Checkers wasn’t always a game. Ajax wasn’t always a cleanser. Edsel… was not ever quite a hip name. Even back in the day. Although Ford spent several billions of real dollars trying to make it so.
Sometimes brands deserve to die. Just going down the proverbial list shows about a 95+% rate of, “What were those?”, followed by quite a few, “Yeah, I remember those. They sucked.”
Then you have a few that seem surprisingly contemporary. A Saturn can still be a futuristic machine if some manufacturer decided to resurrect the brand and invest in new distinct models. Pontiac was a place. An Indian tribe, and a brand that sold well over 20 million vehicles, and included dozens of memorable model names.
Truth be told many of these old names sound far better than the current ones. An Eagle sounds like a better name for a sporty car than a Dodge. Mercury sounds more hip than a homely Ford. Even the stillborn Amati brand was a far more melodic muse than that guttural Mazda moniker.
Car brands. Car parts. Even certain auto service companies, like gas stations and repair chains, had names that are still easy and fun to remember.
Do any of them deserve a tomorrow? Let us know. Oh, and before you ask Derek and Brendan, Canada apparently does qualify.
Although I’m not a huge GM fan, I always thought ditching Pontiac was a mistake. GM could have reset the clock on that one with a boutique approach, performance cars only.
I ignore the last 30 years of plastic clad fancy Chevys of course….
I’m going to have to agree with Pontiac. I don’t think it was a mistake to kill the brand, Buick is strong in China and auctioning off Buick to the highest bidder would have hurt GM in China and their growth plans.
For Pontiac the turn around (like Cadillac experienced a decade earlier) was coming but it was too little too late.
Friends countrymen, Romans, lend me your ears for I come not to praise the G6 but bury it.
Was the G6 a steaming pile? Yup. Was it light years better than the Grand Am it replaced. Yup.
When one looks from 2005 to 2009 and goes Grand Am to G6 to G8 and sees how quickly Pontiac was getting their act together (all hail the Lutz!) the trajectory was going in the right direction, and GM’s vision of doing just what you said, a truly performance division (ummm, where does that leave the Corvette exactly) with boutique offerings.
The Solstice was a step in the right direction (check out the Solstice/SKY performance at SCCA Solo Nationals they run toe-to-toe with the MX-5/Miata, surprise) admittedly having its quirk. The G8 was a huge step in the right direction and the product road map was looking solid.
Pontiac could live on as a performance brand but then one has to raise the question – why?
Excitement and “driving experience” does not sell. Blandmobiles does – and that becomes the biggest flaw in the plan.
I can accept that Oldsmobile died, but what irked me was the ascendancy of Saturn. Why kill off a whole division (the oldest in the corporation) only to replace it? What was the benefit of this?
Also, I can understand the reasoning behind the shuttering of Pontiac, but where do former Pontiac owners get their “fix”? In order to delineate Chevy from Buick, it seems Chevy’s have gotten awfully plain, but former Pontiac guys don’t see themselves as Buick owners…
@geozinger
“where do former Pontiac owners get their “fix”?”
Nissan.
I agree – the people who I knew who drove a Gran Prix are not going to switch over to an Impala, and certainly not to a Buick. They’re much more likely to settle into an Altima.
@semaj82: No offense but Nissans don’t do it for me. I’ve looked at them and the new Maxima is nice, but I think the residual effects from having driven in or been driven in so many Altima rentals has diminished them in my eyes.
I’m thinking Dodge. Here’s hoping Sergio & Co. don’t f*ck it up.
Why does Buick being big in China mean that it has to exist here? I mean, Jerry Lewis is big in France and David Hasselhof in Germany, but it doesn’t mean they need to have a North American market presence.
GM could consign Buick to China-only status, just as Opel/Vauxhall could be their sole presence in Europe and Holden the same in Australia. Brands don’t have to be global.
This doesn’t mean Pontiac has any reason to exist. I mean, it could, but I doubt GM could resist the urge to make every brand a full-line one.
” “where do former Pontiac owners get their “fix”?”
Nissan.”
I have to agree with Geozinger, as a current and previous Pontiac owner I won’t touch Nissan with a ten foot pole. Infiniti cars (def not trucks) have very nice lines, but still… Nissan. Have fun with those exploding transmissions.
Because at the time they were also being coerced into selling Opel. And Buick makes definitely money unlike Opel. Selling then would have been bad
As a current G8 owner with a SO who has an Altima – I sure as Hell am not going over to Nissan.
Admittedly a focus group of one. The Altima is a nice appliance slotted between the Camry and Accord in performance – the Maxima is just a shadow of its former self. I prefer my cars to be a bit more durable than a GT-R and the 370Z is a bit more than a shadow of its former self, but I’d go the required B&B get a Mustang route first.
