Buick dealers giving up franchises

[JeffKeryk]

Exactly!! I have zero compassion for dealers, but there is something that makes me almost feel bad for the Mom and Pop dealers not wanting to take on the EV's. Perhaps dead money in their view, and the added costs associated with taking them on could turn a good business into a loser. That alone might make some feel it's time to cash in the chips. That's one of the many downsides to a franchise.

Very well could happen, depending on the success of a given model, EV or ICE. What could help is the on-demand model where cars are ordered instead of inventoried. That could also help with the big dealers getting preference.
Probably won't happen, though. Everything points to the demise of the dealership sales model..

 

[Dave1027]

I always thought GM screwed up when they kept Buick but ditched Pontiac and Saturn.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I always thought GM screwed up when they kept Buick but ditched Pontiac and Saturn.

I miss Pontiac but after they started using corporate drive trains, I lost interest. Oldsmobile as well.

 

[proveitwithdata]

Exactly!! I have zero compassion for dealers, but there is something that makes me almost feel bad for the Mom and Pop dealers not wanting to take on the EV's. Perhaps dead money in their view, and the added costs associated with taking them on could turn a good business into a loser. That alone might make some feel it's time to cash in the chips. That's one of the many downsides to a franchise.

A bit of a stretch with what i am about to say, but you are correct. If you look at where most buicks are sold, we are looking at middle america, where ev penetration and acceptance is barely happening for a variety of reasons.

Gm asking them to stock such inventory is a recipe for a sales loss.

 

[demarpaint]

A bit of a stretch with what i am about to say, but you are correct. If you look at where most buicks are sold, we are looking at middle america, where ev penetration and acceptance is barely happening for a variety of reasons.

Gm asking them to stock such inventory is a recipe for a sales loss.

I don't think it's a stretch at all. IMO those bailing certainly have their reasons. Maybe GM should rethink their EV marketing strategy, and get input from their dealers on what they think and why. Trust me the dealers know what is going to sell, what's not going to sell, and if they're any good [the dealership] they know how to sell it. I'd be listening to them. If they really thought they'd be flying off the lot they'd be battling for allocation of the EVs.

 

[4WD]

I miss Pontiac but after they started using corporate drive trains, I lost interest. Oldsmobile as well.

Yeah - too much risk of winding up with a 6.2L LT1

 

[4WD]

I don't think it's a stretch at all. IMO those bailing certainly have their reasons. Maybe GM should rethink their EV marketing strategy, and get input from their dealers on what they think and why. Trust me the dealers know what is going to sell, what's not going to sell, and if they're any good [the dealership] they know how to sell it. I'd be listening to them. If they really thought they'd be flying off the lot they'd be battling for allocation of the EVs.

Yeah - ours is 3rd generation and doesn’t see a market - so they said farewell to Caddy after decades of sales …

 

[Torrid]

I miss Pontiac but after they started using corporate drive trains, I lost interest. Oldsmobile as well.

They started borrowing the right ones just before they pulled the plug and then GM completely pulled the plug on Holden later killing what was left of that design ethos. I loved space with less expensive materials with a Corvette powertrain under the hood. The only way you're doing that now is very expensive Cadillacs.

 

[4WD]

Yeah - ours is 3rd generation and doesn’t see a market - so they said farewell to Caddy after decades of sales …

our decades of all GM products dealership just became Chevy/GMC

 

[GON]

I always thought GM screwed up when they kept Buick but ditched Pontiac and Saturn.

If i was GM coming out of bankruptcy, I would have kept Buick, Pontiac, and GM trucks- and collapsed the rest.

Cadillac can't compete with its German luxury car counterparts. I think if Cadillac is was gone, and a kinder/ gentler Buick had full attention from GM- that Buick could have competed with Lexus/ Acura, etc.

Pontiac is a youth inspired brand. Yet most young people didn't know Pontiac, so it didn't have a negative image. Chevrolet for entry level cars did not always have a good image. Have Pontiac produce world class entry and mid level cars, and move these satisfied Pontiac owners over to Buick when they want something more upscale.

GM trucks need no explanation.

The above could not work for a multitude of reasons, to include Chevrolet has the biggest and widest footprint/ dealer network for GM.

 

[4WD]

If i was GM coming out of bankruptcy, I would have kept Buick, Pontiac, and GM trucks- and collapsed the rest.

Cadillac can't compete with its German luxury car counterparts. I think if Cadillac is was gone, and a kinder/ gentler Buick had full attention from GM- that Buick could have competed with Lexus/ Acura, etc.

Pontiac is a youth inspired brand. Yet most young people didn't know Pontiac, so it didn't have a negative image. Chevrolet for entry level cars did not always have a good image. Have Pontiac produce world class entry and mid level cars, and move these satisfied Pontiac owners over to Buick when they want something more upscale.

GM trucks need no explanation.

The above could not work for a multitude of reasons, to include Chevrolet has the biggest and widest footprint/ dealer network for GM.

I would say our dealership knew what to keep