2019 Buicks To Stop Wearing Brand Plate Badge: Exclusive
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Those paying very close attention to the reveal of the 2019 Buick Envision may have noticed that the crossover doesn’t have a “Buick” “brand plate.” That’s on purpose, as representatives recently told GM Authority that Buick will stop using the brand badge on the rear of its vehicles, starting with the 2019 model year.
Before you start scrolling, perhaps vehemently, to the comments section in order to share your thoughts on the matter, we feel obligated to note that only the Buick brand plate – the one that that writes out “Buick” on the rear of the vehicle – is going away. By comparison, the nameplate badge – which writes out the name of the vehicle, such as “Encore” or “Enclave” – is staying, and so is Buick’s Tri Shield logo, now finished in red, silver and blue.
The 2019 Buick Envision no longer wears the Buick brand plate on its tailgate
By comparison, the 2017-2018 Buick Envision wears the Buick brand plate at the bottom end of the tailgate, on driver’s side
We should note that the brand plate is the only direct indicator on the exterior of a Buick vehicle that communicates its make. The only other indicators are the Tri Shield logo and its nameplate, but one must be familiar with both of those elements to identify the vehicle as a Buick.
Though we’ve confirmed that the 2019 Buick Envision will be the first model to lose the brand plate, we’re not privy as to what vehicle will be next. Either way, the change will be across the entire lineup, according to Buick.
Update: we have received word from Buick that all 2019 Buick models will see the brand plate removed.
Stay tuned to GM Authority as we learn more about this, and for continuous Buick news coverage.
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They don’t want people to judge a book by its name. Not a bad idea to help change the perception of what Buick was and what it is now
Not to mention the $5 GM will save on every car made.
1 million cars X $5 = $5 million!
Same thing they did with Oldsmobile. Anyone remember the Aurora?
And the Oldsmobile died.
Well based on all the media in Print, TV and Web the move to take the name off gave Buick more coverage than about any of the last 5 cars they released.
This move may have been better than a super bowl ad.
It was timed well with the Envision as is all over the media with this story with road test.
One thing to really consider is GM could be moving to transform the Buicks that sell in this country in volume to GMC and killing the rest.
the Lacrosse no one buys in much volume. The Regal and wagon will be the best Buicks no one ever bought and after Opel moves on becomes expendable.
the encore and Enclave both could be slotted into the GMC line as a small CUV and LWB SUV that GMC lacks.
The Envision is nice but sales limited due to imports in small volumes. GMC also has the Terrain and it appears sales are really ramping up on them right now. We have many on the roads here in the last two months once production ramped up full.
Could be interesting if Buicks cars fail to gain traction. The Lacrosse is not lighting it up. The Regal and wagon may be the best Buick to never sell joined with the fact based on an Opel that will go away.
The Encore and Enclave could roll into GMC as a small CUV and LWB CUV GMC does not have.
Not that I want this but the cost of the division for two real models that sell is high and hurts return on investment.
The cost of low volume models woul have to go up and we already have Cadillac.
China may not be enough to save Buick here.
Saturn tried the same thing. Worked well for them. Ahem.
(Wouldn’t surprise me if the same Saturn brand managers are now implementing at Buick-GMC – or all those Chevy Red Line concepts were purely coincidental).
This isn’t big news. And it won’t fix any big problems.
Buick’s logic is that they think people will automatically know that a Encore, Envision or Enclave is a Buick and know which dealership to visit; one has to wonder how many consecutive months of poor sales will force Buick to reconsider.
I think the idea is they want the product to speak for itself and people have to ask what type of car it is. if they are impressed before knowing it’s a Buick they’re more likely to stay impressed. This falls in line with what their commercials have been over the past few years too
I doubt the average consumer has memorized brand insignias so I’m not sure what Buick’s reasoning is. What harm does a “Buick” nameplate do? ?
Just like with Chevrolet GM is targeting Asian import buyers who don’t want the American brand stigma of inferiority.
