Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (March 2003, week 5)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Sun, 30 Mar 2003 19:56:20 +1200
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject:      (NVC) New "Pontiac GTO" released in US
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1

Quoting "Wheels" Feb issue:

The highlight of an otherwise flat Los Angeles Auto Show was the official US introduction of the Pontiac GTO, our [Holden] Monaro in its Stars and Stripes suit. Despite looking a bit over-ripe around the nose, as the initial image sketches of the GTO indicated, the final car is a lot tidier than many people thought it would be. It's too neat for some GTO hardliners, apparently. The main whinge is that the car doesn't look tough enough (which in this context means 'crude'). Said whining was mainly from owners of genuine GTOs. It doesn't matter that '60s or '70s technology would never meet all manner of modern regulations, these guys just aren't in the market for a new car of any kind. Another oft-heard remark from the same group was that the car was too small. Since it is smaller than a destroyer escort, many Americans probably do consider it tiny. The reaction from non-GTO owners was, on the other hand, overwhelmingly positive. A preview of the car to members of Pontiac's California dealer organisation had some of the normally blasé sales types drooling. One even put up his hand to say: "Forget the other 49 states; we can sell all 18,000 here in California." Prospective customers displayed a similar lack of restraint. One Californian we spoke to had cancelled his order on a similarly prices Infiniti G35 Coupe - otherwise known as a V35 Skyline Coupe - despite the fact he would have taken delivery of the Infiniti in March and the GTO won't arrive until some time in October, at the earliest. Pricing of the GTO is expected to be in the US$30,000 to US$35,000 window. This will make the GTO Pontiac's most expensive model, but will also place it squarely against its natural enemies, such as Ford's Mustang performance models. The only potential problem is that the agreement GM made with the powerful United Auto Workers Union in the US - to keep the GTO volume below 20,000 - may not even cover half the demand for the car. A little more demand than supply is nice, but when the former is double the lattewr, things can get very ugly indeed. ________________________________________________________________________________

I must say that they tested the Mustang and it just wasn't in the running... for quality, sophistication etc, much less handling. Not sporty in any way. But no doubt the Monaro will get detuned suspension in its GTO guise...

Wonder if any US buyers would want to retrofit genuine Holden Monaro badges?

The Monaro is the coupe version of the Holden Commodore sedan/wagon, sold in Brasil as Chevrolet Omega and in South Africa as Chevrolet something-or-other. The Monaro may also be exported to Britain, where no doubt Vauxhall badges will be tacked on.

Monaro is correctly pronounced mon-ah~-roe, not like Camaro kam-air-oh. but being exCanadian, I just say mon-air-oh...


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.