GM Denies It's Selling Buick To SAIC

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Ah, another wonderful rendition of the Beijing Opera. Always masterfully produced. Always with the same predictable outcome. A few days ago, Shanghai Security News said that China’s SAIC is interested in buying Buick. The scent was picked up by TTAC, and soon it was all over the net. Predictably, a few days later, when the world had turned to other news, GM China sent a nameless executive to the Guangzhou Daily and said it’s all bunk. General Motors selling Buick to its Chinese joint venture partner SAIC? No way Jose (or whatever the Mandarin equivalent may be.) Cross my heart and swear to die, here is the truth, and nothing but, honestly. . .

“The GM official told the newspaper that Buick will remain to be one of the four core brands of General Motors, and dismissed the earlier news story about GM’s possible selling of its Buick brand as a rumor,” says Gasgoo.

Asked whether SAIC had expressed any intention to buy the Buick brand from its U.S. partner, the GM China executive punted and said that there is no need to comment on “a highly speculative report.”

And here, finally, the good news: GM said its China sales in March rose 24.6 percent from a year earlier to 137,004 vehicles, setting a company record for monthly sales. The strong sales growth is attributed to new product offerings. And here, a giant leap of faith for mankind: GM aims to double its annual sales in China to 2 million vehicles in five years. Good luck with that.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • Bunter1 Bunter1 on Apr 10, 2009

    Juniper-Personally I tend to view socialism as a form of gov't organized crime. Rather per definition actually. The whole idea (selling Buick) makes too much sense and would require more separation from denial for GM management. Sad. Much better than the scaggy stork in the last Buick show car shot. Cheerio, Bunter

  • Fincar1 Fincar1 on Apr 10, 2009

    Sweet! Ugly car though. That car been whupped wif a uuugly stick.

  • Analyst Analyst on Apr 10, 2009

    > They keep subsidizing their local companies (...) Just like any other nation on Earth, including the US of A.

  • Obbop Obbop on Apr 10, 2009

    I will personally bail-out the babe if needed.

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