Over the past few years General Motors has been working towards getting Pontiac, GMC and Buick into three-brand stores, but GM’s current financial crisis has forced the Detroit automaker to curtail its ambitious plans.
GM hasn’t completely abandoned its push to get all three brands under one roof, but it has significantly cut back as it waits to hear on a government loan package. “I wouldn’t say we’re not out there talking to people, but we’re not being as zealous as we were at one point,” Jim Hopson, a Pontiac spokesman, told Automotive News. “There are still some stores out there, and we’re working with those stores on an individual basis. And we’re listening to the proposals by our dealers.”
GM originally started the push to get all three brands under one roof at the dealer level to ensure a full vehicle lineup, and it looks as though that goal will become even more important in the coming years. GM recently told Congress that it plans to reduce its Pontiac division to a niche brand and Buick currently only offers three models.
It remains unclear when GM will have its Buick, Pontiac and GMC re-channeling efforts back up to full strength, but if GM secures federal aid, some of that money will likely go towards the effort.