Buick wants you to fall in love before learning that the vehicle is a Buick.
This tells me that the TRI SHIELD isn’t as healthy as GM let’s on. Buick has great quality and should have sales north of 20,000 units monthly.
Though American through and through, Chevrolet is cool. Buick on the other hand is not cool. Nor will it ever be. Buick’s however are nicer. Which is Chevrolet’s problem. Chevrolet can’t target let say Honda or even Kia because while Chevrolet doesn’t conjure up images of old blue haired ladies, it’s product is artificially held back because of Buick and therefore doesn’t stack up against the Asian brands. No AWD, lower HP engines, poor interiors and options are just a few things Chevrolet lacks compared to the other brands. Buick offers all these things yet can’t undo a lifetime image of the elderly. My question is when will GM just give these things to Chevrolet and get on with it. Remove the glass ceiling from the Bowtie and start making money.
Not calling a Buick a Buick on the lift gate or trunk lid is going to fix anything. They need to fix Chevrolet instead.
Chevrolet hasn’t been cool since the 1970s.
No one under 45 considered Chevy cool except for Corvette among a certain sort of buyer. If Chevrolet were cool, undamaged, then GMC wouldn’t be needed for margins. Chevrolet may be cool in trailer parks, but that’s it. Malibu just doesn’t excit buyers!
I agree that Chevy keeps hitting it’s head on Buick.
This can only change as GM brings Buick up to Lexus level. Buick is an important element of the GM transform at home and abroad.
Anyway, I don’t think Millennials see Blue haired Buick. That is more an aging Gen X thing.
I’m not even sure Chevy was cool in the 70s.
if Chevrolet sucks that bad then why are you even here? I’m sure there is a nice Toyota or Honda forum you can go stroke it on somewhere….
As the owner of a Camaro and a Malibu that is under the age 45, I would say both of you may not know what you’re talking about…….
Dude I have been asking this question for years. Why are you even apart of this site if you hate what GM does?
I think they like to just complain! That’s what I get from it! You know as well as I do that a car company makes cars for the masses so any one person can look at any car or truck and say I would have designed this part of it different! There are no perfect cars or trucks but people think it’s a fail if it’s not built to their specs. Which is ridiculous!
I love hearing when people say “I” don’t fit in this car! Are you serious? Do you think this car was built for you and you only? Of course not! But those people will call it a failure!
We have to get back to building type specific cars and trucks and stop trying to make one size fits all vehicles just so the customer can save a buck!
A performance car should be based on performance and nothing else!
Luxury car should be based on luxury and nothing else!
Family cars should be based on family and nothing else!
Economy cars should be based on economy and nothing else!
But what you get are people who say the
Performance car doesn’t have enough leg room.
Luxury doesn’t have enough power
Family car doesn’t handle very good
Economy cars are cheaply built
This is why our auto industry is in the toilet, companies trying to make one car or truck meet every possible function on the road. Instead of creating type specific vehicles for what they are intended for!
The camaro doesn’t need more leg room it needs to go faster!
The CT6 doesn’t need more hp it needs to be more luxurious
The Malibu doesn’t need to handle better it needs to be more spacious
The sonic doesn’t need to have a nicer interior it needs to be more economical better MPGS
And so On!
People complaining about not enough rear seat leg room in a Cadillac ATS or not enough trunk space in a Chevrolet Camaro are comical. They are too simple minded to realize that they are not looking for a car in the Compact or Performance car segment.
they are too ignorant to understand that is why there is different segments.
The automotive market is a competition. If GM makes a sports car with what they tell you is 400 hp and Ford makes a sports car with 400 hp and Dodge makes a sports car with 400 hp . Well the GM person buys the GM one, the Ford person the Ford one, the Dodge person the Dodge one. But when the one with A/C and a trunk get driven the most and seen by the masses and out sell the competition who wins. And the others just go away. Until when. When enough people say this is what I want and I will buy it. I have a 68 Camaro, do you know why the new ones look like a 68 and not a 75 MORE PEOPLE BOUGHT AND FIXED THE 68 STYLE. Sure a lot of people like the 75, but more like the 68, look around. New cars and trucks are the same way, but with technology we shouldn’t have to wait 40 years for feed back.
