Chrysler Hanging On, Pontiac Gone

Being able to by a Fiat in America for the first time since 1984 is one step closer to reality as Chrysler has reached a tentative agreement with the Canadian Auto Workers Union, with only the UAW in America to negotiate with. Once both unions finalize these deals, Chrysler's big bondholders - mostly banks whose loans are secured by Chrysler's assets - need to take care of any remaining business. Hopefully, the dirty work will be done by the Thursday deadline, and we'll soon know whether Chrysler will survive with a little help from Turin. As for the Dodge and Chrysler vehicles we can expect, well, let's not get any half-baked collaborations. (The Chrysler-Maserati TC was bad enough, thank you.)

Meanwhile, events are moving quickly at General Motors. In a bid for more cutbacks to save the company, GM is expected to announce that Pontiac will be discontinued. It's a sad end to a once proud brand. As GM's performance division, Pontiac put out sporty cars usually far more interesting than the similar product from Chevrolet's lineup. The Firebird Trans Am was distinguished by an optional 301-cubic inch turbo V8 in the seventies, and the styling of later Firebirds was far more daring than their Camaro cousins. They also had those magnificent 305 V8s with port injection. The original GTO - a mild-mannered family sedan turned into a powerful performance vehicle - was the first "muscle car." More recent sports sedans include the Bonneville SE and the 6000 STE. And who can forget the Fiero, the first mid-engined two-seat sports car from a major U.S. manufacturer? Sadly, most people have. Lasting only five years in the eighties, it's mostly thought of as a Reagan-era relic, the automotive equivalent of a Members Only jacket, a running joke on "How I Met Your Mother."

Sadly, more recent Pontiac product hasn't caught on. The reborn GTO was a flop, as was the rakish G6. The Solstice - a roadster that marked Pontiac's return to the two-seat sports car market segment - has generated more interest than sales. Many of Pontiac's product of late hasn't even been developed at home. The aforementioned GTO was a Holden from Australia, as is the G8 sedan. Pontiac isn't even an autonomous division anymore; it's just a brand name now, sharing floor space at dealerships with Buick and GMC.

I should have realized that the brand's days were numbered back in 2004 when Oprah Winfrey gave away a G6 to everyone in her studio as a promotional stunt for both the brand and for herself. If even Oprah couldn't get people into Pontiac-Buick-GMC showrooms, no one could.

Rest in peace, Pontiac. :-(