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New GM had too many brands that were too alike.
Up until the late '70s, each division had their own engines. Then GM tried to quietly economize by replacing Oldsmobile V8's with Chevys. Customers didn't like it when they found out.

After that, the brands became more and more alike. They were even made on the same assembly lines.

A couple of decades of weak, heavy, slow engines (strangled V8s, rough fragile 4s and 90-degree V6s, etc.) after 1971 hurt them too.

(The 455 SuperDuty engines were amazing in some respects, but they were designed for a time with cheap gas and little-or-no emissions control devices. They were strangled - ~ 8.4:1 compression rather than 10:1 for pre-1970 engines. Similarly with the Ford 429 and 460 engines after 1971. They were nothing like the pre-1970 engines of comparable capacity when it came to generating horsepower.)

GM had too much overhead, too many layers of management, and too many dealers selling too many car models that were too alike. Plus, they had historical commitments to pay expensive medical benefits to current and retired employees (a good thing - but something that their competition didn't have to do due to their cheaper national health insurance programs or due to their weak unions). It was just a matter of time before it imploded.

It's kind of amazing that it recovered as well and as quickly as it did with the extensive federal help. And that's a good thing.

Cheers,
Scott.
New And what is left?
A brand for old farts - Buick
One for rich old farts - Cadillac
One for urban cowboys - GMC
And for the great unwashed: Chevrolet

I think at least two of those are heading towards a corner with their paintbrush. GMC is getting to be a pretty rare sight on the highways and the desperation in Buick commercials drips from the screen. Chevy is just too large and too similar for these two to survive.
New Yup.
They should just keep Buicks in China since they supposedly love them there so much.

Chevy seemingly will never go away. GMC is just badge engineering and has been for a long time.

Cadillac is weird. They tried to sell a rebadged Corvette. They sell a rebadged Suburban. GM probably shouldn't leave the money that they would lose by getting rid of it, but Ford considered dumping Lincoln, supposedly, so maybe they should keep it on a short leash.

If VW can sell rebadged Chrysler minivans as one of their own, I'm sure GM could do the same with something a bit more up-scale (VW has a lot of brands and are always looking to sell more autos).

FWIW.

Cheers,
Scott.
New "See the USA in your Chevrolet..."
Only Chevy I've owned was one of the front wheel drive X-cars their, the '80 Chevy Citation. It's the only new GM car I had bought.
Alex

"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."

-- Isaac Asimov
     The rise and fall of Pontiac in 29 cars - (lincoln) - (5)
         Re: The rise and fall of Pontiac in 29 cars - (pwhysall) - (4)
             GM had too many brands that were too alike. - (Another Scott) - (3)
                 And what is left? - (scoenye) - (2)
                     Yup. - (Another Scott) - (1)
                         "See the USA in your Chevrolet..." - (a6l6e6x)

Spork - the other white utensil.
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