example of it IMO.

NefCanuck

Seeing as the Hummers available aren't even real Hummers anymore... buh-bye. Why they came out with a more useful H3 truck and didn't axe the all-but-useless H2 truck is beyond me. What the f*** are you going to carry in the back of a H2 truck with a 3 foot bed - Potted plants? Signposts? Stolen garden gnomes?

As for Saturn - buhbye. They stopped being relevant when they dropped polymer body panels. They were ugly, they were slow but dammit they didn't rust! I still see first-gen Saturns on the road in better shape than much newer cars of all flavours. A great idea, poorly executed.

Saab? Who cares? They're GM-Subaru hybrids for the most part, and I don't mean battery-powered. What original Saab-ness that's left over might be in the powertrain, perhaps some suspension components. Sell it off, already. Used car sales notwithstanding, noone cares about an upscale Subaru.

A Buick is the poor man's Caddilac. Always has been. It's a good way for pensioners and those who have an affinity for floating along to achieve their dreams on the cheap. Nothing stands out in what they make, they have Tiger Woods as a spokes-shill... but what do you want? It's Buick!

Now, Pontiac? This one I can see both sides. They're the GM "performance brand". Good to cut for cost-savings but they have one hell of a following and to do so right now would alienate a lot of customers that they wouldn't get back anytime soon. Pontiac has historically been the best performance division at GM if you discount the Chevy Corvette. They'll be missed if they go, but they also have a lot of craptacular vehicles.

Also, GM doesn't have a small SUV anymore and hasn't for a while. No, the TrailBlazer doesn't count. Snow tires are great to have if you have AWD, but even FWD in massive snowfall areas are beat when there's more than a couple of inches down. A nice, small SUV with 4WD/AWD and good tires will eviscerate snow handily. ;)

Surprised with the Satrun move, they were making decent looking cars recently.

Buick actually makes GM money. They are a prestige foreign car make in China, of all places. They sell more in China that in NA...

Saab could be easily sold, and the good parts of Saturn could be rolled into Pontiac (if they stick around) or Chevrolet.