Another One Bites the Dust by 2010: Pontiac Ceases to Exist, So Now What?

April 27^th, 2009 will mark a day in history for many car lovers around the world as the day that GM pulled their support from Pontiac and killed the brand. For some it is hard to believe and for others it was expected, but truly it is a sad day even for AllSmallCars.com as we see another GM brand disappear into the history books. So what are you diehard Pontiac enthusiasts going to do now?

Well, first let us start with the reality that the Pontiac Brand will not be completely phased out until 2010 according to the GM Accelerates Its Reinvention As A Leaner, More Viable Company press release that came out today. Also, we must acknowledge that you will still be able to get a great Pontiac (our preference is a small Pontiac, but you get the point) for some time to come because there are plenty sitting out on the dealership lots. The other reality is that these dealers will either be closing their doors, downsizing to a single brand or changing to a different brand all together, so you might get a great deal on say a 2009 Pontiac Solstice or 2009 Pontiac Vibe.

Now the Vibe is a popular car and GM really doesn’t have anything else like it; in fact the Vibe is the last remaining car of the NUMMI partnership with Toyota (based on the Matrix platform). Pontiac Spokesman Jim Hopson commented on the situation and stated, "We're clearly not backing away from our partnership at NUMMI. There's no issue of us backing away from NUMMI." Okay, so they aren’t backing away, but what are they doing? Well, GM is currently in talks with Toyota and NUMMI to negotiate the use of the partnership for another model for one of the remaining GM lines. Just in case you were wonder, Hopson says that GM has no intention of “reVibing” the current Pontiac crossover using one of the remaining brand badges. This is probably a good move as our partners over at TheCarConnection.com have already put out a list of 5 cars that killed Pontiac. 

So here is my best advice, if you love any of the current Pontiac models, especially the sun worshiping Solstice and the Muscular Vibe (see my previous post on the resurgence of style), then I suggest you get one. GM will always back the warranty and the parts are going to be available for years to come. Remember people still drive Oldsmobiles, so the Pontiac won’t turn into a pumpkin at midnight during your New Years Eve celebrations.

 

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[Source: GM Media Online, AutoWeek]