Given the G8’s somewhat “German” feel (no shock given the engineering team was largely poached BMW engineers) I would probably go Audi or BMW.
With a Miata you can drive with a your top down and golf clubs in the trunk. When you drive a Solstice with its top down all your carry in your trunk is well, the top. Another case of GM getting it almost right.
Agreed. Pontiac was really showing promise when they were canned in 2009. They probably weren’t destined for greatness but I would have really liked to have seen the Solstice mature a few more years before it all ended.
“Given the G8′s somewhat “German” feel (no shock given the engineering team was largely poached BMW engineers) I would probably go Audi or BMW.”
What a load of codswallop. Where did you get that nonsense from?
The G8 and the Holden VE from which it is derived, were designed in house by Holden at Fishermans’ Bend in Melbourne. There are many nationalities represented in the engineering staff mainly journeymen from other GM affiliates on assignment. However most are Australians.
There was not nor has there ever been an influx of BMW engineers, or any other foreign recruitment drive for that matter. Why on earth would they bother bringing over hordes of Germans from a different organisation, to the other side of the earth with all the resultant language, immigration and training issues that would bring when there are already plenty of locally based automotive engineers? The answer is of course, they didn’t and whatever information you have to the contrary is both wrong and insulting to the Holden engineers.
As a Pontiac owner (past and present) I shopped G8 GT against Charger R/T and chose the Charger.
Wife had a Nissan Quest for 7 years and 70k that never saw the inside of a repair shop – only shade tree maintenance.
All that and Nissan Maxima wasn’t even a consideration – wrong-wheel drive and two few (and too small) cylinders for me.
On the other hand – neighbor of mine is selling his Solstice since he just bought a 370Z
I currently live in Northwest Indiana, after the first 5 decades of my life in Detroit and its environs….
I visited the Studebaker museum in South Bend recently, a pilgrimage every lover of the American automobile should make. I was completely blown away by the style and substance of these cars.
A state-of-the-art, updated series of Studebakers, embracing the dramatic, timeless, graceful and beautiful lines of these amazing cars from their heyday in the 1950’s, would be amazing.
Not long ago, I visited a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The home was built in 1908, and was in a neighborhood surrounded by Bavarians, Tudors, Federalists, Georgians, and Colonials built during the same time period. The Frank Lloyd Wright design looked as contemporary as if it were built last week. The Wright house made the those other “classic” homes look busy, dated and jaded in comparison. The Studebakers I saw at the museum evoked the same feeling in me….as if they were fresh off the monitor of an automobile design studio.
Hey, if BMW can buy the rights to the Mini name and design, couldn’t, say, Ford take a cheap flier and license the Studebaker brand and design language, and put out a modern interpretation of the Studebaker Golden Hawk on a modern Fusion platform?
Just wishin’…..
Note to Sajeev…..the Studebakers are worth a “Vellum Venom” look-back, dontcha think?
I used to drive by the Meyer-May house (the FLW house in Grand Rapids) everyday on my way home from my former workplace. It must have been awesome to see it in the original time period, as now it still looks contemporary, while all the houses around it are, old…
I wish they would start building BMWs again. Cars with tasteful, restrained styling, minimal ornamentation, authenticity expressed in every design element, ergonomic and spartan interiors, full sized spare tires packaged with efficient luggage space, devoid of gimmicks and gadgets, available with real limited slip differentials and powered by musical, naturally aspirated engines. BMW’s demise is the only loss to the automotive market that has effected me a bit.
This was actually my first thought too, though if we continue down this road we’re gonna come to “I wish Toyota made ’em like they did in 1989-1996” and such
I had that same epiphany myself the other day. I saw an X5 (fastback) and thought: Pontiac Aztek. On steroids.
Oh please, give it a rest. I’ve owned e28s, e30s, and an e46. My e91 is BY FAR the best of the bunch. And I don’t find much to complain about in the F30 either – it is usefully bigger, and has better fuel economy AND performance at the expense of not sounding as nice. Fair tradeoff, I think. We always look at the past with rose-colored glasses.
My vote is Saab, of course.
Post WW-II, SAAB. Pre, Locomobile.
Can’t agree more.
Unfortunately, cars overburdened with “snob appeal” are more profitable in today’s world than cars built with a sense of “elegant simplicity”.
Browsing through this list, I’m going to have to say Gaylord.
Also for Ford’s consideration of a “Heritage” boutique series…
A “Stutz” two-seater based on the D/EW Mustang platform?
A “Packard” luxury interpretation of the Flex platform?
Ahhhhhhh.
I’m really liking that, Dearborn needs to look into it.
