Evinrude outboards cease all production

[Uncle_Buck]

Cutting hundreds of jobs in Sturtevant, BRP is ceasing Evinrude production and partnering with Mercury Marine

After 109 years of production, BRP,  Evinrude's parent made this sad announcement.

 

Owners of Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Plymouth (others) automobiles share the pain, disappointment and loss as their chosen brand goes over the rainbow.

[padgett]

"Goes over the rainbow." more like thrown under the bus. I wonder what the Chinese didn't like about Pontiac. Then again Buicks have always been best for short people who wear glasses.

 

Meanwhile I have to wonder about any article that missed Evenrude swallowed Johnson and it is Mercury Marine and not made in Marin county.

Back in the day Evenrude and Johnson competed for the family business while Mercury was for racers. Then Johnsons became an engine cover for an Evenrude engine. The Mercurys became four-stroke and went after everybody.

 

When youmg I used to tour around the Bahamas in the summer and came back with more money than left with - was an itinerant outboard mechanic and welcome everywhere.

 

Those were the daze.

[joe_padavano]

2 hours ago, padgett said:

I wonder what the Chinese didn't like about Pontiac. Then again Buicks have always been best for short people who wear glasses.

 

Wow, seriously dude?

[joe_padavano]

Reading between the lines in the article, it sounds more like the parent company is using COVID as an excuse to lay off workers as a profit-increasing, er... cost-cutting move. Reality check: mergers and acquisitions never make business sense unless you ultimately plan to consolidate operations, which is business code for lay off people.

 

And besides, GenX and company couldn't care less about boats. They're too busy looking at their phones.

[padgett]

Modern Buicks have always had big numbers on the dash.

[Frank DuVal]

3 hours ago, padgett said:

Then again Buicks have always been best for short people who wear glasses.

 

I'm not short! 😄

 

 

1 hour ago, padgett said:

Modern Buicks have always had big numbers on the dash.

 

??? Explain.  I see no big numbers on the dashes of my Park Avenues or Encores. I've driven friend's LaCrosse and Lucerne too, no big numbers that I remember.

 

[Steve9]

Taking a shot at Buick owners here might be looking for trouble. I’ll bet Buick is the biggest brand on this forum.

[Robert G. Smits]

Lets not overlook the humor in these responses.  I own two and love them.  Growing up in my hometown if you were driving a Buick you were probably not the most exciting person although my favorite spring car driver at Knoxville always drove Buick powered cars and was National Champion several times

[JACK M]

8 hours ago, padgett said:

When youmg I used to tour around the Bahamas in the summer and came back with more money than left with - was an itinerant outboard mechanic and welcome everywhere.

This was me in Mexico.

 

 

I retired just as Bombardier bought out OMC.

I was an Evinrude dealer for many years and hate to see them go.

I still have a few dealer collectibles. Maybe they will increase in value before my kids toss them.

I will always remember in 1976 (I think) when Evinrude introduced the new 200 hp V6 outboard at the Las Vegas dealers meeting.

They rolled one out and a bunch of scantily clad cuties scrambled out with trays of Champaign.

[Billy Kingsley]

I don't know if the line above about China and Buick was meant as a joke or and insult, but China has loved Buicks since the 1920s. The first car ever imported to China was a Buick. It made such an impression on the country they issued a commemerative coin showing it, known today as the Auto Dollar. They are actually really rare and in mint condition would actually sell for more than the car shown would. They have been the target of counterfeits since at least the 1980s though.

[padgett]

Hey I'm short (used to be 5'10") and wear glasses. Have a Buick now and a half dozen in the past starting with a 70 GS. My favorite rent car was a Century. Was making an observation and not a critique.

[Paul Dobbin]

All the cars from the 30's were made for short drivers and long legged rear seat passengers.  I've seen lots of restorations with repositioned front seats

[joe_padavano]

22 minutes ago, 60FlatTop said:

 

In the automotive business I have seen that mergers pool the weaknesses of both companies and help expedite the end. Want the list?

 

While I agree with you point, I don't appreciate being quoted out of context.

[60FlatTop]

I deleted the comment. Sometimes I don't click the channel changer fast enough on the national media stations. Contagious.

[bryankazmer]

Billy's comment is spot on.  When GM was looking to increase sales in China, they asked about the brand images there, and Buick's was favorable, much more so than Olds and Pontiac.  Having badge engineered BOP to be largely  redundant lines, they kept Buick and axed Olds and Pontiac.

[Jim Skelly]

There was a lot of criticism in the states since Pontiac usually outsold Buick here.  GM determined there was more sales potential in China than here, so correctly chose to keep Buick.

[8E45E]

37 minutes ago, bryankazmer said:

Billy's comment is spot on.  When GM was looking to increase sales in China, they asked about the brand images there, and Buick's was favorable, much more so than Olds and Pontiac.  Having badge engineered BOP to be largely  redundant lines, they kept Buick and axed Olds and Pontiac.

The Chinese-made Buicks were much more advanced in appearance to North American models. 

 

I guess GM thought perpetual buyers of them here would live forever, and never lose their eyesight, reflexes and motor skills, or their driver's licence when they turn 100.

 

Craig