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Originally Posted by Evergreen6

That's great information, thanks for sharing, and I can't say I fully understand it all but it is interesting to me. But based on the graph, I think? it's good news that most of the circle is above the "meets" red line.



I think that might also speak to niche. Toyota and Honda are good at sedans. Not that GM isn't or can't be good at sedans, but T/H captured a lot of the market in the 80's and have held on to it. Meanwhile, GM and Ford have held on to the truck market and they do trucks really, really well. It may be a good business decision that GM isn't trying to compete in a saturated, lower-margin sedan market where people have largely moved away in favor of more utilitarian vehicles.

I miss GM of the 80's and early 90's. That's when I fell in love with their stuff. The S10, S10 Blazer, full size Blazer. Beretta GTZ/GTU/Indy/GT/Z26. Cavalier Z24, Sunbird GT. Lumina Z34 coupe, Euro sedans and coupes. Camaro IROC, Buick GNX, Firebird Formulas, Turbo Trans Ams. Pontiac Grand AM GT's, Pontiac Grand Prix, Bonneville SSEI, Impala SS. Olds Cutlass convertible. 454 SS pickup, Syclone, Typhoon. Some of these cars made the Corvette feel a little boring and stodgy!

GM used to sell really ordinary cars that could be had in really cool trims in a way that made people feel special, like they owned an enthusiast vehicle, something truly fun and a notch above the rest.

I can't even get a half-chub over anything labeled "RS" from Chevrolet anymore. GM makes boring cars. I don't want some Trax imported from South Korea. I feel like a dork when I'm driving one, and like we as a nation have sold part of our soul, auto manufacturing, to a balance sheet. The Equinox is useful, but no matter how it's configured, it's still a boring crossover and it feels like it's more at home in some single 57 year old woman's garage, full of feral cats. I can't tell you what Buick makes; I just don't care. And I'm not going to spend 60-80k on a Tahoe, sorry GM, it's the same stuff you use in your trucks for 30 grand cheaper, always has been.

So that's kind of why I just don't care that GM finally put the Malibu out to pasture. What a tortured name. TO say GM abandoned sedans is a true statement - but in reality, that happened 30 years ago.

The last glimmer of light seems to be in ZR2 pickups. I have a hard time wanting a Silverado other than for comfort, otherwise it looks like a truck on antidepressants that's gained a lot of weight. Something more at home in Grandpa's garage than your cool uncle's garage.

But I get distracted. GM lost its way a long time ago and I stuck around for cars like the Camaro, and a couple of trucks, and that's....it. The C8 is amazing, but Corvette has never been in my sights. Can't see myself owning one now.

Let's also look at this. Traditionally a pickup was a less glamorous product to me. I was raised on the 60's and '70s automobiles, machines that emphasized performance and beauty. Of course I was also a long time admirer of Chevy trucks for their durability, utility and spaciousness. However, these vehicles emphasis was less on appearance and more on utility. Chevrolet cars diminished to such a state that at one point the only glimmer of hope left were the ultimate performers, Camaro and Corvette. Once Camaro left, then that was it for me. I could've drifted to Corvette, but again it traditionally wasn't a car that I would gravitate to. While all of this was happening, GM continually improved their pickup and SUV lines. We are at a point that IMO it is almost impossible to ignore a Chevrolet Silverado and the majority of the traditional sized trucks and suv's . Take a close look at a Silverado with options and/or a High Country. It was unheard of for a truck to have performance capabilites to rival a Camaro or Impala SS!?! Thanks to Chevrolet, the Silverado inherited a few of Camaro's components. IMO, outfitted properly, a Silverado IMO is striking and almost impossible to ignore (thank goodness). If it were not for Silverado's improvements, Chevrolet would have suffered many more defectors of their products.

Edit: Again I say, that the truck and suv lines should not be the only thing left at Chevrolet to have excellence. GM and Chevrolet should find ways to re-claim some of the greatness they once had in their regular car lines. Ignoring the automobile market may one day prove to be a very painful and unprofitable time for GM and Chevrolet.