Pontiac Dealer Wants to Buy Brand, GM Not Interest

**TA421** · 05-09-2009, 06:01 AM

Pontiac Dealer Wants to Buy Brand, GM Not Interested

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Jim Waldron, the owner of a Pontiac dealership in Michigan has revealed that he and a group of investors submitted an offer to buy the scheduled-for-termination Pontiac brand from GM. Waldron made the announcement on ABC's local WJRT station and said that he expects to hear back from the company this week.

GM representatives, including Communications VP Tom Pyden, have said that the brand is not for sale and that as a part of the company's new Viability Plan submitted to the U.S. government, Pontiac must be phased-out.

Waldron said that it is possible the communications team does not know of the offer.

As the terms of the offer (and, therefore, the price) are private, it is not clear if the offer is reasonable one. Waldron did say that if the offer is accepted his team would look into purchasing vacant plants and hiring a workforce to start manufacturing Pontiacs.

More: Pontiac Dealer Wants to Buy Brand, GM Not Interested on AutoGuide.com

**I.B. Pimpin** · 05-09-2009, 09:06 AM

Bad idea.

**TA421** · 05-09-2009, 09:23 AM

Yea would be nice to Keep pontiac around

**knightryda01** · 05-09-2009, 09:40 AM

First requirement... New Trans Am!!!!!

SOunds like a win win to me..... GM makes money from the sale and Pontiac either thrivies or dies.

Unless GM has some future plans for Pontiac down the road maybe who knows....

**67CamaroRSSS** · 05-09-2009, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by knightryda01

First requirement... New Trans Am!!!!!

SOunds like a win win to me..... GM makes money from the sale and Pontiac either thrivies or dies.

Unless GM has some future plans for Pontiac down the road maybe who knows....

Just like their "future" plans for Oldsmobile?

**cammed goat** · 05-09-2009, 12:05 PM

Almost sounds like the Chief may rise again after all.

**310stanger** · 05-09-2009, 12:30 PM

lets say this dealer buys pontiac and is able to build current models for the next year or two. Do they have the money do produce cars for an extended period of time? what happens when those models stop selling and people want new stuff? You know how many millions of dollars it takes in r&d, design, tooling, crash testing etc to produce just one new model? Not to mention you gotta pay the engineers that do all the work.

**Black R/A** · 05-09-2009, 12:33 PM

Great idea, but the plan has to be submitted to the federal regulators, not GM. GM will never let go of the Pontiac name for competitive reasons, unless the feds force them to - and that's the key. There are plenty of empty car factories in Detroit and area, lots of work-hungry suppliers, and there are even some aftermarket manufacturers of original Pontiac engine blocks around.

**TransAm11973** · 05-09-2009, 01:14 PM

Originally Posted by 310stanger

lets say this dealer buys pontiac and is able to build current models for the next year or two. Do they have the money do produce cars for an extended period of time? what happens when those models stop selling and people want new stuff? You know how many millions of dollars it takes in r&d, design, tooling, crash testing etc to produce just one new model? Not to mention you gotta pay the engineers that do all the work.

yes