A Packard, as a Ford? Flex Platform? “Ask the man that owns one” Just doesn’t fit. Try something more upscale. Actually nothing ion America is up to what the Packard was.
By the way, The Oldsmobile platform was used as a testing auto for the rest of the GM line up. In the 20’s thru the 50’s, if it worked for Oldsmobile, then the rest would get it the next year or so.
How about Stutz? or Mercer? Fast cars for their time.
As long as you could guarantee that the current cars are as exciting as the originals were 80 years ago, bring back the best car company of all: Auburn-Duesenberg-Cord.
Foreign marques: ISO. TVR. Delahaye. Delage.
The idea of a modern interpretion of a Boattail Speedster is achingly tantalizing for sure.
Then again, they’d probably consult a “focus group” or some other equally dubious marketing research and screw the whole thing up. You’d end up with something so blinged-out and gauche it would resemble a cheap parody of the beautiful original design.
Duesenberg gets my vote as well. There’s a reason we still use the phrase “That’s a real Duesey.” Despite what Cadillac might want you to believe, Duesenbergs were the real standard of the world in their day. The thought of a truly premuim, American-style automobile is very appealing to this humble commenter.
Oldsmobile.
The brand that always represented the ‘good stuff’ that the General had to offer. Growing up in the 70’s, a 350-Rocket powered Delta 88 was always far superior to the Impala. Oldsmobiles were usually bought by those who knew more about cars than the typical family who ended up with the 305 powered Impala.
The FWD era ended that destinction.
My grandfolks always had two ‘cars’. One was a Chevrolet pickup-truck for granpa to go about in on work or errands and such, the other was always a four-door Oldsmobile, usually an 88.
For twenty years this was the paradigm (possibly longer, I wouldn’t know because I hadn’t been born then), then came the year 2005 and finally time to replace their last Oldsmobile with something new.. Oldsmobile had gone the way of the dodo by then so what’s next? Let’s try a Buick then.
That, was the Last GM product my grandparents ever purchased. Finally sold-on just last year with hardly any miles on it, because they just couldn’t stand being in the thing.
I agree with Syke, Duesenberg is my choice, though to be a true Duesenberg, it’d have to be like VW did with Bugatti. Shared platforms with more plebeian brands would be a no-starter for such an elite brand.
Duesenberg! Bring back the Straight 8.
They do have pills that help out with that now.
Not necessarily a brand, but I wish we had a few more cars that had bad-ass names that sounded like things that will hunt, and probably eat, you and your loved ones.
Pantera. Marauder. Super Snake. Mangusta. Interceptor. Cobra.
MP4-12C? What the eff? Where’s the passion!?
Well, the MP4-12C is named for the…the…hm.
I see your point.
The ‘MP’ in the MP4 part of the name derives from Marlboro Project 4 as in the cigarettes – that’s pretty bad-ass.
It’s since been retconned to mean ‘McLaren Project’ (which doesn’t make any sense) but still….
Honda. I haven’t seen a Honda since, oh, about 2000 or so.
international: Simca.
American: Packard
Honorable mention: Hispano Suiza just cause I like the name.
This is simple for me. OLDS. Before they got canned they didnt just have their best lineup in decades but arguably the best of any GM division at that time. GM just give the rights to the name and logos to me along with some TARP LOL. I will talk to a few folks and see what I can do with it. I would aim it squarely in the middle of VW and Audi. Hyundai is trying to do this and it seems to be working for them (all though limited in success). I would sell 9 vehicles.
442= A8
Aurora= 5 series
Intrigue= Passat
Alero = civic Focus/Civic
Super 88 7 seat=Q7 sized with slightly lower MDX price range
Starfire 5 seat CUV= Edge sized and price range
JetStar = RAV 4/Escape
Toronado = Mustang/Hyundai RWD coupe.
And finally the 6C full size truck= I would just get Nissan to sell me theirs, it aint selling well..lol..A exterior redesign and puff.
All would be powered by Diesel Hybrid V8/6/4’s
With the name OLDS you’re always fighting an uphill battle. There’s just no way of getting around the fact that the name implies something that’s dated and square…which is just terrible if you want to fight a company like Audi, which has a tech-foward image.
It was a terrible name from the start, and always will be. Let it rest in peace.
Actually, no it wasn’t. The concept of the youth market, the teenager, the general desirableness for being young (or at least thinking and acting like it) only starts in the mid-50’s. Prior to that, adolescents were nothing more than junior versions of their parents looking forward to exactly the same kind of life that their parents were having.
So, for Oldsmobile, from 1897 thru at least 1955, there was absolutely no connotation of OLDsmobile. And even thru the 50’s, 60’s and into the 70’s that OLDsmobile connotation didn’t really exist. Once the cars started getting boring and were being marketed to the 65+ crowd, the irony of the founder’s name took hold.
