"Recognition of the GM Name"

By: Jerry Friedman

Looking at a towering sign reaching for the sky at a local Chevy dealer, I realized something. Something we've all known for a long time now: the GM badges glued to the lower fenders and doors of every Chevy since 2006 are simply a waste of a few dollars that could've been spent elsewhere on the car.

But it wasn't until I glanced up at that sign and studied the GM logo I finally began to understand why that one little blemish was such a stupid, oafish move.

GM claimed back in '05 that they felt that the GM name didn't get much recognition from the public and the buyer. Period. So, in order to make themselves feel a little less like a long ignored friend you used to call on Saturday nights, they began to make small, silver GM badges and sticking them to the lower front quarter panels or lower front doors of all GM products.

It equaled up to nothing but a desparate cry of attention that GM didn't need, a few dollars wasted that GM could've kept, and a cleaner looking product GM could've made (and still can make if they'd just stop pressing the damned things).

If one would study a bit of auto history, they would see that the GM logo has been -- and still is -- proudly displayed as a part of dealer signs. It's even been stamped on GM car keys before. GM claims the public doesn't know who they are. Sure, right. And I guess if that's the truth, Bill Gates is really Jeffery Dahmer in a pair of horn-rimmed bi-focals.

My point is that GM should stop putting these things on all further products as of the 2008 model year. It's pointless and I really don't think the American public cares much about the GM name -- what the American public wants is a good product from General Motors. If they can do that, the GM name will soar higher. No badges needed.

Note on the Author: Jerry Friedman is the author of Your GM SUV Ate My Baby, Rock Detroit Down, GM Is Satan, along with many articles that have been published in The New York Times. He is Thomas Freedman's esteemed brother.

Edited July 6, 200619 yr by YellowJacket894

Didn't know Friedman had a brother. Never heard of his books either.

Interesting.

"You said the "F" word."

Something we've all known for a long time now: the GM badges glued to the lower fenders and doors of every Chevy since 2006 are simply a waste of a few dollars that could've been spent elsewhere on the car.

Damn it! He's right! I always thought there could be a millimeter more circumference on my radio dials! What was GM thinking?!

LORD! What a useless nitpicker.

Jesus Mother of Mary! ...

I mean Mary Mother of Jesus! There's TWO OF THEM! ...

Where do they spawn from?...

Heh.. Well I agree. Those badges are stupid eyesores.

Jesus Mother of Mary! ...   

I mean Mary Mother of Jesus! There's TWO OF THEM! ...

Where do they spawn from?...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, Jerry Friedman is just a fragment of my imagination. I've wanted to write something under a psudeonym for a while now and I thought I finally had the chance when I started thinking about the GM badges.

The name Jerry Friedman is a anagram. It's the names Jerry York and Thomas Friedman combined.

I felt like poking fun, that's all. But I feel that we may be hearing from Jerry soon...ever read The Dark Half?

Heh.

So do you really feel that the GM logo should be removed, or are you just instigating?

Heh.

So do you really feel that the GM logo should be removed, or are you just instigating?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Actually, yes I do feel it should be removed or placed elsewhere, but if I was going to write a piece about it (which is highly unlikely; there other fish to fry and other things to worry about), it would be better constructed than what Jerry wrote. It also wouldn't use such pompus prose, either.

Edited July 6, 200619 yr by YellowJacket894

I felt the dealer badges they stuck on my car were an eyesore. So I peeled 'em off. If I didn't like the placement of a GM badge, I'd peel it off. I don't see the problem.

I thought they should put it on the doorsills, like they used to. Or the seatbelts.

How about getting rid of the "Brands" all together.

You no longer buy a Buick Lucerne or Cadillac DTS.... you buy a GM Lucerne or a GM Lucerne Touring Sedan.

You no longer buy a Chevy Malibu, Maxx, Pontiac G6, or Saab 9-3.

Buy a GM Malibu, Malibu Maxx, Malibu Sport, or Malibu EuroSport

You no longer buy a Chevy Impala, Pontiac Grand Prix, or Buick LaCross

You buy a GM Impala, Impala SS, or Impala LS

and i bet this guy doesnt know saab or saturn is part of gm...