Yep here’s Brian, complaining about people who he thinks are complaining. I am on this site to be heard. If we left it up to you we would have a sports car with a board for a seat and no trunk. Or a pickup with no air. What I cant figure out is why you are here? If everything was good enough for you back when you first started driving why are you on a site talking about change. Again if GM only sends surveys to those people with new cars they will never know what needs to be fixed. Most people where I live take there car to the dealer only if it under warranty. When the warranty is up they have there trusted mechanic fix it. How will GM ever know about trouble if no one tells them.
I am here because I love GM unlike most if you. I am also here because I am tired of seeing people trying to change cars that don’t need to be changed. The camaro/corvette dont need to be changed into family cars.
And so on!
People are not as one dimensional as you suggest, Brian. Many people want a luxurious car that also handles well, or is fast. If GM doesn’t build it for them, they will buy a BMW. Many people NEED a family car, but want something that handles well, if for nothing more than safety. If GM doesn’t do it, they will buy a Ford or Mazda. A Camaro is built to be a fun car that people enjoy driving (more than just for going fast), but what is the point if you can’t put a couple of carry-on bags in the trunk for a long weekend, or some beach chairs and a cooler to go hang out at the beach? Sure, maybe some are wealthy enough to have a dedicated car and can take a crossover or family sedan, but it’s not fun to drive. You don’t want to leave your “fun” car at home in the garage all the time because it’s useless in everyday life, and only good for cruising aimlessly on a Sunday and ending up back at home. If vehicles don’t fit people’s lifestyle, they won’t buy it plain and simple. I drive a Buick Lacrosse, is it a family car or a luxury car? I could write a book on everything GM could have done better with it. They’ve done better before… the wipers shouldn’t start wiping a dry windshield before the washer squirts fluid, the start button shouldn’t be hidden behind the steering wheel, the trunk hinges should be hydraulic so they don’t intrude on the trunk space. This is not their first rodeo. My wife has a Sonic, which I would say falls under an economy car. By your logic, it should be a flimsy unsafe penalty box that gets 50mpg. She doesn’t deserve to have the fun of a turbo, or nice things like a sunroof, or cruise control. Heck, better leave out the a/c too since it kills the fuel economy. Oh, but wait, she’s not “poor” and wants a small car that’s easy to park in tight urban areas, and desires some creature comforts too… In that case, she’d have to go back to the Toyota or Honda she drove previously. You say GM has to build cars for the masses, but it seems like you want them to only build cars to fit you. I’m a huge GM fan, and want nothing more than for them to succeed, but that’s also what makes me so critical of the products they put out. They have to be class leading on all fronts, and it seems like all too often they regress on certain features or design items, when I know they can do better. Just because you push your kids to do better doesn’t mean you don’t still love them. GM has to build cars that fit the market, and where it’s headed. They can not dictate the trends like they did in the old days.
The point I am trying to make is one car can’t check every box and be great at doing everything. So then the car is only good at many things instead of being great at what it was intended for.
I don’t want a car made for me that’s what certain people do who complain about cars. They want a camaro to function like a minivan or a family car which it’s Not!
As for not having enough money to have different cars and trucks for different occasions. Well that’s a personal problem. I would prefer that cars and trucks be built for specific reasons and if I have to own three cars to take car of my needs then so be it.
Sports car to have fun in
SUV to haul family around
4×4 to do work and go play in the mud
Instead people would rather have one vehicle that kind of does each one which is ridiculous!
You were in diapers for most of the 70s. You probably still are in them.