During the 40’s and first half of the 50’s, the car with the reputation for old fuddie-duddies was Pontiac
Syke: While that name might not have been as much of a negative back in the day, I doubt it was ever really a positive trait for the company. Even in a time when cars were seen more like tools, there’s a reason why car companies gave their models cool names. Cars were the way of the future….who wanted to get stuck in the past?
Today, it’s a totally different world altogether. For many, especially those in the Audi/BMW segment, their car is a lifestyle statement (ugh, that’s painful to even type out). Being associated with the right brand today is much more important today than ever. For better of worse, we are brand whores.
I guess my point is not that you couldnt be successful with a name like Oldsmobile, but if you’re starting up a new brand today from scratch, do you really think anyone with any sense of branding/marketing experience would pick Oldsmobile as a starting point for a name? Why put yourself at such a disadvantage from the start? It has absolutely zero cache to anyone. The people who remember the company as a good one are old as dirt, if not dead. And for younger buyers, the name evokes nothing remotely interesting.
There are plenty of better names to revive.
How about the French A.S.S.?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASS_(car)
From the Wikipedia list of defunct autos:
Bugmobile, the latest line of autos from Insect Motors
Pneumobile, runs on air instead of gas
The new Okey, and its companion auto the Dokey
Salisbury, why settle for hamburger when you can have steak?
Templar, only for sale to members of secret societies
Xenia, driven by warrior princesses everywhere
Griswold, available only as a pea-green wagon with wood decals
Somebody, ban me please
>>Xenia, driven by warrior princesses everywhere<<
This exists and is called a Subaru Outback.
Seriously, Imperial and a reboot of Lincoln, but only if you're serious about it. And a badass Cadillac, not with some explanation of "but we don't *need* a V8".
What about DeSoto? :D
I guess my second choice would be Lincoln. oh wait they still here. Dont get me wrong I love them and want them to live. Make them all vehicles that make now suicide doors and they will live…lol This will make them unmistakably Lincoln.
Geo. And I before I get beheaded, hear me out first.
In the United States, there will always be a market for:
1. Rental cars
2. Government and commercial fleet vehicles
3. El cheapo disposable cars for the masses along the lines of the Aveo, the Versa, and every car Mitsubishi has ever made.
If the General brought back this brand, it would provide a safe, non-core-brand-damaging dumping ground for all of these needs, as well as a way to market to subprime consumers without encheapening Chevrolet. There would be no purely badge-engineered variants sold under this brand, unless you count resurrections of discontinued GM models (E.G., I see no reason why they couldn’t continue to build stripped-out W-bodies for fleet only). There’s also the possibility that supercheap GM China designs could be sold under this brand (built in America, of course).
I have made this argument before since GM is flush with dead brands, I suggested bringing Saturn back for fleet duty. If I recall the counter -arguments the B&B raised were (1) it wasn’t wise to resurrect dead brands and focus only on fleet sales because that’s not where the real money is made, (2) the Fleet owners would take a greater hit on depreciation from a ‘fleet only’ brand and (3) since people still associate Saturn to GM, turning out a bunch of Saturn badged Aveo turds hurts the overall GM brand, since potential new customer’s first experience with the manufacturer is in a rental penalty box.
All points were valid, however the idea of Geo intrigues me. Even when Geo was new I don’t think too many people realized it was associated with GM at all. Geo has been dead long enough and was so forgettable you could bring it back, remove any reference to GM on the car (create a holding company who ‘owns’ the brand) and churn out cheap forgettable and already proven designs Fleet owners might eat up. Hell you could buy discontinued tooling from other brands worldwide and build their cars as Geos… happened some years back when Chrysler sold their 99-04 Sebring tooling to Russia’s Gaz I believe, who continued to sell them in Russia.
Or how about selling cars to fleets that regular consumers might actually want to own? Something that might actually entice you into a GM showroom, unlike the rental Impala I had last week. Why do fleets automatically have to be a dumping ground for stuff nobody wants?
It’s not like there’s any money in it, selling cars to Hertz and Uncle Sam at the deepest of discounts. Best as I can tell, the only reasons for the practice are to keep factories running and reminding renters why they despised their last GM product so much. GM hasn’t had a problem shuttering factories in recent years, so what’s the point?
Also, continuing discontinued models (i.e. the “Malibu Classic”) is a great way to kneecap resale values and hack off some more retail customers.
Ford doesn’t seem to have this problem anymore, and when they do fleet dump, the cars don’t suck anymore. The sooner GM stops pushing Captiva Sports and Impalas (and Mitsubishi gets a clue and pulls chalks), the better off the U.S. car market will be.
