This week began the beginning of the Model T’s 100th anniversary year. It is of course the worst time ever for the auto industry, even worse than the 1970s. Ford is a sad case, but it’s worse at GM, where major Chevrolet dealerships are closing because they are unsellable. NoneMORE HERE
We just thought this was very well done. Visit us at www.brandlandusa.com.MORE HERE
Some GM cars aren’t selling. Why that’s a news flash! The Wall Street Journal reported today that General Motors has a large number of slow selling cars, including the Pontiac G5, Pontiac G8, Saab 9-7, Saab 9-5 and Saturn Astra. Apparently, they are pretty good cars, and get decent mileage.MORE HERE
The automotive blog The Truth About Cars by Martin Schwoerer reports that Talbot could return as an inexpensive car marque of Peugeot, perhaps made in Eastern Europe. They didn’t like the idea. We sort of do, but we do think he has raised a valid discussion about the meaning ofMORE HERE
The petitions to bring back Oldsmobile are growing. It has been one of the top searches on BrandlandUSA. We wanted to bring to our readers’ attention a few of the sites that are beginning to catch on to the value of Oldsmobile to General Motors. They are listed below. InMORE HERE
The news that General Motors is in talks with firms in China, Russia and India who might buy the Hummer brand is good news. There is no reason why the Hummer brand has to disappear, though it is obviously a niche brand. What it points out quite obviously is theMORE HERE
O.K. So this news July 3, 2008 had us frightened, freaked and sad. The stock value of General Motors is less than Mattel, which makes Hot Wheels. So reports Bloomberg. Mattel! Ouch! But what is interesting is that the stock drop parallels the killing off of Oldsmobile in 2000. TakeMORE HERE
Forbes columnist Jerry Flint wrote a great column June 17, 2008 on the future of Ford Motor Company’s Mercury brand, and whether the sorta-dashing Ford President Mark Fields really wants to keep the brand. We love to read Flint because he loves great American companies and believes that Americans canMORE HERE
The idea of a brand-life cycle is (mostly) flat-out wrong. Certainly, brands have phases and iterations, but the wholesale jettisoning of old brands by large conglomerates is wasteful, especially in an era when much manufacturing has been sent abroad and licensing, sales and distribution are the remaining competencies of manyMORE HERE
GM is going to get rid of the Hummer. Good riddance! Pretty much. Here’s why BrandlandUSA thinks it isn’t such a bad idea for GM jettison the brand. Because General Motors spent millions on a crazy scheme to build up Hummer around the same time that it killed off Oldsmobile,MORE HERE