HillsdaleHHR

GM forges future for 104-year-old Buick brand in U.S., China

By DAVID RUNK
Associated Press Writer
Published March 20, 2007, 4:40 PM CDT
DETROIT -- General Motors Corp. said Tuesday it is bringing back its "Super" line of Buicks, about five decades after the premium models last were sold, as it makes broader efforts to reinvigorate the 104-year-old brand in the U.S. and grow in China.

Buick General Manager Steve Shannon said the automaker soon will unveil the "Super" line, last used in 1958. For now, he said, it will include versions of the LaCrosse and Lucerne sedans.

"These vehicles will elevate in terms of design, power and performance," Shannon said during a presentation to the Automotive Press Association in Detroit.

The line comes amid a push of new vehicles, including the Enclave luxury crossover sport utility vehicle in North America and the Park Avenue sedan in China, that Shannon says will help better define the brand -- reflecting a focus on design, comfortable and quiet interiors, and quality.

"We think we can develop great products jointly that can do well in both markets," Shannon told reporters after the event, adding there aren't plans to build Buicks in China for the U.S. market.

After bringing out a fresh face for Cadillac and Saturn, GM is turning more attention to Buick, which traditionally is known for its appeal to older drivers. Longer-term, Shannon said there will be a focus on rolling out fewer -- but better -- Buick models to keep the brand profitable for Detroit-based GM.

Nearly all of Buick's new vehicle sales are in the U.S. and China. Buick's worldwide sales rose about 3 percent last year to more than 567,000 as sales in China jumped 25 percent to about 304,000.

Buick's U.S. sales, however, were down nearly 15 percent in 2006 to about 240,650. GM's effort to cut low-profit sales to rental car companies, as well eliminating aging models such as the LeSabre sedan, accentuated the drop.

Michael Robinet, vice president of global forecast services for CSM Worldwide, an auto industry consulting company based in Northville, said future Buicks will be designed to more clearly reflect the brand.

Robinet said GM has had success with its Cadillac and Saturn revivals, helping set the brands apart, and will carry those lessons over to Buick.

"They understand that the brand needs to stand for something," Robinet said.

As of last year, Buick still attracted the oldest buyers of all automotive brands in the U.S., according to an analysis by Power Information Network, a division of J.D. Power and Associates. Its buyers were 64 years old on average, compared with 55 for GM's Cadillac and Ford Motor Co.'s Lincoln and Mercury brands.

Shannon said the average Buick car buyer is about 67 years old, while the average Buick SUV driver is about 53 or 54. That has its benefits, he noted, since buyers can be loyal to the brand and typically are more financially stable.

"Over time, with the products we have, we will probably get a little bit younger," Shannon said. "Getting younger is not an objective, per se."

With the help of golf superstar Tiger Woods, Buick has tried to reach out to younger drivers and golf enthusiasts. Shannon said Woods, who helped unveil the Enclave in person last year in California, will be a bigger presence as the brand's pitchman.

Buick models in the U.S. this year include the LaCrosse and Lucerne, the Rainier mid-size sport utility vehicle and the Rendezvous SUV, as well as the Terraza, Buick's minivan. And the Enclave is scheduled to reach dealer showrooms this summer.

GM plans to unveil a new look for the LaCrosse in North America later this month, ahead of the New York Auto Show.

ymerej_mortsdnil

Harpozep

As I say a lot, " My other car is a Buick!"
It is quiet and has a V8. I like that combo and have been very comfortable with that combo in the past.
I love Buicks and have since I was in my teens. I guess I am not their average buyer, but did get the passion young and will likely keep driving Buicks until I reach that oder demographic age.
Then it's time for a Corvette!

This is good news. I had feared Buick was going the way of Olds or Plymouth. I saw GM put all their money into Saturn as some sort of salvage operation during the SUV crash of the past few years. They should let Saturn die. Kill them, kill them all! Spoken as a burned Saturn owner. Do a search if you want my Saturn story it I've repeated it a few times in these forums.

Suffice to say, they are too proprietary in their allowance of letting other GM dealers stock any common parts to work on them. There are too few Saturn dealers and I got tired of driving fifty miles for simple parts. They shut down three of the Saturn dealerships I used and never built the one near my house like they promised. Kill that company now!
Keep Buick alive!