My company has us set up with National’s Emerald Aisle program (not the Executive level, they won’t pay for that), which allows me a choice of car when I travel…usually there’s something decent in the section when I land, a Jetta, Sonata (my favorite because they consistently have satellite radio), Crown Vic (though they are aging out) or at least a Camry. On one recent trip to Seattle I counted no less than two dozen Chevys (Impalas and Malibus) among a scattering of other cars, out of roughly 30 available at 9 pm. That doesn’t speak well for Chevy. When you drive an Impala, the assumption among other drivers is that you’re in a rental or that you bought it from a rental company’s sales lot.
Funny you should mention the Wimpala, I’ve been hearing alot of hate about it from my cop brother who cruises one daily. According to him they tend to ‘stick’ when accelerating, steering is iffy, power is lacking (in the pre-12s), and in his words ‘are hit and miss’ where one patrol car will do 100K and another blows a tranny at 40.
So I take my last gen Grand Prix to the body shop for mostly cosmetic work and a little rust removal, and since I noticed its been 1,000 degrees lately and my beater lacks working A/C, I decided it would be nice to keep my skin from melting this past weekend thus I visited my local Enterprise. I asked for a 2012 in order to play with the 3.6, but they either did not understand or care as they rented me an ’11, put about 250 miles on it in relative comfort. In short, not bad but alot of little things set it apart from the similar GP, and I would never spend a serious amount of money to acquire one.
The differences?
-The steering wheel and emblem feel very, very, cheap. The GP’s leather/metal look is much more refined, very Buicky. Very minor.
-The fake wood is out of place on this ride at this point, would look 10x better with brushed aluminum or even off black (this was a black interior). If you found yourself in possession of an Impala don’t fret I’m sure there is a kit to rectify this, so also very minor.
-The dome light is too weak and there are no map lights above the center console as in the GP, but there is a bump there to accommodate them (and presumably moonroof controls on equipped models). Minor.
-I can adjust the volume on the steering wheel control of my GP, the Impala did not have this feature it could only adjust the station (perhaps I was ignorant and it can I don’t know). Minor.
-The rear seats did not fold down (rental model problem?) and there are three attached headrests which obscure the rear view I would say about 25%. Very dumb, GP’s headrests profile is barely above the seat and is in no way obscuring a view, if it was you could fold down the seats. Safety issue so medium.
-The mirrors are triangle shaped, (why?) very narrow and more difficult to see out of. This triangle futuristic look is maybe at home in your faux sports car du jour, not Grandpa’s Impala. Safety issue but not serious, could also be rectified by DIY owners with new aftermarket power mirrors. Medium.
So far I’m just amazed at how very ‘Chevy’ the car is, and how a sister model IMO is literally twice the car for the same money. But now we get to the guts of it.
-While I respect the origins and good intentions of the 60 degree Chevy V6, it is barely adequate for this model. I quote wikipedia
“Output is 211 hp (157 kW) at 5800 rpm and 216 lb·ft (293 N·m) at 4000 rpm.” This saddens me, esp for a car of this size. Sure the 60 degrees have been very reliable engines in their own right but in anything larger than a J-body they aren’t much to write home about (on another note the seldom seen 3100 equipped J-bodys of my youth can really fly).
My 3800 tops out with a bit more torque (230 ft-lb) at 4 grand but reaches max horsepower at roughly 5. The 3500’s max of 5800 rpm might as well be 6, how often do you cruise at 6 grand, really? Pretty much never right? Heck I bet the block redlines at 65 or 7. The GP has all kinds of raw power at 4 grand and above, she’ll go from 70 to 95 in seemingly two seconds. I gunned the Impala and it struggled to shift out of second gear and achieve 65 coming off the exit. Sure it was a smooth launch and very quiet accelerating, but this is not what I expected. The GP laughs at this task and you can hear/feel the engine open up when you gun her. Mileage is even down in the Impala, the computer reads 29.2 after a long highway trip at 60mph in cruise, the GP’s trip computer reads 34-35 in the same circumstance and dips to 31-32 on the mile and a half home from the highway at 35mph.
Impala, the last gasp of W-body. If you grew up on these cars like me not a bad buy, but very ‘Chevy’. Just don’t make a move on one till its taken its 60% slide and wait for a 2012 if you can.
@28-cars-later: Your impressions of the Impala mirror my own. I picked the car up in the morning and immediately took it on the highway for my commute to work. God, what a slug. I knew there was no way it could have the 3.6; When I got to the office, a quick rummage through the glovebox revealed a 2011 owner’s manual. I thought these at least came with the 3.9, but apparently you had to get the LTZ; Mine was an LT.
