Disappointing Buick Anniversary Models

[jonosso]

While organizing files on my pc, I found the letter below that I had sent to Buick 2 years ago after attending the Nationals in Richmond. I along with others probably knew that Buick would never honor its 100th anniversary with anything more than a model or two with some plastic badges, but I decided to send the letter anyhow. As the time nears closer to the 2003 model year, our predictions are looking more and more accurate. Well…….I guess we can be thankful that they have decided not to stick on the plastic portholes, huh?<P><BR><I>To: Buick Motor Division<P>As a child and teenager, I always spent time at my uncle's Buick garage. I loved Buicks!!! Just last fall I bought a 1960 Buick Electra 225 convertible. I absolutely love it!!!<P>In July I attended the Buick Club of America's national convention in Virginia. It was there that I saw the Blackhawk and fell in love!!<P>Please tell me that you plan to honor the heritage of Buick for it's 100th anniversary in 2003 with a truly remarkable vehicle. How about the Blackhawk?<P>Please bring back the true spirit of Buick with a car that will knock the socks off of a younger generation. Please let it be a two door car, and not just a Regal or LeSabre with anniversary badges. Please let a 36 year old guy like me once again feel the excitement of going into a small town Buick dealership and loving the new and used Buicks.<P>I want all consumers my age and younger to see what Buick once was and can be. Please do that by introducing a spectacular, non "cookie cutter" anniversary vehicle. Let it be the Blackhawk, or a similiar concept with all the uniqueness and intrigue that Buick was once all about.<P></I>

[BigFella]

I absolutely agree with you...cokie (spell it out and get an html tag error from the post! duh!) cutter and aimed at OLDer folks...granted I grew up with the mid-70's and on Buicks and hated when they downsized in the mid-80's and went cookie cutter. They have never recovered while other brands are grabing nostalga of yesteryear...Buick is missing the boat and apparently will again be late to market...<P>I now own a 70 Electra and would love Buick to build a car worthy of the Buick name again...and all the Buick die hards, don't start with how they were aimed at certain age brackets all along or how they *could* be souped up to match some other brand...fact is the other brands have started to move out of the cookie cutter 90's but Buick seems to be stuck there...yes the rendeugly is a minivan/suv way late to a party and dressed by it's mother...<P>like you a Blackhawk or even a unique new Wildcat would have me standing in line with my money...as is I guess I have to wait 20 years to appreciate the OLDer styling and finally be in the age group they are aiming at...<P>Buicks still hold a special place in my heart but right now there is just no excitement for the new Buicks...none...

[NTX5467]

I suspect there are some realities here that are being missed. Buick or any other GM/Ford/Chrysler division can't just design ONE NEW vehicle just to commemorate their 100th Anniversary--especially when GM's looking at decreasing their number of models. It would be nice if the Blackhawk would have a limited production run for the 100th, but I don't see that happening.<P>In other GM divisions (as in Chevrolet), everytime there's a special edition Corvette, the people start getting a little weird. For example, when the Silver Anniversary '78 model was announced, the whole production run was sold out -- sight unseen. They all had marginal paint from the old St. Louis plant, but that didn't stop those Corvette enthusiasts in the least (the dealers usually ended up repainting some anyway). Then, in early '78, the Pace Car Edition was announced for later in the '78 production run and then Silver Anniversary Editions were "cold" and the Pace Cars were "hot". Even after the Pace Car Editions were out, there were people still trying to sell the Silver Anniversary Editions for $30-50,000 dollars in the Dallas News.<P>In those earlier pre-Internet days, some people were calling dealers in small towns trying to buy the Corvette they had coming in and then flying to go get it. It was definitely a feeding frenzy!<P>Then came the famous SS454 pickups. By observation, when you combine "SS" and "454" in the same designation, the Chevy guys start salivating. Prices went high real quick, even though they produced those vehicles for 3 yrs (with the last two years being the best with the overdrive automatic). Still, there was a feeding frenzy.<P>Now, the Corvette is 50 years old in 2003. Just as the 40th Anniversary Edition, it has special paint, a particular interior color, and other ornamentation. An instant collectible it would seem.<P>Now, here come's Olds doing a special edition "Final 500" Intrigue. One particular paint color, one equipment package, etc. #499 went to a long time Olds customer in CA and #500 goes to the Olds Museum in Lansing.<P>So, considering how easily Chevy gets away with their special editions being hot commodities with just a particular paint and trim combination, plus appropriate ornamentation, plus the Olds commemorative editions, what would make anyone consider that Buick might do anything different?<P>The platforms the LeSabre and Park Avenue are built on will not be replaced for a couple more years so that negates any new body change or alterations. That leaves the things that can be changed reasonably easy and inexpensively--paint, equipment, interior, ornamentation.<P>It seems that all I've seen in here is comments about being "disappointed" with the Buick 2003 Commemorative Editions. Point is, you should be glad it even happened considering the fact that these things were probably planned out under the Zarella mentallity that preceeded the coming of Mr. Lutz. From what I can tell, the Final 500 Intrigues probably came real close to not happening themselves. <P>If there were still real separate operating divisions in General Motors as there were in the '60s, where each division protected its own territory and heritage and tried to out do the others, things might be different. Unfortunately, those things seemed to vanish with the various combination strategies of GM management (i.e., accountants) of more recent times.<P>I'm sorry if some might be offended by my comments, but that's the reality as I see it.<P>NTX5467

[Guest 65sky]

when the 87 grand national out performed the vette the general pulled the plug on other gm badges as far as cool looking preformance cars go. to me the competion with in gm is what made them strong, now with their hands tied your going to get nothing but old farts cars or out of business like olds. i've had buicks for 30 years but the current crop of crap is not for me. looking elsewhere