Industry Report: GM Drops Old Nameplates in Order to Show Fresh New Face

Out with the Old and In with the New as GM Attempts to Upgrade Its Image

Whats in a name? A heck of a lot if hundreds of millions, and even billions of research and development dollars could be lost due to a given models previously poor image. For that reason its out with the old and in with the new for many of General Motors nameplates.

By now everyone should be aware that GMs Oldsmobile division is soon to be phased out altogether, and some may even have heard that the Pontiac Aztek is getting axed. While the former is bad news to auto enthusiasts who grew up admiring Cutlass 442s while being awed by outlandish Toronados, most will say good riddance to the latter.

On a less final note, GM will also be laying to rest some famous nameplates while still building cars to fill the various voids. The new replacement for the Chevrolet Cavalier, for instance, will be dubbed the Cobalt while the long running Regal will get the name LaCrosse, after the highly successful show car that debuted last year.

Both models will debut in model year 2005, the Cobalt being one of the most important cars for the bowtie group. It will be based on Delta architecture, the same as that of the Saturn ION, which should bode well for an improvement in ride and handling over the current Cavalier.

The Saturn L Series Epsilon platform, that also is the basis for the Saab 9-3, 2004 Chevy Malibu and European only Opel Vectra, will spawn the next generation Grand Am, but it wont be called that when it debuts. Rumored to mirror the well-received G6 concept car that starred in Detroit this winter, the new model will no doubt improve Pontiacs compact in more ways than just a name.

"Grand Am has been a strong player for Pontiac, but the all-new replacement that follows this 04 model is truly a new Pontiac for the future," stated John Middlebrook, GM vice president, Marketing and Advertising, to a gathering of media during 2004 model test drives. "So we want to strongly signal this by choosing a new name thats more in keeping with Pontiacs contemporary aspirational direction."

While GM wont divulge the new Grand Am replacements name, Middlebrook did hint that other models might receive the same fate. "The LeSabre and the Park Avenue replacements could get new names (also) - no decision there yet," commented the GM vice president.

While it sounds like GM is making wholesale changes it isnt a particularly new phenomenon. Last year the Catera was dumped for the CTS, S-Series for the ION and GMC Suburban for the Yukon XL. Word has it Chevy even considered axing the Malibu name for 2004, an all-new model, but chose to keep it for obvious reasons.

That brings me to my next point. If a brand name, like Malibu, is linked to positive consumer recognition then it doesnt make much sense to drop it. But badges like Cavalier and Aztek arent exactly names to aspire to. Some have negative connotations due to poor reliability, or theyre just old, the casualties of the need for a fresh new face. For these reasons, and possibly others, the S10 will be named Colorado for 2004, while the Sonoma will be dubbed Canyon.

Well be seeing a similar response from Ford when its Taurus gets replaced in 2005 as the Futura, but that name should pull positive feelings from the past in an effort to restore consumer confidence in a brand that has been through the ringer in recent years. Chrysler is also expected to drop its Intrepid nameplate, most likely replacing it with Magnum.

The Japanese have played this game too, with Toyota previously dropping names like Tercel for Echo and Corona for Camry, but for the most part they stick with the same names as long as they are perceived as market leaders.

But then again Acura dropped its Legend, Vigor and Integra model names in place of a numerical system while they were riding high in sales and popular opinion. But the brand obviously felt it could do better, and adopting a similar naming system to European brands has helped it to become more respected in the industry.

Maybe thats why Mazdas 626 is now just known as the 6. While hardly as dramatic as dropping a brand name, playing with numbers gives the impression of change. The same designation process will affect the entire Mazda lineup next year; when the Protegé becomes the 3 and so on.

While it might seem foolish to mess with the Protegé name, arguably one of the most respected models in the compact segment of the market, despite its improper spelling (protégé has two accents), Mazda is attempting to overhaul its entire brand image similar to how Acura did years ago. Mercedes-Benz did this when it reversed its number/letter designations to letter/number; i.e. the 300 E became the E320, showing the Euros arent immune to a need for wholesale change.

The list goes on to include Audi, Volvo and even Ferrari making name changes, albeit the prancing horse brand only changes model names, other than second generation models that just receive the number designation followed by M for modificato (modified), when it comes out with an all new vehicle.

Of particular note, other than Ferrari, the most successful brands dont change model names very often, and some never at all. Lexus for instance, has had the ES and LS since the brands inception, while its GS, SC, RX and LX model names have never changed.

Porsche too, the worlds number one independent sports car manufacturer, has stuck with the 911 moniker for decades. And what about BMW? Its simple numerical system has brought new meaning to the numbers 3, 5 and 7; with the number 6 so well revered its making a comeback later this year. Ask any auto enthusiast what he or she thinks about the new 5 and youll end up talking BMW.

So whats in a name? In the end its pretty well everything. If an automaker keeps building what customers want, itll last forever. If they repeatedly dont, the name shuffling continues. Its an effective way to decide on your next car. Think about it? Would Toyota even consider dropping Corolla? Hey, maybe Cobalt will have such respect in 30 years.