The volume buttons on the wheel are behind the station controls. Took me a day to find those. Those buttons could not be more cheap, by the way. The radio and HVAC controls were actually pretty decent, but the turn signal/wiper stalk was the typical GM junky kludge.
The front seat was quite comfortable, but the back seat was a joke. Enterprise calls this a “full size?” Where does all the extra room go? Certainly not in the trunk, despite the comically high, visibility-killing deck lid. Why can’t GM make a car with a rear seat cushion that isn’t on the floor?
What really killed me was how slow the car was to respond to…anything. Hit the gas…wait. Turn the wheel…wait. Step on the brakes…wait some more. The steering in particular heavy and vague at the same time. Ugh.
Oh, and at 24,000 miles, the driver’s door sounded like a busted wooden screen door every time you shut it.
Is the W-Impala better with the 3.6? I’m sure. Do I want to drive one? Not at all.
Now, you and I know that GM makes better cars than this. Joe Schmo doesn’t know the difference between an Impala and a Malibu, and doesn’t really care. If he’s been burned by GM in the past, a couple days in this crap can will have renewed his anti-GM bias for another year.
“If he’s been burned by GM in the past, a couple days in this crap can will have renewed his anti-GM bias for another year.”
Very much agreed and this is the last thing a struggling company should be doing in the midst of delivering new product for MY 2013. This is precisely why Ford ditched Ranger and Panther after tens of millions of sold units, for better or worse they want your rental/fleet experience to be F150 and whatever passes as Taurus these days. GM would be smart to buy back the pre-12 Impala slugs for export to far outside North America or flood the market with 2012s offering incentives for pre-12 trade ins to help offset the damage. Ironically I rented a 2010 Malibu from Enterprise two years ago and was very impressed by it (including pickup from the Ecotec), the only factor against it was the measly 27mpg avg back from Columbus to Pittsburgh in cruise. Both the larger Impala and GP fared better on V6s. I do wish the engines automakers use were fricking appropriate for the size of the car and not just adequate, and stop chasing 5-10% mileage increase to benefit city mileage at the expense of highway mileage and overall driving experience.
Imperial. Chrysler only competes at a Buick level, while Cadillac is a true luxury brand. Ford still has Lincoln, even if that brand needs help.
I think Cadillac needs just as much help as Lincoln if they are to be a ‘true luxury brand’. Right now its one coupe/sedan model faux luxury on an Opel derived chassis, the other models are rebadged Chevrolet. I hope and pray they turn it around and go somewhere in between wannabe BMW and the Cadillac of old, but I’m not holding my breath.
Ford Talladega! The Talladega would share a platform with the Mustang, but it would have more interior room with easier access to the back seat. I’d love to see Mazda RX-8 style suicide doors. I also like the idea of a fastback hatch instead of the Mustang’s small trunk opening.
http://musclecars.howstuffworks.com/classic-muscle-cars/1969-ford-talladega.htm
I’m with Chocolatedeath. Please revive Lincoln before it is gone forever. There have been too many grand cars wearing that nameplate to allow it to pass unnoticed.
I read somewhere Mulally and the board wanted to kill it around the same time as Mercury, and the Ford family greatly protested. Supposedly there is something new in the works possibly as early as 2015.
From my boyhood which was a long time ago: Studebaker and Hudson
They were the object of many a dream from my generation. The roaring Hudson flathead six was big in Nascar even after the olds V8. Very long lasting and trouble free in my memory.
From my adulthood, the Saturn. Before you get your skivvies in a wad. I sure don’t mean the Opels from 2002 on. I mean my troublefree, economical, plastic little econobox. BTW, it would have been ok with me if they had been oldsmobiles. The name doesn’t phase me. The car did. Had daughters with two wrecks they walked away from in those little plastic toys. Typically got over 40mpg on the highway and just had no problem. The Saturn from 2002 on you can kill with my blessing.
I don’t know how Studebaker and Hudson would look with all the federal mandates. Probably makes this article an exercise in mental masturbation but it was fun.
I’m glad Studebaker finally made the list. Growing up we inherited a pair of Larks that I remember as being charming. The ’66 four door was often mistaken for a Mercedes until people got to the trunk and saw STUDEBAKER across the lid. I always loved the clean styling of the Hawk models compared to the overwrought fin and chrome barges of the big three from the same years.
Apparently the Studebaker name is still owned and traded by someone peddling chinese scooters and vapor-ware. Sad really.
After that it would have to be Imperial. It was short lived and quickly devalued by Chrysler into a trim level for quasi-luxo-barges of the biggest of the Chrysler line. But for a few brief years it was another styling exercise in discreet luxury in an otherwise over the top styling world.
