So Long, Pontiac

Monday, April 27, 2009
General Motors has announced that they will be eliminating the Pontiac product line from their portfolio. As part of this decision they'll be cutting an additional 21,000 manufacturing jobs by next year. This is all part of GM's plan to save themselves and qualify for additional government bailout monies.

I'm not a particularly sentimental person when it comes to cars, and I happen to think Pontiacs in the last 20 years have pretty much been pieces of shit. So aside from my fondness for 1960's GTO's, my initial reaction to this news was "meh."

And yet...

21,000 jobs eliminated. And those are just the manufacturing jobs. That doesn't include the folks who make their living providing secondary and tertiary Pontiac services, such as dealers and their employees, and parts manufacturers and distributors, and who knows what else. In my area, many Pontiac dealers also sell other brands, but I don't know if they'll be able to keep their doors open offering only the remaining brands.

Hang on, kids - it's going to get worse before it gets better.

8 comments:

John the Scientist said...

It is, but this stuff is long overdue. The last time the auto industry had troubles they should have started this, and been cutting slowly over the intervening years. The pain of massive layoffs is to be laid directly at the feet of current management. They should have to leave their jobs in order for the corporations to receive aid. They didn't break things by accident, it was by incompetence, so why do we think they are the ones to fix the problem?

Janiece said...

I realize it's necessary. But that doesn't make it less painful. As for the foxes guarding the hen-house, I don't think these fucknuts are qualified to handle a wet dream, let alone an industry revitalization effort.

Cindi in CO said...

When I think of Pontiac, I always think of the Trans Am and Smokey and the Bandit.

'Cause when I was in high school, you were THE SHIT if you drove one of those.

Janiece said...

Cindi, I remember. And the big argument was Trans Am versus Camaro?

Never mind the fact that they were essentially the same vehicle...

Now if I see one on the road, I check to see if the driver has a mullet.

Cindi in CO said...

A mullet. Heh.

Of course, Burt Reynolds was a pretty cool guy back then. Mustache and all.

WendyB_09 said...

Sorry, I'm a Camero chick all the way...first car was a 69 Camero with a big block engine!

Back to reality - local morning shows were interviewing Pontiac dealerships, the dealers were still in shock. Said they had been warned of cutbacks and model "realignment" but not the whole division going bye-bye.

Whoops!!

WendyB_09

Janiece said...

Wendy, '60s Camaro's were COOL. The late 70's-early-80's? YUCK.

I loves me some 60's muscle cars...

Anonymous said...

1966-68 Mustangs. Convertible.

'Nough said.

(Very sad the entire division is being chopped, for many reasons.)