I'm getting a little tired of this. I know that Friedman dislikes GM with a passion, but I'm getting really sick of this. I don't ever notice the GM badge unless I'm up close and personal looking at a vehicle. I don't mind them at all, and like dart said, if you don't like it, then peel it off. I do miss the GM badge being on the keys, but I understand that it would get kinda confusing to have a bunch of keys that all have GM stamped on them if you have multiple GM vehicles.

They are asinine...especially when you see one on the rear fender of a friggin Corvette.

If you ask me (don't care if you didn't): not only should the badges be discontinued (they look fine tho some of the placements are off)- but the very name 'General Motors' should be downplayed and reduced in all automotive walks of life. We should never read 'GM's newest 4.4L Northstar...' but always read 'Cadillac's newest 4.4L Northstar...'

Far too much empahsis on 'GM' devalues the divisions...

YellowJacket- nice job, saw it coming tho...

How about getting rid of the "Brands" all together.

You no longer buy a Buick Lucerne or Cadillac DTS.... you buy a GM Lucerne or a GM Lucerne Touring Sedan.

You no longer buy a Chevy Malibu, Maxx, Pontiac G6, or Saab 9-3.

Buy a GM Malibu, Malibu Maxx, Malibu Sport, or Malibu EuroSport

You no longer buy a Chevy Impala, Pontiac Grand Prix, or Buick LaCross

You buy a GM Impala, Impala SS, or Impala LS

Building on what you just said:

Don't get rid of the brands, give every dealer the franchise rights to sell all of GM brands in the same General Motors showroom.

I know I know I over simplified it, but that is the direction they should take.

A General Motors mega dealer network.

I actually like the badges (if placed well).

Chrysler did the same thing forever and I never found it offensive on their cars.

Building on what you just said:

Don't get rid of the brands, give every dealer the franchise rights to sell all of GM brands in the same General Motors showroom.

I know I know I over simplified it, but that is the direction they should take.

A General Motors mega dealer network.

This sounds like it would follow in the original intentions of General Motors - to provide the capital, economies of scale, resources, and distribution networks for individual divisions to effectively design, manufacture, and sell their products.

As far as the badging, whoever is in charge needs to make sure they're properly aligned. I've seen way too many off-kilter GM badges to take them seriously and if they were affixed that poorly to either of my cars, they'd be stuck to my desk at home or work, not my front door.

Building on what you just said:

Don't get rid of the brands, give every dealer the franchise rights to sell all of GM brands in the same General Motors showroom.

I know I know I over simplified it, but that is the direction they should take.

A General Motors mega dealer network.

Wow! We actually agree on this. I have thought this would be a fine idea for some time. I can see the opposing point of view, but this is worth looking into.

Heh, I liked Jerry's line about Bill Gates and Jeff Dahmer. That made me chuckle.

Wow! We actually agree on this. I have thought this would be a fine idea for some time. I can see the opposing point of view, but this is worth looking into.

163527[/snapback]

They do it to a degree in Europe for the US brands.

In the US, maybe 20 years from now. But that is the direction they are taking.

B-P-GMC is a start.

But because of state laws, unless GM wanted to throw billions at the dealers to consolodate and go away it will not happen fast.

I know I have said this before, one of the few reasons Saturn continues to get investment is because they have all stand alone dealers.

Either way - that appears the direction they are going - long term.

Edited July 7, 200619 yr by evok

They do it to a degree in Europe for the US brands.

In the US, maybe 20 years from now.  But that is the direction they are taking.

B-P-GMC is a start.

But because of state laws, unless GM wanted to throw billions at the dealers to consolodate and go away it will not happen fast.

I know I have said this before, one of the few reasons Saturn continues to get investment is because they have all stand alone dealers.

Either way - that appears the direction they are going - long term.

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Agreed. I think it is a good thing that the idea evolve slowly though, less shock to the system. B-P-GMC really had to happen and I suspect that is how it will go as the trend moves forward: slow, steady and done when the need is obvious.

Cadillac will stand alone as long as possible.

Agreed. I think it is a good thing that the idea evolve slowly though, less shock to the system. B-P-GMC really had to happen and I suspect that is how it will go as the trend moves forward: slow, steady and done when the need is obvious.

Cadillac will stand alone as long as possible.

163540[/snapback]

Don't forget prior to B-P-GMC there was Old-Cadillac.