As a country we don’t seem capable of putting the notion of discreet next to the notion of luxury with any success.
I have to vote for the old saab , fun different, and safe the car world needs more of that.
Agreed, sad they weren’t picked up by someone else.
American: Oldsmobile
International: Saab (building oil burners and not electric cars, please)
Brazilian: Gurgel (it would be a great sub-brand for cheap cars).
but I think the brand of yesteryear that most deserves a (better) tomorrow is still alive: Lancia. a company that brought us Aurelia, Stratos, Delta Integrale, Fulvia, Montecarlo and Flaminia deserves better than a bunch of rebadged Chryslers and Fiats.
FUnny you said that. I thought Lancia, too, but since it is ‘officially’ still going on…
Gurgel. Agreed. Though Puma, with some real mechanicals, could be interesting. Something like a DS3.
Puma would be great too, but I was thinking more like a BRZ/FT-86… :)
last year I went to Rome and saw some of the latest offers by Lancia: the Ypsilon, which is their version of the Punto, and the Delta, an upmarket version of the Bravo that even persuaded some BMW 3-series owners to go Italian.
regular cars.
then I went to Trastevere and saw this 50’s Aurelia parked in front of a restaurant:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/29/aurelia2.jpg/
then I just though OMG WTF I WANT ONE and got sad about Lancia’s fortune.
Plus, “Gurgel” is fun to say.
Duesenberg, FTW.
http://www.weareprivate.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/Duesenberg-SJ-LAGRANDE-DUAL-COWL-PH%C3%86TON-1935.jpg
Isuzu. If only then they could bring back the Joe Isuzu commercials.
Isuzu still exists. It just doesn’t export vehicles to the U.S. (at least to the consumer market) anymore.
I think we should also have a discussion about which current brands need to go away.
That said, if we could get some affordable cars with the style of a Studebaker, I would be quite happy.
Was going to say Pontiac but naw… gonna go with DeTomaso and his cool cars from the 60’s and 70’s as well. Would love to see a new Pantera featuring a tall deck road runner displacing the appropriate 5.8 liters.
Only a dream but, Chrysler starts with the 300/Magnum platform (LX I think), turn it over to the designers and tell them to think Mercedes. The Mercedes that was, not is. Make sure there’s enough room for real humans in the front and back. And Abracadabra …. Imperial!
I agree. On another note I was watching a bloody Japanese Yakuza movie (I believe it was titled ‘Outrage’ on Netflix) and almost every car in this movie was either an S-Class Benz or a Toyota Crown (perhaps diff models of Toyota mixed in too I couldn’t tell) and *every one* of these cars was a long wheel base model, longer than anything I have seen on the streets here in the US. There is one scene in particular where a character has been beheaded and the camera pans from the corpse along the lines of the Crown sedan and up to the Yakuza capo who looks to be stretched out in the enormous amount of room between he and his driver. I’m looking at this and thinking wait a second, the Japanese were the ones who first brought us mainstream tiny cars with no passenger room, and now they are building elegant looking ‘old style’ sedans for their market with generous rear passenger room? How things have come full circle. Why the frack can’t we get that here? I will *never* buy a Camry or its sisters, but I would buy something similar to that Crown. Seriously Akio you dishonor us with this bland FWD crap, grow a pair and give us an affordable left hand drive Crown, from what I’ve read your a fellow auto enthusiast, you could understand my request. A new Lex LS is a bit out of my price range, but I could probably swing a Crown if I tried. Impress me, impress us all, prove to us your company has a driving soul again.
I’d like to see someone bring back the Studebaker Hawk GT or the Avanti.
Bring back the Mohs Ostentatienne Opera Sedan!
http://forums.kilometermagazine.com/showthread.php?5227720-Cars-you-ve-never-heard-of.-Today-Mohs-Ostentatienne-Opera&p=70543949
Marty Densch posted some stuff about Bruce Mohs’ cars on Cars In Depth and every day, according to the site stats, there are people looking for info on the Opera Sedan or Safarikar. Mohs was an interesting guy to say the least, but folks love his oddball vehicles.
So much like my dreams its scary.
Terraplane.
I’m going with Oldsmobile. Why??? Because even though I’m still kinda young (late 30’s) I remember the Olds name being looked upon as something classy. I personally have had two Oldsmobiles, and I loved them both. Yes, they were in many ways, just a GM car at heart, but there was, at least for me, just enough of something special/different there that made them interesting to me. When I had them I never referred to them as “my car”, but as “My Oldsmobile”.