I’m an ageing gen x (49). I agree Buick needs to move higher, Lexus, and Cadillac higher yet. A few years back we had a 2004 Cadillac CTS and a 2005 Cadillac SRX, our cousins were visiting, I overheard there millennial kids say “dad what kind if car is that its cool” there dad said, “that’s Cadillac it’s an old persons car” and there dad is my age, and they were driving a Chrysler mini van. Buick the same. So once again we are at the GM game. ” We GM make as good of car as they do, we GM just need to get people to give us a chance. I can tell you my whole family history going back to 1909 and what they drove for car brands it started with GM. Even my grandpa, when I was a kid Chevrolet pickups, grain trucks. My uncle Chevrolet trucks, Buick cars, I learned to drive his Chevrolet pickup. My mom Cadillac car. Now my generation X. We will start with our parents so you can watch what happens. My mom Cadillac – Me Cadillac, GMC, Chevrolet, 8 total. My sister was Chevrolet, Buick, Hummer, Her husband and his parents Chevrolet, Buick. NOW my sister and husband, Lincoln, Ford, 8 at least, but still at least 1 Corvette. His parents though, Ford, Lincoln. My brother Chevrolet. My other brother Chevrolet, his millennial kids, BMW, Ford. My uncle Ram, Mercedes. His son, Toyota, Audi. His daughter Ford. Now I could go on and on but the reason they all switched from GM was for a better vehicle, and better service. I doubt for a $1,000 or $2,000 they will switch back. Easter is coming up and we will all sit and talk how much $$ we have spent over the years on vehicles, GM will not come out on top. Maybe GM makes a better vehicle now, then the last 25 years, but so does everyone else. I will tell you from experience there customer relations / service is not better. When Chevrolet used to have the most vehicles on the road they were on top, Toyota the same. Until GM makes a good car and learns to fix them ( the problems they know they have) regardless of who drives them or who bought them, for a decent amount of mileage, its not going to matter what they call them. They GM have been doing this for years, Malibu or Corsica or Lumina or Impala or Park Ave. or Lucerne or Lacrosse. Why not try something new, listen more to the customer not so much the dealer, fix what the customer wants fixed, and make a vehicle that will last. Our 2014 Cadillac ATS is NOT a better car than our 2004 Cadillac CTS was and our 2015 GMC Canyon is NOT a better vehicle than our 2005 Cadillac SRX and our 2017 GMC Denali 2500HD is not a better truck than our 2007 Silverado 2500HD was, less power, less mileage, less comfort, terrible transmission shifts, no acceleration spunk, ( the new Denali HD has more power than the 2007 HD ) Just my opinion and experience. What GM calls them will not matter, who knows in a few years they mite be called what they used to be (Impala).
Again your experience may vary, I’m very satisfied with 3 of the GM vehicles in my daily driver fleet, which have provide great service and dependability since 2005. The few times I’ve ever had to take one to the dealer, the service was also very good.
I do agree with that, the since 2005. My 2004,2005, and 2007 had less trouble and went to the dealer less than our 2014,2015,2017. And our 2004,2005,2007 had 420,000 miles combined and our 2014,2015,2017 have 59,000 miles combined.
I’ve been a loyal GM guy for 40+/- years. I have to say that I don’t many (if any, at all) who know what the heck the tri-shield logo means. I guess anyone interested in the butt-end of a Buick will have to drive around to find a dealership with the tri-shield logo on their sign.
The shields came from Buick’s founder as an homage to his Scottish heritage.
Can’t remember the details –
So true talk to a young girl at buick customer service (she did not even know what an opel was? and this is a person that is GM expert
You Google “Encore” and be wowed what you liked was a Buick
Well I have enough confidence in Buick that it will be the compelling design and products that will sell the car not a porthole or Buick name on the rear.
If people think enough of what the car is they will learn what it is.
The car makes the name not the name making the car.
To be honest I think some other GM models could cut back on emblems. My GMC has way too many names and emblems on the tailgate. It has three names on a Canyon tailgate way too many.