GM's biggest problem is not that they have too many brands, it is they have too many dealers with a mix of brands and too much over lap. B-P-GMC should go a long way to help GM because it will reduce the badge engineered over lap.

"You said the "F" word."

Damn it!  He's right!  I always thought there could be a millimeter more circumference on my radio dials!  What was GM thinking?!

LORD!  What a useless nitpicker.

163183[/snapback]

He's RIGHT. I felt the same way when I heard they were putting the badges on them.

I STILL scowl everytime I walk out to my beautiful black C6 and there's this chrome-ish silver "GM" badge sticking out on the lower bodyside panel.....

How about getting rid of the "Brands" all together.

You no longer buy a Buick Lucerne or Cadillac DTS.... you buy a GM Lucerne or a GM Lucerne Touring Sedan.

You no longer buy a Chevy Malibu, Maxx, Pontiac G6, or Saab 9-3.

Buy a GM Malibu, Malibu Maxx, Malibu Sport, or Malibu EuroSport

You no longer buy a Chevy Impala, Pontiac Grand Prix, or Buick LaCross

You buy a GM Impala, Impala SS, or Impala LS

163369[/snapback]

Wasn't that Zarella's old mantra?

Oldsmoboi.....I never expected this from YOU.....

Zarella was the point-guy for "brand management." Managing the Malibu "brand" or the Regal "brand" or the CTS "brand"......as opposed to "Chevrolet", "Buick", or "Cadillac."

Wasn't that Zarella's old mantra?

Oldsmoboi.....I never expected this from YOU.....

Zarella was the point-guy for "brand management."  Managing the Malibu "brand" or the Regal "brand" or the CTS "brand"......as opposed to "Chevrolet", "Buick", or "Cadillac."

163546[/snapback]

Actually, I was being sarcastic.....

I'm much more in the divisional camp. I feel that platform sharing is ok... in the same division. at least on the car level, I don't think there'd be a point for trucks.

For example, Cadillac gets all of it's cars on Sigma.

Buick gets all it's cars on Zeta

Pontiac gets all it's cars on Kappa

Chevy gets all it's cars on Epsilon or Delta <except corvette> and maybe picks a plateform from one other division for it's top sedan/coupe.

Chevy, GMC, Cadillac and Hummer trucks/suvs would continue as is.....

Oldsmoboi- I like that idea a lot, tho I don't know offhand how the model line-ups would work out...

Couple that with divisional-proprietory engines (can we get 50%??) and I feel we're on the right track Back.

I do miss the GM badge being on the keys, but I understand that it would get kinda confusing to have a bunch of keys that all have GM stamped on them if you have multiple GM vehicles.

*chuckles*

Try 5 GM vehicles ... all with keys that look virtually the same ... stamped with "GM" on 'em.

Course, I keep 'em all separate on different key chains ... each key chain picked specifically for the car, so all I have to do is feel for the key chain for each MC .

As for the GM badges these days ... I see both sides ... and don't really care.

Cort, "Mr MC" / "Mr Road Trip", 32swm/pig valve/pacemaker

MC:family.IL.guide.future = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/

Models.HO = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/trainroom.html

"How could I be so blind?" ... Charly McClain ... 'Who's Cheating Who'

Personally, I think this is a lot of angst over nothing. The badge is small and not all that noticeable unless you look for it. I couldn't care less about it. Keep it, get rid of it, I'll have to have it pointed out to me before I notice.

As for the badge on your Vette, OC, can't you take it off? I would think that a good wash and wax afterwards would remove any reminders of it ever having been there.

that's what I would think that it could be removed, its not like its one of the old badges that's acutally bolted onto the side of the car and would leave a nasty little hole there, its just double-sided taped on.

Ihate them....most of the time they are crooked...

Are they really often crooked? Must be following mercedes' example: every single 'Kompressor' script (different models, too) I've been behind has been on crooked.

I haven't seen many crooked GM badges, but I have definitely seen the Kompressor badge crooked, they must be the cars that are built on a Friday before a long holiday weekend that are shipped here like that.

Are they really often crooked? Must be following mercedes' example: every single 'Kompressor' script (different models, too) I've been behind has been on crooked.

164011[/snapback]

Everytime I see a GM badge it is off just enough to notice....

I guess maybe I'm not looking close enough at it, or something. Although the Kompressor badge is easier to see if its crooked or not considering its larger.