First Generation Firebird-L Mailing List ......................................................................... As another '69 vert owner (my 2nd), I never get tired of it's looks, but back in '69 they sure weren't very popular - everyone wanted a Camaro!
I found this interesting reply to a comment in the online Wall Street Journal "Lounge": In 1973, a demoralized and beaten John Z DeLorean resigned from General Motors. A group of GM management bullies, jealous of his successes in life and business had beaten him. DeLorean had played a huge role in taking Pontiac to #3 in the car business for nearly a decade, invented the muscle car and the personal luxury car. He was also married to a supermodel, had a wonderful family and was not afraid to take GM in to the future. In fact, DeLorean was the heir apparent to be the CEO of GM when this cadre successfully ostracized the young exec., placing him in an office on GM's old 14th Floor with meaningless assignments designed to make him either comply, or leave. When DeLorean took over as General Manager of Chevrolet in 1969, he had been expounding the need for GM to take a higher level of corporate responsibility by building safer and more economical cars. He had indeed lived the nightmare of the Ralph Nader years and saw that the US auto industry was not sustainable. However, in 1969 gas was 35 cents a gallon, most cars got less than 10 mpg, and GM market share was nearly 50%. DeLorean's ultimate crime was that corporate responsibility just didn't sell. Few could have predicted the Arab oil embargoes and no one could have ever predicted that John Z. DeLorean would be GM's last shining hope for a future. We know now, 35 years later that GM never really learned the lesson of corporate responsibility. Disciples of those people who threw DeLorean out of GM for preaching safety and fuel economy in the late '60s carried on through three generations of corporate management. ... Doubt me, or want to know more? Go read the first 12 pages of DeLorean's book... he wrote it in 1973. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Monday, April 27, 2009 9:37 PM To: [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: Re: Re: [FGF] Pontiac to be scrapped - Express your opinions First Generation Firebird-L Mailing List ........................................................................ . I also have a red/white 400/4spd 69 bird that i finally found after 20 years of casual searching. Would i put that effort into anything out of detroit in the last 20 years? no......... this is pontiacs time to go...... mark ---------- Sent from my Verizon Wireless mobile phone ------Original Message------ From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]>,<[email protected]> Date: Tue, Apr 28, 12:02 AM -0400 Subject: Re: [FGF] Pontiac to be scrapped - Express your opinions First Generation Firebird-L Mailing List ........................................................................ . Styling got lost in the 60s. I have a 69 Firebird Convertible, red w/ white convertible top. Even the Carrera drivers crane their necks to look over. What happened? The country lost the free spirit and pannash of the 1960s and become conservative including auto styling. Some of the ugliest cars on the planet were made in the U.S. after the mid-seventies through...well.....today. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Sent: Mon, 27 Apr 2009 8:52 pm Subject: Re: [FGF] Pontiac to be scrapped - Express your opinions First Generation Firebird-L Mailing List ........................................................................ . You have never been so right. Flat out ugly cars that you don't even want to ride in let alone look at. -----Original Message----- From: Ridell, Niklas (C.N.) <[email protected]> To: First Generation Firebird-L <[email protected]> Sent: Mon, 27 Apr 2009 7:51 am Subject: RE: [FGF] Pontiac to be scrapped - Express your opinions First Generation Firebird-L Mailing List ........................................................................ . Pontiac didn't die today, that brand was killed many years ago. And I think it all comes down to appearance. When a customer is looking for a new car the exterior design is a much more important factor than anything else. Then comes the overall quality impression. When I say quality I'm not talking about the expected lifecycle of your transmission. I mean the perceived quality impression you get from things like interior surface material choice, door closing sounds, fit and finish, gaps, NVH etc. And also, today buying a car is not just a matter of transportation. We all know it's a way to show your personality. I don't blame that girl who ditched her Buick for a RAV4... Please don't kill me but in my opinion the american car styling got lost in the eighties. Yes, there are some good looking cars now. But still the big 3 are pumping out a lot of butt ugly cars. /Niklas ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Submissions to Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Unsubscribe from Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Help: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/firebird/Firebird-L.html> Classifieds: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/ubb/> Owner Pictures: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/show/> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Submissions to Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Unsubscribe from Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Help : <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/firebird/Firebird-L.html> Classifieds: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/ubb/> Owner Pictures: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/show/> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Submissions to Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Unsubscribe from Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Help: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/firebird/Firebird-L.html> Classifieds: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/ubb/> Owner Pictures: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/show/> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Submissions to Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Unsubscribe from Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Help: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/firebird/Firebird-L.html> Classifieds: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/ubb/> Owner Pictures: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/show/> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Submissions to Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Unsubscribe from Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Help: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/firebird/Firebird-L.html> Classifieds: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/ubb/> Owner Pictures: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/show/>
