And that is why it breaks my heart that GM can't even invest in a sign for Buick at its dealerships. That it can't get its own showroom. That the #1 American automotive icon and its hundred years of proud heritage is being dismantled.

There is no question Buick has a heritage and name equal to and beyond both Hummer and Harley, but unlike Harley it has this great bureaucracy to contend with. And they are saying...

"What is bad for Buick is good for General Motors."

Well that is not working and despite every great effort from GM it will fail to increase its market share just so long as Buick remains a remnant of what it once was. This 20 car pileup display at these tiny showrooms is a disgrace and you deserve better.

When a better GM is built, Buick will build it.

As the #1 name in American automotive heritage Buick demands these basic rights.

1. It's own showroom.

This was a great idea from a poster on the fastlane.

3. Its own sign at those dealerships.

These two things every GM division should have or aspire to get.

4. A growing product line with the basic vehicles no automaker today can survive without.

a. A high volume car small car anywhere from a mini cooper to a baby Buick 8 redo.

b. A line of crossovers in small and large.

c. A look that can be instantly recognized as a Buick for its heritage lines.

What the luxury buyer today is saying to you is if GM can't invest in Buick, then why should I?

Steve,

I will agree with you when you say Buicks quality is top notch, but the designs sure aren't! The Lucerne is the only decent looking vehicle in your lineup, and even thats a little bland. Below is a link of a Concept Holden, this is what the new Buicks should look like. This car does somthing that nothing in your current lineup will ever do and that is spark emotion! If you dont think theres a market out there, for a car that looks like that, think again! http://www.allcarwallpapers.com/wallpapers/previews/holden-efijy-concept-1318.jpg

-Frank

Yup, that's the car Buick needs to make for goodness sakes.

And don't take 8 years with an on again off again on again off again development strategy.

You have the answer, but will you accept it?

Here is what I would do.

Situation:

Buick's soul is in Australia, it's sales are China and it's heritage is in the U.S. Sales are down 25% and it has to wait in the great GM line for capital.

Perscription:

Phase I:

Develop the soul, the Efijy. We have a 24 hour a day development strategy to produce three vehicles out of it. The sedan, coupe and crossover. The sedan will be a foot higher and the crossover will mirror the '41 Buick Estate Wagon.

The development team does not sleep when Australia is sleeping engineers in China and the US take over. The project needs to be complete target 24 months.

Phase II:

The next three vehicles are a high volume baby Buick, a roadster and a mid-sized sedan all flowing from the lines and momentum of the Efigy.

Phase III.

These vehicles share a market with Australia and world as Holden/Buick Vintage Automobiles. Reestablish par with Buick's showroom redo.

Complete the line-up with variations on the 3 sedans with wagons, crossovers and the Super line that drops the Corvette/Camaro engine in the sedans and roadster.

Oh the hybrid and flexfuel are a given I hope.

Oh, is that three posts? Ooops...well you know I can't count did you see my first post?

Pontiac and Saturn got one, now where is Buick's halo car? Where is a Buick for us younger people?

The only people I see driving Buicks, apart from the Rendezvous, are octogenarians. Buick may have been the design leader fifty years ago, but I cringe every time I have the misfortune to end up behind one, because they're slow and old. And I'm not talking about the cars.

And GM really needs to fix the turn signals on Buicks: Most drivers never seem to be able to turn it off!

"I often receive unsolicited feedback as to how to make Buick better, how to beat the competition and how to change our outreach to potential car buyers."
Maybe you should listen to some of that unsolicited feedback! Buicks lineup is a disgrace! Its nice to hear you guys do things for charity, but why don't you put the same amount of effort, into telling us how your making Buicks cars better.
Please post another blog answering our concerns. If I come off as being a jerk, I do not mean to be. I'm just passionate about your company and want to see it succeed.

Mr. Shannon:

I'd like to urge you to please write about Buick's exciting PRODUCTS, not about Tiger Woods and golf. And if you have nothing to write, come up with some exciting products like a small Buick premium crossover or a Buick halo vehicle. Use Buick's heritage (such as great model names including Wildcat) to your advantage, don't forget them! I want to spend some money with Buick soon in the next few years. What have you got to excite me? Stir up my Buick loyalty with a halo vehicle. At least TALK about Buick's future, please. (The Fastlane Blog, as well as various print articles in Automotive news and elsewhere, have discussed the futures for just about every GM make EXCEPT Buick!) The Lucerne may be nice, but it needs more pizzazz. If Buick is niche and premium, just offer the CXS, no base variations. The Enclave is a step or two closer to what a Buick should be, but might you offer something smaller? Not all Buick purchasers care about golf and, if it needs be said, not all (not me!) are over 50 or 55 or 60 or whatever the accepted thinking is. So let's talk future Buick VEHICLES! P.S. - If you need some design ideas, a number of young people on the website cheersandgears.com have, over the last several years, posted better Buick designs than I've seen come out of GM itself. Thank you.

