QOTD: Four More Years?

Whoa, whoooaaaa, easy there. Take a breath — especially you, writers and alumns of a particular blog. In no way is that headline referring to anything political.

You’ll see.

Today, we revisit the past. And also today, we arrive at our destination with the ability to change the future. Like Christopher Walken in The Dead Zone, we hold in our hands the power to alter the course of history.

Wait, hold on. There’s a political subplot in The Dead Zone.

Scratch that.

We, and by that we mean you, have arrived at a date of your choosing. You’ll discover you have the newfound ability to keep something alive for four extra years — enough time to create new memories, new experiences… new products. Thing is, this wondrous power only works on dead automakers or automotive brands.

Yes, you can only use this power to extend the lifespan of a marque that bit the dust. Went belly-up. Bought the farm. That power you hold might, in fact, just be a duffel bag of cash or gold bullion — just enough to grease enough palms, cover the necessary operational costs, and keep the party going for another four years.

When automotive brands die, the mind quickly turns from what was to what might have been, had the company managed to soldier on with a modest amount of money to work with. Had their balance sheets tipped back into black, where would Packard or Studebaker have been in 1961 and 1970, respectively? If General Motors hadn’t suffered a near knockout blow from the Great Recession, what would Hummer have had on the market in 2014?

Pontiac? Saturn?

What final creation could Oldsmobile or Plymouth have cobbled together if given a reprieve? Alas, this is not for us to know, but it’s very much up to you to decide which automaker gets the chance. Which brand gets a temporary detour from the pearly gates, and what product would you like to see roll through those factory gates?

[Image: General Motors]