Here is a grainy picture from three decades past of my Meat Wagon. A 1975 Buick Park Avenue. It was a crushed velure palace on wheels with a 455 CU Rochester four barrel., 36 gallon tank ( it needed it ), Michelin's, and a nice cassette deck.
It was outfitted for servicing ho's but me being geek., well.......
I used to go to comic book conventions and sleep in the car overnight in the parking garages at the hotels 'till the next day's festivities. Very comfy. Ask my old girlfriend (Yes, I finally got one), she liked comics too!

I have better pictures but I still have to scan them in.



Note the 'beached '73 Dodge Coronet wagon. 318 nice engine. Poor rusty body. Typical Chrysler, body too light, handled like a wheelbarrow
Our newer Buick and me:

bdubsee

Nice Buicks. My first car was a Buick LeSabre. I really like the color of your Rainier. I just traded out my Rendezvous for a Saturn Aura so I guess that I am going the opposite way of you. You may find this interesting http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=46759 - it mentions the Rainier.

Harpozep

Thanks for the link! I figured the Rainier was doomed when I bought it. The car was loaded , never registered, dealership owner's wife's car with 5K mkiles on it. They took twelve grand off just to move it in its model year ( 04). Still, I paid high with the extra warranty and added a remote starter and a 3M plastic shield /bra. We were upside down on the loan pretty quickly as our Safari AWD van only brought in 3K in trade. I always keep cars till they have too high a mileage to really get anything for them any way, so getting the extra warranty on the Ranier made sense if we are to keep it.

Having one 4WD vehicle in the family makes sense, and with a V8 it can haul. I never liked trucks, I prefer enclosed autos, so after the mini-vans, an SUV made sense. Little did we know that within months gas prices would go up a dollar! The SUV market has all but crashed and so too have most of the resale values of said SUVs.

Still, some folks buy'em. We bought the Rainier over many others because of the deal we got AND it has eight hundred pounds more weight in it than the similar Envoy. Most of this weight is in sound proofing and it shows. I like'em quiet!!
The gas mileage is the same or better than the Safari was, but we have a TV and heated seats, etc.
You know what I mean if you had the Rendezvous. Those are reasonable cars too.

Hows the Aura? I want to like Saturn, Really I do WANT TO..... but they burned me a couple of times. I spent a lot of money essentially beta testing their 300 series wagon. Nice beast, but poor electronics etc. After I paid twice to have the rear lights work ( Cops pulling us over, etc ) They issue a TSB and finally a recall. By then I had sold the car as the oxygen sensor died at 35K and kept stranding my wife and child in perilous spots.

They shut down the dealership I purchased it from. They shut down the other two nearest ones, and never built the one near our home , though the sign says still " coming in 2002.saturn."!

GMs share many of the same parts, but other GM dealers are not allowed to work on them nor could their diagnostic machine even couple with Saturns harness etc. So I had to trek the fifty mile each time I wanted something simple done.
No thanks...

Now if you live near a dealer I would think things may be different. I once staunchly supported them. I would again them IF they would let another GM dealer actually do some work on their cars. I mean I bring the Buick to a Chevy dealer and they could get me a starter. Same starter is likely on the VUE, but the Chevy dealer would not work on the Saturn. just a what if, but you get my point.
Hopefully your Saturn works well for you AND you live near a dealer

Thanks again for the link. It is good to know I have one of the fastest depreciating cars in the world! It is what I deserve

Harpozep

Here's my dad with his 1953 Buick Riviera Special:



And my grandfather's 1928 or 1938 Buick I have to ask my dad which I have more pics too somewhere.:

karen1953

Look where the antena is located!!!
Just where the HHR's are.

Harpozep

Good catch, I hadn't noticed!

Markiemark

And my grandfather's 1928 or 1938 Buick I have to ask my dad which I have more pics too somewhere.:
[/QUOTE]


1938 Buick, not 1928, if it is a Buick,

1928 vehicle's were very boxey (Bonnie & Clyde Style).
Not sure if there were Buick's in 28???
Seen many 1928 Ford's(Model A's),
Chevy(some, umm maybe, more early 30's), maybe Plymouth's but more in the early 30's.

Cool Pcitures!!!

Thanks

Harpozep

I have a real nice photo of my grandfather in his 1906 Pope Hartford which later became Dodge or Chrysler or Plymouth. I forget which. I wish we had that and his Indian motorcycle from 1909!