My parents and grandparents are Buick people. I remember some pretty cool Rivieras and convertibles in their driveways. I do not own a Buick because you haven't made one for me yet. I got excited when I saw the Buick Bengal a few years ago and the Velite and the Cielo.
Where are these cars?

I love Buick and I am 39. Not the 70 year olds that make up much of the traditional buyers. I remember fondly tearing up Z28's , Mustangs and 300 zx turbo's and for that matter anything else in Buicks greatist car of the 80's the all powerful Grand National. I still have a 86 Skyhawk Ttype 5 speed hatch.

Buick killed of the T's to concentrate on vinal roofs wire wheelcovers, narow whitewall tires, and sloppy wollowing suspensions. This made it clear Buick cared not at all for younger customers only the oldest buyers in the world. Now look where you are! Buick sold over half a million cars a year. The market went foward and Buick went the other way. The cars Buick built for to long Drove Buicks future buyers to the imports. Now the only car Buick makes that gets me going is the Lucerne. I like everything about it exept one thing. Like the dark days of vinal and wire wheel covers the lucerne gets shorted with worst in class powertrain.

This car deserves the 6 speed auto and the HF 3.6 or at least the HV 3.5. The Northstar should be renamed for use in Buicks and be the 300 HP unit with 6 speed auto.

So much for my Rants. I do want to congradulate you for the Enclave. This just simply shakes the world, wonderful job!!!!!

Former and hopfully future Buick owner.

Patrick

My first car was my grandfather's '75 Buick LeSabre convertible that I got when he died. It was the last big convertible you guys made and I drove it till it died at like 200K miles. I loved it. Now that I'm in my thirties I would love to drive a Buick again but I'm waiting for a convertible. Why don't you guys make a convertible Lucerne?

Mr. Shannon,

I must concur with the other opinions here. As much as I like the Lacrosse, it pales in comparison with your Cielo concept, especially the green version. While the Enclave is a nice step forward, tbe concept was nicer. Advice part 1: capture the grace of your concepts. Advice 2: make a car that lasts longer than the car payments. My Regal is 5 years old and within 7 payments of being mine. In the meantime, $800 worth of repairs for steering and brake sensors have come about in the last two years. My last two Fords, in nine years, never accumulated half that much repair. While I am interested in a LaCrosse, I'm gunshy as to what expenses may come about before the car is paid off.

Mr. Shannon:

I agree with those above who said that Buick's quality is there but the appearance is lacking. Buick's vehicles, especially the new LaCrosse and Lucerne, are well-priced for what they offer and much more luxurious than many of the vehicles in their classes. However, both of these brand new vehicles are bland to the eye without an intriguing edge. Give them the flare that Buick once had years ago. Without the looks, nobody's going to waste their time looking at a bland vehicle at dealerships. Instead, they'll look at the competition even though the Buick may have a more smooth, quiet ride.

But I'm sure that the upcoming vehicles in the line-up, like Enclave, will be sure to impress both inside and out. Keep up the good work!

what should be the name of the rwd buick in my mind. one word, roadmaster

Sir,
I'm only 23, but my first car i had to drive was the 83 regal wagon. That car had been in the family for one year less than it's full life, but I loved it. It was the only car like it anywhere I drove it. It had "quirks" and character by that time. losing it a few years ago in a wreck made me hope to own another buick sometime.
I love to see the lucernce on the road, but was disappointed by what it lacked from the promised 6speed and such.
The lacrosse, i still like to see them on the road, but really hope it can be even better when you release more info for the Super, and the next iteration.
The enclave looks very promising, and I hope it's even bigger of a hit than the 'vous and rainier combined.

Please continue the "Buick renaissance" that started truely with the lucerne, and I feel you do need a vehicle aimed much more at the younger than target buyers, something in more the spirit of the Grand National. I do have hopes that Buick can start creating more vehicles that are very "Buick", a pleasure to drive, and still offer more to bring in new customers and once buick fans.
Thank you and do your best to restore Buick's appeal to more people.

Hey Mr Shannon, I personally drive my parents 2002 Buick Century. I have got to tell you, I really like the car, I have 3 other cars that I could drive and I chose that one.

