Reports surfaced earlier on Thursday that General Motors was considering axing its GMC and Pontiac brands, but a top GM exec says that is not the case. GM has already announced that it will be selling or winding down three of its brands by 2012 – Hummer, Saab and Saturn – but says it will focus on its four core brands, Chevrolet , Cadillac , Buick and GMC , moving forward.
Mark LaNeve, GM’s head of sales and marketing, called the earlier reports of the demise of GMC and Pontiac “unfounded, unsubstantiated and untrue.” LaNeve says GM’s plans haven’t changed, and those plans include Pontiac and GMC. “The strategy we laid out for you (in February) is still the strategy,” LaNeve told Automotive News.
Additionally, LaNeve denied the company is looking to cut 1,700 more dealers by June 1st. LaNeve acknowledged GM is working to reduce its number of stores – especially in metro areas – but says there has been no deadline set for such a decision.
GM CEO Fritz Henderson is scheduled for a press conference tomorrow, so we expect to hear more on both topics then.
