I think General Motors should kill Chevy trucks.
I arrived at this conclusion after a weekend away from my computer (it’s amazing where one’s mind goes when not influenced by the Internet) and driving past a Buick/GMC/Pontiac dealer. I began to wonder how the dealer would cope with the loss of Pontiac.
On the other side of town, I happened across a Chevy/Cadillac dealer, and that’s when my mind’s wheels really started turning. Now that only four GM brands remain, it makes sense for the company to sell Chevy, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac under one roof.
Then I remembered that part of the reason GMC exists is because GM needed to offer its Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Cadillac dealers the same Chevy trucks sold at Chevy dealers. A quick rebadge later, and the need was met. Today the GMC truck line remains a virtual mirror of the Chevy truck line, if not a slightly classier version.
If GM ever makes the decision to consolidate dealerships, having a GMC line of Sierras next to a Chevy line of Silverados would be redundant and confusing. From a marketing and branding perspective, turning Chevy into GM’s “practical car brand” and marketing GMC as the ” tough truck brand” would help align the company’s products in the minds of consumers. It would also increase the market share of GMC trucks and allow GM to build one solid truck brand instead of spreading marketing dollars between two.
I’m not sure what the odds of something like this ever happening are… it’s a smart idea, and we all know the General isn’t exactly overflowing with those. Plus, consolidating dealers again would certainly create more hissy fits (and lawsuits) from another round of eliminated dealers. On the positive side, though, remaining dealers would grow and become one-stop shopping destinations showcasing everything the all-new GM has to offer.
If GM were to keep only one truck line, which one do you think should be eliminated: GMC or Chevrolet?
-tgriffith
I doubt many Chevy truck buyers will buy GMC’s. If Chevy Trucks is killed many might wander off to Dodge or Ford instead of GMC.
GMC isn’t making big trucks anymore.Pull the plug on GMC’s!Why build 2 of the same thing.Just like Mercury with Ford.Times are tough.Why they got rid of Pontiac,I’ll never know!Yet they keep Buick instead,go figure!
You should be on the board of directors as your soooooo smart!
Some day maybe I can follow you around like a puppy dog so I can know how to get thru life whith total succes…
A LOT of people will only buy the bow tie and refuse to buy a GMC, even though the guy buying it knows they are the same vehicle. I don’t think this makes sense either, but it’s true. Some buyers might feel the same way about GMC’s, but I doubt it. Killing Chevy trucks would certainly cost A LOT of sales.
Sounds great and makes a lot of sense to a lot of people.
I honestly did not understand why GMC was saved and Pontiac was killed. Would have made more sense, in my opinion, to kill off GMC and save Pontiac. However, the reasoning given was it is cheaper to re-badge Chevrolet trucks as GMC’s and sale them, rather than create vehicles for Pontiac. In other words, for financial reasons GMC won out over Pontiac, not common sense reasons. For that reason, I doubt Chevy trucks will ever be killed off in favor of GMC Trucks.