GMC is both a nameplate and a logo. But GMC doesn’t print out GMC as a word on the back of the car the way Buick does. In fact — neither do Chevy or Cadillac. So really Buick would be joining the rest of GM.
Oldsmobile did this very same thing in 1990s as Harry Belafonte’s daughter belted out to American that “This is not your father’s Oldsmobile. This is the new generation of Oldsmobile”. The terrible gingle still sticks in my head and was considered a milestone for the brand.
” That’s not a Buick” was just a play on old GM statagy more than a copy of Opel’s Tina Mueller.
The daughters of other stars did that ad, too, including Ringo Starr’s and Leonard Nimoy’s (she did the “space wagon” Silhouette and Mr. Spock himself appears as a hologram).
WHY? Oldsmobile tried this, and it did not work! I’m proud of my BUICK, and want people to know what it is. They need all the brand awareness they can get right now.
The difference is Olds had not one worthy model. Name one.
The Aurora was their best and Still fell far short.
On the other hand the two new Buick’s are enough to draw attention in a positive way. The Enclave by most is prized enough if you say Enclave people know that is a Buick.
GM at one point it was difficult to tell a Regal from a Cutlass. Today there is nothing like a Regal on the Market.
The Buick SUV models are doing fine and the cars will live or die mostly if they can withstand a harsh sedan market.
Anyone with Buick in their name would be expected to feel as you do but the average public is not behold to the name.
If you really trust the product is good enough to live it will live.
The Buick name on a trunk lid or hatch is not going to save Buick. The only thing that will save them is continued relevant products.
Look to GMC the GMC is mostly identified by Denali today. You do not even have to say what model and people form an impression based on what a Denali package represents.
I hope the time comes Avenir works the same way is known on sight.
I am naming one: The Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme! It outsold many other sedans in a single year.
The purpose of my comment was simply to point out GM recycling a prior gimmic.
In this instance it’s very obvious that with only one model that this is an experiment.
Also, the logic is probably to create more space for Avenir, at least in N A. To, in essence, remove the Buick from Avenir products much as Benz does with it’s various lines sharing a logo.
And, btw, the situation at Olds wasn’t quite as sad as you paint. The Aurora, given the state of GM quality at the time, was pretty slick.
I’m a little biased towards Oldsmobile too, but how did the Aurora fall short? One of the greatest problems was that people didn’t know what it was, or who made it. Perhaps it is different now that almost everyone has easy access to the internet to find out, but people have short attention spans, perhaps shorter than ever these days. I had a Cutlass Supreme in those days, and several mistook it for a Pontiac. I also dated a girl that bought an Alero, and her co-workers were arguing over whether it was made by Acura or Infiniti. Oldsmobile had the added problem of changing the logo to something new and different further adding to the problem. Buick needs to be careful, as Avenir is not an established name yet either. Leaving the Buick nameplate off isn’t going to sell any MORE cars. The haters are still going to know what it is, but your average upper middle class suburbanite that might like the car/crossover is likely to be confused.
Well I would see how the Aurora is doing but since Olds tanked with the Aurora I guess it would be hard to judge.
The first gen made some progress but the second gen was just another GM rebadge. It failed miserably.
A good case is the Cutlass. It was a great seller in the RWD G body. People loved it for the styling and content. The then went FWD and it failed to do as the RWD did. Then some genius came up with the idea of the Culass Ciera and Cutlass Calais.
They were of the thinking a name would change people’s minds. Well they both also failed.
For Buick to succeed they need to make vehicles people want. They need to focus on compelling style, utility, value, quality and image.
If they can focus on this they will do well no matter what name is or is not on the car.
For a name to mean much it has to hold great value in the eye of the public. In China Buick does this in America not so much. Few people here know or care about any Buick in the last 50 years. We had no emperor that prized them.
While many of us that did care about Buick remember the past in a positive light we are in the minority.
