If this is a repost go easy on me please...I'm fragile.

Bob Lutz on US Ute: "Odds are it will happen."

Posted Sep 19th 2007 9:28AM by John Neff

Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, GM, GMC, Pontiac, Australia

A few weeks ago we wrote about an email exchange between "Maximum" Bob Lutz and a GM Inside News forum member by the name of MonaroSS. In the exchange, Lutz claimed he and his colleagues were behind a move to bring the Australian-built Holden Ute to the U.S., but that "it won't be a Cheverolet." Never one to leave a quote like that hanging, Mike Levine from PickupTruck.com cornered "Maximum" Bob in California and asked if he could expound upon the status of a Stateside Ute, to which Lutz replied, "Odds are it will happen," and "We'd love to do it." Sounds promising.

In reference to his line that a Ute sold in the U.S. would not be badged a Chevrolet, Mr. Lutz added, "The Chevy product portfolio is too full to add this to it. We'd do it as either a Pontiac or GMC." Most have assumed a U.S.-spec Ute would be badged a Pontiac since from the A-pillar forward it would be identical to the forthcoming Pontiac G8 sedan, but Bob thinks a revival of the GMC Caballero might be cool, too.

If Bob wants it, it will come.

If this is a repost go easy on me please...I'm fragile.

Bob Lutz on US Ute: "Odds are it will happen."

Posted Sep 19th 2007 9:28AM by John Neff

Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, GM, GMC, Pontiac, Australia

A few weeks ago we wrote about an email exchange between "Maximum" Bob Lutz and a GM Inside News forum member by the name of MonaroSS. In the exchange, Lutz claimed he and his colleagues were behind a move to bring the Australian-built Holden Ute to the U.S., but that "it won't be a Cheverolet." Never one to leave a quote like that hanging, Mike Levine from PickupTruck.com cornered "Maximum" Bob in California and asked if he could expound upon the status of a Stateside Ute, to which Lutz replied, "Odds are it will happen," and "We'd love to do it." Sounds promising.

In reference to his line that a Ute sold in the U.S. would not be badged a Chevrolet, Mr. Lutz added, "The Chevy product portfolio is too full to add this to it. We'd do it as either a Pontiac or GMC." Most have assumed a U.S.-spec Ute would be badged a Pontiac since from the A-pillar forward it would be identical to the forthcoming Pontiac G8 sedan, but Bob thinks a revival of the GMC Caballero might be cool, too.

I told you it would be GMC and the name would be Caballero, did I not? Oh ye with little faith!

Edited September 19, 200717 yr by Pontiac Custom-S

I told you it would be GMC and the name would be Caballero, did I not?

And they will sell 5000, maybe? The car pickup seems like a low volume novelty...I wonder if it will do better than the SSR (another answer to a question no one asked).

Edited September 19, 200717 yr by moltar

And they will sell 5000, maybe? The car pickup seems like a low volume novelty...I wonder if it will do better than the SSR (another answer to a question no one asked).

I think you already know my thoughts on that.

The ONLY way this would not be a super low volume vehicle is if it's badged as an El Camino... Seriously... Not calling it El Camino is the biggest marketing errors this company could make IMO.

Why is GM so blind?

If Ford put a Cougar emblem on the current Mustang people would still call it a 'Stang.

If Dodge put a "Polara" emblem on the Viper people would still call it a Viper.

If Mercedes made a gullwing sports car & called it the CLK-R or some silly thing we'd all still call it the SL300...

Last time you saw a Factory-5, SuPerformance or Lone Star Classic kit car what did you call it?

That's right: a Shelby 427 Cobra!

Some cars/trucks are iconic, they will always be known by the public by a certain name.

Wow Bob, you're an idiot.

Some cars/trucks are iconic, they will always be known by the public by a certain name.

Exactly, an El Camino is an El Camino... not the Pontiac G9...

It's a mistake to call this car anything but El Camino. If Bob is so worried about Chevy's portfolio, there are at least 3 or 4 models in Chevy's current lineup that are totally unnecessary. (Cobalt, Aveo should bow out and push sales to Saturn, Equinox and the coming Lambda are not needed)

I can almost live with it being a GMC, but if it comes as a Pontiac, I will not buy GM again. I won't keep giving them money if they keep screwing with Pontiac.

Agree, it should be a

But it's gonna be a !

I am sad to say, but it seems like apart from Camaro and Corvette, Chevy may seem to have a ho hum future, unless the RWD Impy packs some punch.

PCS...your avatar is mesmerizing...thanks!

It's silly to get rid of the Cobalt... it's silly to insinuate that Chevy has too many models...

more models = more sales, Chevy is GM's value & volume leader.

Freekin' Stupid, if anything they should be worried about the LACK of models at Buick & Cadillac.

PCS...your avatar is mesmerizing...thanks!

You're most welcome! :AH-HA_wink:

Edited September 20, 200717 yr by Pontiac Custom-S