Cal Club Autocross Forums

It has so many features that Billy Mays should be narrating that.

Billy Mays has higher standards.

Another Pontiac with great do everything "sporting"ideas, lousy execution.

The return of the Aztec!

The stinger was first 1989...

Its like Walmart threw up in it. Only the stuff from Walmart doesn't devalue as quickly.

" ... and a baby's arm holding an apple."

Grant Heathman wrote:The stinger was first 1989...

Whew, I was afraid they we starting that whole history repeating... not learning thing.

That explains a lot. If Pontiac started with the stinger, then appointed sections to committees, with antonymous decision making ability....

I always felt the Aztec was formed by committee, where each dept was not allowed to look at what the other was doing. Then the bean counters got involved on a per committee basis. Followed by assemble putting together what each dept supplied with agreed upon attachment points.

Kinda like the two Cal-Poly's do each year for their Rose Parade float. Though they have had the occasional, not quite similar designs over the years, they have luckily, never really clashed with each other either.

By committee with final say by bean counters is how Buick produced the Reatta...
A 165HP 3600lbs automatic transmission two seat sports car with rear engine and FRONT WHEEL DRIVE....

Steve Ekstrand wrote:By committee with final say by bean counters is how Buick produced the Reatta...
A 165HP 3600lbs automatic transmission two seat sports car with rear engine and FRONT WHEEL DRIVE....

ROTF. I'd blocked that ugly memory out.

Craig Naylor wrote:

Grant Heathman wrote:The stinger was first 1989...

Whew, I was afraid they we starting that whole history repeating... not learning thing.

That explains a lot. If Pontiac started with the stinger, then appointed sections to committees, with antonymous decision making ability....

I always felt the Aztec was formed by committee, where each dept was not allowed to look at what the other was doing. Then the bean counters got involved on a per committee basis. Followed by assemble putting together what each dept supplied with agreed upon attachment points.

Kinda like the two Cal-Poly's do each year for their Rose Parade float. Though they have had the occasional, not quite similar designs over the years, they have luckily, never really clashed with each other either.

There's a story that when the Hummer was being introduced the president of GM at the time was going around to the press tables at the annual dinner that precedes the Detroit auto show to brag about how Scwarzenegger had helped with the design. That lead to speculation about what other celebrities might have contributed to other GM products. When the Aztek was brought up, someone suggested Stevie Wonder.

And, if you thought the outside of the Aztek was vile, the interior was even worse. :barf:

Steve Ekstrand wrote:By committee with final say by bean counters is how Buick produced the Reatta...
A 165HP 3600lbs automatic transmission two seat sports car with rear engine and FRONT WHEEL DRIVE....

It was not rear-engined. Had top speed limited to 125 mph. Not sure it could reach that.

Projected sales: 20,000 a year. Total sales all four years, 21k and change. Classic GM failure.

Bob Beamesderfer wrote:

Steve Ekstrand wrote:By committee with final say by bean counters is how Buick produced the Reatta...
A 165HP 3600lbs automatic transmission two seat sports car with rear engine and FRONT WHEEL DRIVE....

It was not rear-engined. Had top speed limited to 125 mph. Not sure it could reach that.

Projected sales: 20,000 a year. Total sales all four years, 21k and change. Classic GM failure.

Whoops, Bob's right. The original engineering study called for a mid-engined (rear) AWD sports car with gobs more power... The reality was lacking. There was actually a case study on the development of the car in my Organizational Theory class in about 1990? They were already studying its failure in MBA programs before the end of its production.
A client had one and treated it like it was the most rare and valuable car in the universe (client could have had nearly any car). Weekend pleasure driving use only. Still couldn't keep it running 5 years despite maybe 10K miles? Tranny failure was the big one, but also lots of electrical gremlins.

At a time when Buick had been making higher-performance models, the Reatta was supposed to be turbo, but the AT couldn't handle it, so the NA V-6 went in and drove the front wheels.

The Reatta was one of many mistakes that led to a "re-organization" at GM, with ex-Olds chief Bob Stempel essentially doing little of real impact.

So I don't get it, does the car glow in the dark or something?

Steve Ekstrand wrote:There was actually a case study on the development of the car in my Organizational Theory class in about 1990? They were already studying its failure in MBA programs before the end of its production.

That reminds me of how the Hyundai Excel was a case study my sophomore year in marketing, for the massive sales hit by the new to America manufacture. Then my senior year in my capstone class was a case study failure in customer satisfaction / relations.

Craig Naylor wrote:

Steve Ekstrand wrote:There was actually a case study on the development of the car in my Organizational Theory class in about 1990? They were already studying its failure in MBA programs before the end of its production.

That reminds me of how the Hyundai Excel was a case study my sophomore year in marketing, for the massive sales hit by the new to America manufacture. Then my senior year in my capstone class was a case study failure in customer satisfaction / relations.

One of THE worst engines put in a modern car based on its lack of reliability. Mitsubishi design, I think, but made by Hyundai.

Wonder if they'll do a case study on the Genesis?

Bob Beamesderfer wrote:Mitsubishi design, I think, but made by Hyundai.

Forgot about that. If memory serves correctly, it was a 5 or 6 year old Mitsubishi (non-US) design when it was released here. Mitsubishi did sell it in the US starting a year or two later. Name started with a P (something close to Prius, but obviously not the same as Toyota's name), but can't recall what it was. Think Mits, sold it here for several years after Hyundai dropped it and moved on the the Accent.

... and a baby's arm holding an apple."

Where are the Tubes and Fee Waybill when you need them...

Grant Heathman wrote:

... and a baby's arm holding an apple."

Where are the Tubes and Fee Waybill when you need them...

I knew someone would get that reference.

They've pretty much faded from the scene.