Even cars like the GN help little today in this kind of market.
Like it or not the future of Buick’s are the CUV and SUV lines. They are what people want today and Buick actually is gaining traction here. I do not want to see them leave cars but if the needle does not move with what they have we could see all utility models before the dust settles.
These are difficult times for cars be it a sedan or coupe. I saw at the show how the people were drawn to the utilities Buick offered and none were looking at the tailgate.
You build it right and market it well people will know who and what it is even with no name on the car.
Leaving the name off may or may not sell more cars. But not building it right no matter the name will not sell more either.
Buick doesn’t have an SUV (yet), only CUVs.
Is this car made in China?
No, because it isn’t a “car”.
“Before you start scrolling, perhaps vehemently, to the comments section in order to share your thoughts on the matter, we feel obligated to note that only the Buick brand plate – the one that that writes out “Buick” on the rear of the vehicle – is going away.”
Sadly, nobody is reading the label.
While I understand some reasoning to why Buick would do this, not everyone is going to recognize a model ie. Encore to Buick as well as not everyone and I would suggest more than half the buying public recognizes a brands crest to that brand. At the same time for some it might convey a message that Buick is ashamed of their brand which there is no reason be. Instead feel that Buick would be smarter to be proud of the refreshed product portfolio and the direction it’s going as well as to utilize some smart marketing, which means stop with the “That’s not your father’s Buick” type messaging. This to me from my perspective gives me message that if I bought a Buick they’re so low on totem pole that people should expect sub par vehicles.
Buick should be encouraging pride of owning a Buick and that needs a nameplate to do it, it’s now becoming common place for Buick’s to related or compared with some premium brands which is healthy for a brand. The time will come when some see’s Buick but can’t se nameplate and associates it with another brand like a Lexus, then visit a Lexus dealership which on the one hand is a compliment but also leads to a conquest sale. Now if Buick decided to something like attach the Buick name to the model, meaning take a Lacrosse badge and underneath in smaller text but legible text reveal Buick there, that at least eliminates what it is when seen by buying public.
Bad Idea.
Many cars are sold, by liking what you see, and going to the dealer that sells the vehicle.
Do you expect people to go home and Google the model name to see who makes it?
I don’t get how people get sucked in by dealers. Salesmen kill it for me. I want what I want.
Good way of getting rid of brand names eventually the new customers will not associate the name to the symbol. Long term one brand like MB, Toyota etc. No need for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac. Your choice we’ll offer General Motors Bolt- good, Volt -better, Electro – best and Electrolux – extra special. Self driving cars will change the society we have today. The bad guys will still have illegal cars where they can drive and use as a get away vehicles. Far fetched? Maybe, just think about it. The corporate planners are.
Thing is good marketing means marketing a brand before product, you sell a brand before the product and we’re only seeing more it each and every day thanks to social media. Marketing and selling a product comes secondary to brand, if you’re not marketing a Buick but the product (Encore, Regal, Lacrosse etc.) instead you’ll short change yourself with your entire portfolio.
I kind of agree that GM could be GM then just make whatever. If they just name the same car whatever anyway. I think they tried the GM thing already, remember the small GM square on everything. It only matters to a small number of US buyers. GM needs to focus more on the product and the customer. Make a better product, fix it when its not until it is and continue on. No one will care what its called. Sounds like an internal blame game ” we can’t sell those because people think there a Buick.” Maybe its not a good enough car that simple.
Nice pictures but if you want to entice me to buy a premium vehicle then showing me pictures of the car in some mundane suburb won’t work. There are thousands of pictures of great homes and or sites on Pintrest. If it were a European company they would spear no expense doing such things and forget about billions on incentive.
Nice car, no Buick logo – hmmm, that can’t be good. Pictures of my neighborhood – i fell asleep.
Electra, Wildcat, Park Avenue, Rivera…. Buick use to stand for something…. now we have a bunch of marketing people ashamed of the product they push.