Now, of course I am kind of angry at the defects like the CHEAP RUBBER intake manifold gasket, but I still like the formula gm had going.

The car was designed in 1997 and still looks pretty good in 2006 (in my opinion). Though I am definatley a minority. One thing you guys need to bring back into buick is performance, my century has nothing to brag about, and niether do most of the cars in the lineup. Even my Century can reach 60mph faster than the 3800 series III lucerne.

I also strongly believe, if you want youth in your brand, price and aftermarket play a strong role.

Take a look at http://www.regalgs.org/
Fairly young people driving buick regals. The price was cheap (though for the wrong reason, horrific depreciation). Theres a huge aftermarket for the w-body, and 3800 n/a & s/c. Style also needs to be adressed now, I like the lucerne, but once again, i'm a minority when it comes to young people. I hope you guys can get a nice coupe in your lineup soon.

I also thing that all this trying to get rid of pushrods isnt going to settle your problems. I personally like pushrods, the 3100 in the Century has gone above and beyond it's advertised mileage. Though maybe thats just this engine, but I still like it, the sound and everything. Though i'm a minority, usually when people here pushrod, they think ancient, though I disagree greatly.
How can a 400 hp pushrod in a camaro get 30 mpg highway, or a 400 hp pushrod in the corvette get 27 mpg highway? Thats simular too some less powerful DOHC engines. Though I gotta say, it's also more than your 3.9, I dont know why you guys have trouble makeing OHV 6's but make great OHV 8's...

Yeah...thats what I have to say, I know it was kind of confusing with all the wondering of topics, but I got to ramble, and all of it has to do with buick, and what I like about the Century. The lucerne is definatley an improvement. The Enclave is great, though I hear he mileage is so-so, but i'm sure everything will be okay.

Thanks for reading, bye bye.

Steve, I appreciate all you've done for Buick so far, but more can be done!

The Enclave is an incredible design and is miles better than the SUV's they replace. I also recall the Velite concept you guys unveiled backed in 2004. That vehicle would do well in Buick's lineup.

I am in my early 50s and have been a Buick guy since they stopped building big Oldsmobiles in Lansing. I have had Regals, LeSabres, Parks and a LaCrosse. They are all fine automobiles. Buick builds great cars you just need to get the younger folks into them to see what fine products you make. But what I can't understand is why the LaCrosse, with the 3.6 engine is such a gas hog. Honestly, the Parks got 4-5 mpg better than this "refined" new engine. (The only reason I got the 3.6 instead of the 3.8, is because it was the only way to get Stabilitrak.) Keep the 3.8, or give us an engine that gets better gas mileage, while making stabilitrak available on all models. Toyota Avalon (which I will never buy) has more hp and much better mpg. Buick needs a midisize fwd sedan that has EPA of 23+ city and 33+ highway.

Love the new Buick SUV coming but these are the reasons I won't buy a Buick to replace my Olds Intrigue.

1. No base OHC V6 Engines, option too much on LaCrosse
2. Interiors on LaCrosse and Lucerne still look old
3. Dull looks and front end on the LaCrosse.

Things are better but still not entry level luxury or near luxury. I want to buy a Buick but I am waiting for a more Intrigue like looking LaCrosse with out having to shell out $1000's extra to get a 3.6L V6.

By the way theres more than 1 Frank posting on this blog im not just repeting myself over and over again

This is short and to the point...Lucerne needs a 6-speed and base V6 offering close to 240-250 HP. You have both of these in the GM family...bring them into Buick.

Also...as a 28 year old, you have sparked an interest in me to consider a Lucerne, however the Avalon is still winning over my affection because of the lack of the above mentioned components.

Love the Enclave, thanks for keeping it(so far) close to the concept. Don't ruin another one...like GM tends to do :cough:Aura:cough:

Hello Mr. Shannon,
I think that everything you mentioned is worthwhile and great in helping Buick's image. What I'd like to see is more American style and bold design...the Enclave has gotten it just right. Follow through with it's styling theme on other vehicles in development, and Buick will surely meet success. The Enclave is one of most excellently styled vehicles that I've ever seen. Continue it, please, for the sake of the Buick brand. In a few days, there will be an article posted on the front page of www.gminsidenews.com that I think will help in making what I have indicated into reality. Please, again, for the sake of the Buick brand, check out what I'm saying.

How 'bout having your legal department pay a visit to this quack who calls himself "Buickman"? Last time I checked, Buick was a registered trademark of General Motors. He should be paying a license fee to use the name like anyone else.

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/07/06/fans-design-dream-lineups-for-gm-brands/

TAKE A GOOD HARD LOOK STEVE!!!