QOTD: Back From the Dead?
Steph brought us news on Friday about Hummer’s imminent return. In an about-face from the gas-guzzling image it cultivated fifteen years ago, earning it scorn and ridicule from the wheat-n-grain types, the name is going to be appended to an electric pickup.
Sure, it isn’t going to be a standalone brand, instead as part of the GMC fold and perhaps even as “Hummer by GMC”. The latter spawns images of “Chrysler TC by Maserati”, but nevertheless. Our question for you today is this: which of GM’s purged brands would you bring back, should RenCen suddenly hand you the levers of power?
Certainly, there had to be some wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth in certain corner offices at GM in the SUV-heavy decade that followed the binning of Hummer during the company’s stroll through bankruptcy. Can you imagine the profit center that a fleet of H2, H3, H3T, and the inevitable H4 would have created? They even had alphanumeric names before Johann showed up at Cadillac. The mind reels.
Attentive readers will likely predict my vote for Pontiac, a brand for those who wanted to be brash on a budget. It’s always dangerous to look at the ’90s through rose-colored glasses, but I dare you to look at this Grand Prix and tell me it’s not an attractive car, build quality be damned.
Now we know Hummer’s on the way back to America’s highways, what’s your pick from the dustbin of GM history?
[images: GM, Car Brochures]
Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.
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I would definitely have to go with Pontiac as being a performance sub-brand, similar to what Bob Lutz had in mind with the entire brand. Seeing the aftermarket versions of the Trans-Am really make me wish that GM would do their own version. Then again, I am a Trans-Am and G8 owner, so I'm a bit biased....
"Just make Chevy cars and truck so good and offer higher trims/luxury/performance, if not quality, that buyers won’t be as repelled by “Chevrolet” or the Bowtie, and or feel a vomit coming on at the thought." "Also tone down the damn Bowtie. You don’t need to see if from 50 car lengths, especially at the front. Two inches across would suffice, we know who makes it." Denver Mike I couldn't have said it better. GM in the past has made great vehicles that have become legends. Once a brand makes bad products it is much harder to get a reputation back. Bringing back old names such as Blazer, Malibu, Hummer, and etc. is not going to get customers back or grow the brand if the product is sub-par. The same thing goes for Ford and FCA.