But the problem is when the brand name is damaged it then become a liability.
Many see a name and discount the car before even look or drive it.
Let’s face it the Lacrosse is a better car than most yet no one even considers it.
The truth is all those cars were great cars but it was how many years ago?
Today most buyers in this segment were not even alive and only remember the crappy Somersets and Skylark FWD models they were stuck with driving to school oil leaks and rough iron dukes and all.
To day it is more about what have you done lately and convince me you are better. People today generally like what they have so you need to be very compelling to get the to change. Styling is key and value with features others don’t have.
Just look at some of the best selling cars. They have crap for names but yet they sell like crazy.
Let’s not forget how the marketing folks jacked around with the Lacrosse name. First it was the replacement for the Century and Regal. Then it was the replacement for the Park Avenue and Lucerne. Talk about confusing the customer. Then the French meaning ” rip off “
This idea really doesn’t make much sense , if your proud of the product you are trying to sell you will put your name on it . Sometimes the best advertising you can get is to see it , and in this case people may see a Buick on the road that they like and won’t have a clue as to what the tri-shield means .
This move is nuts , especially as they are coming out withe Avenir trim level , not all consumers are as knowledgeable about emblems as we are .
Oldsmobile did the same thing with the Aurora , the only place you saw the divisions name was on the radio . They wanted the car to speak for itself and the company was in dire straits then . The car was well received at the time and was a complete departure from anything else they built .
China may well be the reason why , they love Buick and know what they are . Here in the States the division is in trouble , they sell their S/CUV’s but can’t give away their luxury car and it was brand new . Buick isn’t even on the list of millenial customers . Buick is still considered a car for older folks or doctors and dentists .
I live in a college town and where the Envision is made and never see one on the road or in the parking facility on campus .
They don’t have enough brand identity to rely only on the tri-shield emblem alone . This is a bad move .
As a long time GM MAN OF almost 45 years and owner of many GM CARS. I feel Buick should leave the nameplate ON. i TAKE PRIDE IN SEEING THAT NAME FOR THE QUALITY CAR IT IS.
another dumb move from GM –yes -they did the same to Oldsmobile with the Aurora, i had a 1997 great car put 187K and people asked what brand of car is this –dumb idea to remove the nameplate . as to the remarks that Olds did not have any worthy models i guess you weren’t around in the 40’s ,50’s 60’s 70’s 80’s when Olds was famous for the Rocket 88s –Starfire , Super 88s –1st fwd Toronado — Cutlass Supreme ( some years holding the best selling model in America ) 442 models , Aurora 1st American sport sedan in 1995 –Bravada suv smart track system .. All these models sold better than Buick models –but GM killed Oldsmobile .
The Aurora failed to save olds. The Bravada was a badged engineered Blazer.
The Supremes better years died with the RWD model.
The truth is Pontiac was on the bubble first till they had a resurgence in the 80’s. Then Olds went on the bubble as Buick was still stronger. By the end Chia became a factor that saved Buick while Olds and Pontiac failed.
The truth is if not for China there would be no Buick.
Todays market is very expensive to market and develop models and most companies are good when left to two brands anymore.
The reality is GM hung onto Pontiac and Olds way too long. Hummer should have been a GMC and Saturn was starved to death.
I am a Pontiac guy but the reality is todays market is about maximizing profits. It is all about return on investment not how many models you can sell. Being sentimental does not pay the bills. Harsh but reality.
To the guy that questioned whether Chevy was cool in the seventies?
You bet!
To some it meant “baseball, hot dog, apple pie and Chevrolet”
To others it meant Camero and Corvette
To others it meant street racer with modified parts
To a sizeable amount of people it meant buying from the second largest auto brand in the world (even if it was just the Americas (north, central, and south). If your not old enough, you can be forgiven.
I’m too young. We had an old 74 Malibu coupe but it wasn’t considered cool in a meatless (no hot dogs) & no baseball kinda family