I’ve shared this before, but I’ll share it again. In 1987 my parents bought a slightly used 1986 Cutlass Supreme Brougham coupe, in black with claret leather interior and Super Stock chrome wheels. That car turned heads EVERYWHERE we went. I was in middle school then, and was very much a member of the unpopular crowd. However, whenever I was dropped off in front of the school in that car, even the most snobbiest of kids and the biggest bullies would nod their heads in approval toward me, and show a little respect to me.
So darn it, I want my new Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Brougham!!!
Plymouth anything, particularly Fury, Roadrunner, Super Bird and Barracuda.
And kill Dodge? The death of Plymouth was unusual in that it was the not a mid-price division like Edsel, Mercury, Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Chrysler’s DeSoto. Dodge went downmarket instead. The Valiant and Barracuda were unique until Dodge got the me-too Lancer and Challenger.
Peerless or Voisin.. Both brands had amazing innovative product!
Datsun.
Plymouth.
Oldsmobile.
Datsun could be revived as a combination retro/rebellious marque, harkening in two ways back to its roots.
Plymouth could be Chrysler’s Kia fighter. Chrysler would need to stress value without compromise.
Oldsmobile would also have to return to its roots as GM’s innovator. It would have to combine fit and finish with simplicity and drivability. The question is, now that GM has begun establishing Cadillac as its “drivers’ cars,” is there room for Olds?
Duesenberg, because even today the name still has cache. Also, can anyone say that the US shouldn’t make a world class ultra-luxury car?
They were on top for a long time and my understanding is that they really failed because of social conditions during the Great Depression, not because they were making vehicles people didn’t want. More that the vehicles were so luxurious and ostentatious that it was considered very bad taste to be seen in one.
Bring that brand back, fill with V-12’s and V-16’s with superchargers and put Bentley and Rolls in their place with what Americans can do in terms of luxury.
Right on.
Packard, great American luxury cars are in short supply, Cadillac and Lincoln have for the most part surrendered their position as premier (or faux premier) brands. A low production line of Packards could be sold around the world.
1. Saab
2. Tatra (as an upscale / luxury division of Skoda)
A modern interpretation of the MGB….state of the art and high-quality….(I know….I dream!)…and please don’t say to me “Miata”!
Triumph
Plymouth for the win.
Franklin. Why? Because I love the idea of an air cooled car with a front-mounted straight 6. Plus they were pretty cutting edge for their day, my ’28 boat tail has 4 wheel hydraulic brakes and an aluminum body and some of the best steering put on any car for many years after (so good hotrodders in the ’50s would install Franklin steering on their cars).
By risk of getting burned. I think Hummer needs to start building H1s again. The company was very profitable and had no issues when American General was just selling Hummers to rich people. When GM took over they ruined it with the H2 and H3.
Niche Brand, JUST Sell the H1 and/or a civilian version of whatever new Military truck they are producing. There will always be a market for those types of trucks. Just not those soft pickups that look tough…but are actually Chevy colorados…
I’d also say that there is a market for one of those super high water American brands (not a Zimmer or some shit) but like Duesenburg or Auburn or Studebaker -> but they couldn’t be modern takes on the classic (unless they can pull off a Morgan look) they need to be completely modern higher than Rolls/Bentley handbuilt machines. Something around 400k and the rich will want to buy one. sell 50 a year, fast comfortable coaches.
Pontiac.
That company fueled my automotive lust since I was a child watching Smokey and the Bandit, and Knight Rider. Funny story: most of my friends (myself included) have multiple tattoos. We sometimes have a game where someone will throw out something specific (say, a filmation cartoon character) and we will see if someone has a corresponding tattoo (Ex-girlfriend with Snarf from the Thundercats was the response) After a while, it got to be a competition, where people would try to name something no one has tattooed on them. I won one day with “Who has a defunct american car brand emblem tattooed on them?” That would be me. I have the Pontiac arrowhead tattooed on my go pedal leg from knee to ankle. Having owned multiple Pontiacs (77 T/A, 89 Firebird, 85 Fiero V6 4SP, 86 Fiero 2.5 3 Speed auto, and small stints in an ’87 Grand Am, and a ’67 Catalina) I can attest to the sometimes questionable build quality, but what GM product hasn’t had those issues? (I’m a realist here) .
It seemed to me, that Pontiac was supposed to be the performance arm of GM, which may have been what caused it’s demise. When all car companies started “watering down” or “decontenting” in the mid nineties or so, there was not really a place for Pontiacs to “shine” and stand out from other offerings from GM. I personally would love to live in a world of turbo 3.8 Fiero’s (they were reportedly testing one when they decided to scrap the nameplate) But the unfortunate truth is that a Turbo 6 Fiero would likely run circles around what the Vette could lay down at the time, and we all know that GM would not allow an “underling” company put out a quicker product then their sportscar flagship…
Bring back International Harvester… The world needs more Scouts!