Bad news BeachBaby...No more Firebirds soon...

[TZ]

GM to shutter Pontiac, cut dealers and plants
The automaker's moves are part of a revised business plan submitted to the Treasury Department. About 21,000 job will be cut by year's end.
By Ken Bensinger
7:19 AM PDT, April 27, 2009
In a zero-hour bid to stay out of bankruptcy, General Motors Corp. said today it would fold the Pontiac brand, cut 42% of its U.S. dealers and 28% of its plants by the end of 2010, and offer holders of $27 billion in debt significant equity stakes in the company.

GM will also cease production of Hummer, Saturn and Saab vehicles and shed 21,000 jobs by year's end.


http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-gm28-2009apr28,0,7093793.story

I'm glad to see Hummers die (who isn't?) but no more Saturns either? WOW...

[HopeHoops]

1. I'm more upset about the Grand Am.

I love my Montana - seats 8 and the same engine as a Grand Am in a minivan that can hold as many 4x8 sheets of plywood as you want. It can also dust the rice rockets off the line without exception (at least to date). MAN does that piss off the young guys! Silly little rice rocket got blown away by a minivan. How do you EVER live that one down?

I need one of those scrolling marquee things for the rear window that says "GET A REAL CAR!"

[flvegan]

2. They actually haven't build a Firebird since either 2002 or 2003.

I was kind of curious that they had all the hype coming out over the new Camaro, but not a peep about a new Trans Am. Should have seen this coming.

Kind of sad, really. The G8 is a brilliant car, and the Vibe and Solstice are nice alternatives to Japanese counterparts.

[BeachBaby]

5. When the new Camaros came out.....

all of us Firebird lovers were just waiting for Pontiac to follow suit. Never happened. Whatever.


Here's the $64,000 question: Because of this latest development, will my car appreciate more rapidly? Depreciate? Stay the same? I'm nearing "classic car" status soon, and I got guys telling me all the time "Stop driving it! Put her in the garage!"

I don't really have a choice right now - she's the only car I got - but if we're talking big bucks later down the line, I really need to consider what other options I may have.

[flvegan]

6. Short of being a driver, I doubt it. They just made too many of them.

Now if you had some super-rare 'bird, like the 1989 Pace Car (gawd, what a car...Grand National engine in that GTA body...) or one of the ASC 'verts of your generation, it might be different. Besides, cars were meant to be driven. It's a sin to park them. Enjoy your ride.

[Schema Thing]

3. Really wish I still had my first car: 71 Firebird

and yeah, Saturn and Saab surprise me. Saturn seemed like the smart side of the GM family.

[jobycom]

4. Last I heard Saturn at least had a chance to be saved.

There was some clause that they could be spun off or bought by the employees or even reprieved at the end of their current contract, in 2010. Maybe that's changed, or maybe it's just such an unlikely occurence everyone assumes it won't happen?

[SacredCow]

7. As the driver of a 2006 Saturn, I don't care for this turn of events...

but in seeing the MASSIVE drop in quality from my 1995 Saturn SL2 to the current 2006 Ion? Well..... I just have trouble being surprised.

[LeftyMom]

8. Same here.

I have a '97 SW1 and I'm going to drive it until it falls apart around me. A while back I was thinking about getting a newer Saturn, but I really didn't see the point in paying extra for a rebadged Chevy or whatever.

The Sky/Solstice is a damned fine looking car. I would think they'll migrate that to another nameplate rather than drop it?

[SacredCow]

9. My 95 was still running strong when I dumped it in 2005...

but 3 of the 4 windows needed new motors, and the A/C compressor died (dark blue car, in Louisiana- NOT an option!). Otherwise, I'd probably still be driving it- it was in fine condition besides those (expen$ive) things.

[LeftyMom]

10. I think that's why I have no issues, whoever ordered my car got zero options.

It has air conditioning, and that's about it. I didn't even know you could get a car with manual windows and no CD player in 1997, but apparently you could if you tried hard enough.

I was actually kind of glad about the windows- no motors to go out, no wiring to short, and no way my goofy kid could injure himself screwing around with the controls.

[SacredCow]

11. My Dad has a 2005 Mazda truck with no power windows or locks...

He had been a Toyota devotee for decades, and when his 1984 finally threw a rod in '05 he hit the Toyota dealer. They told him that their base model included all power, auto transmission, alarm, carpet, etc... and would cost him close to $20K. He told them to shove it and went to the Mazda dealer, who sold him the most basic truck possible for right at $10K or so. The CD player was standard, however...