Should Buick rebrand as Vauxhall in America?

[The Pool Man]

I know this sounds silly at first. But think about it.

What is Buick's big ad campaign all about? "That's not a Buick!" Therefore it could be reasonably argued that the better way to get this across is to abandon the Buick name altogether.

Originally I thought an entire new name might help. Like renaming all of Buick 'Encore'. The Encore Enclave. Encore Regal. That sort of thing. (Of course that makes renaming the Encore itself tricky... but maybe the Encore Trax?)

Yet a name like 'Encore' carries not much else with it. So a closer to GM idea was renaming Buick Denali. (You see what I did there?) If Buick was named Denali all GMC users would 'get' that all of 'Buick' was now fancy. Plus when a GMC is named 'Denali' people would understand it's the luxury version of the GMC.

But then I feared this might cause confusion. And what is Denali anyway? You got me.

Vauxhall, on the other hand, does have a meaning. It's a British GM name. We like Brits here. When they talk in that cute accent. And younger buyers believe Brits are hip. Check this out --



The 'v' and 'x' are sexy. Buick sounds like something you stepped in. (Sorry, but it does.)

The cool thing is that this type of rebranding makes sense in that it's still just GM. It's not some name out of a hat. And Buick is kinda going Opel/Vauxhall crazy with it's line -- and so it's even kind of honest.

One weird thing is the 'Buick' sells in China. How weird would it be to lose Buick in America but keep it in China?

This doesn't mean eliminate Buicks that sell here but won't in England. That is: the Vauxhall Enclave could exist here. (And would be easier to introduce over sees if peeps wanted it.)

Would any of you be upset to lose the Buick name off your car?

 

[CarbonBlackCXS]

You've been out in the sun too long. You need to soak in the pool Pool Man and get your senses back. 😉

No no no no no! Don't change the name. Or at least not for a few more decades yet until there's no one left who can remember the cheap Vauxhalls we used to see puttering around the streets. When I was a boy my neighbour had a Vauxhall just like the one below, same color too, and he was always fixing something on and it and it was only a couple years old at the time.

 

[IceMan2]

Did you forget to take your meds today..??

 

[longislander]

Denali is the highest mountain peak in North America. It used to be called Mt. McKinley.

 

[ZoomZoom Diva]

Buick is a storied name with long and distinguished history. It is better to make over the marque into a resurgent brand than to ditch it for another name. Besides, I don't think the brand would have the same demand in China if the name were to be ditched here.

No offense to the owners of current Encores, but I still remember the AMC-assembled Renault Encore hatchbacks from the 1980's.

 

[Sal Collaziano]

I think the commercials are actually wanting people to think, "Wow! THAT'S a BUICK?!" rather than, "That's NOT a Buick!". And I'm not sure Americans would like the name Vauxhall. You actually pronounce it the way it looks and it's not a very luxurious sounding name. Buick's problem isn't it's name.

Cars like the Cascada are a problem. It looks nothing like a Buick. Especially in it's face. No waterfall grille? Did they rush it over here from Opel so quickly that they couldn't Buickify the front end?

It was nice to see the Regal come back but Buick needs names like Electra (electric car), Riviera (sporty and slightly exotic), Grand National (high performance) in the lineup. These would make "Buick" a household name again. Everyone would be talking. I'd rather see this happen before Buick changed their name. I'd also welcome a logo change...

 

[The Pool Man]

I still remember the AMC-assembled Renault Encore hatchbacks from the 1980's.

Totally forgot about that one! The one I see looks like my original Honda Civic hatchback. But check out the mileage!

 

[The Pool Man]

Cars like the Cascada are a problem. It looks nothing like a Buick.

I hear your point the Cascada hasn't been 'Buicked', but my point is the Encore and Enclave look nothing like Buicks. And the Encore is the biggest seller. This should be telling GM that maybe Buick buyers aren't looking for Buicks at all. Which is why the Cascada is coming over.

I believe some classic brands should never go away but always be improved. Cadillac is too valuable a brand to ditch. I think Buick is weak. And I've felt that way since the 70's. I've never heard anybody say "I drive a Buick!" or left on TV ad thinking "Buicks are cool." The brand so failed me I thought it was under Chevy in quality. A very 'basic' car where Chevy was nicer and Oldsmobile/Pontiac were even nicer and Cadillac ruled.

I'd bet if you found a bunch of 30 year olds that know zilch about cars and fed them alternative brand names to Buick -- they'd choose other names.

 

[lparsons21]

I'm glad I don't share your view of the Buick line. A very basic car? And then say Chevy was nicer?? OH PLEASE!

 

[CarbonBlackCXS]

An interesting discussion on how people view Buicks. I myself think the Encore and Enclave look very much like a Buick. Side profiles and backsides might be a bit different but most people look at a face to see a family resemblance.

 

[The Pool Man]

I'm glad I don't share your view of the Buick line. A very basic car? And then say Chevy was nicer?? OH PLEASE!

I'm not saying I looked at Buicks and thought they were garbage as compared to Chevys. That's what you think I said. I'm saying that the branding of Buick so failed I never knew until six months ago the Buick was considered 'near luxury' or whatever. The name Buick never once captured my interest. For decades. It sounds like the name of a basic car brand. (Was that clear this time?)

Again it's mostly a phonetic thing. I showed a Fiat guy yesterday my Encore and he said he was really impressed with what Buick has been pulling off. I told him my theory that their name is killing them with newbie (clueless about Buick) buyers. I said Buick (to a new ear) sounds like something you stepped in. He laughed and said it sounds like something a frat boy does after beer pong game.

Suppose Buick as brand never existed. It had no meaning to anybody. The Encore Hotel in Vegas would never rename itself The Buick.



Understand this discussion is really marketing and nothing else. For instance --

-- I've been closely watching JCPenney over the last years attempt a rebranding. It's been half fiasco, half successful. (The media only tells you about the mistakes.) They, like Buick, are a venerable historic American brand. Known for older customers. Older customers die -- requiring new blood.

Two years ago they introduced a 'current' lady's brand called JCP. That is: they took a terrible brand and boldly stood behind it as 'new and terribly improved'. It scared the lady customers. ("It's bad enough I shop here but now I have to admit it to my friends?!?") If everything in TJMaxx was rebranded as TJMaxx they'd be out of business in one year.

So about a year ago JCPenney rebranded the 'JCP' line as 'Stylus'. Style-us, get it? Now that brand is doing better. Same clothes, different name. This is the power of branding/marketing.

I'm serious when I say GM should simply ask a thousand people (not the least bit knowledgeable about cars) which brand names they'd be interested in buying a car under. No specificity of the car, but simply ask: which would you be more interested in buying: an Encore, a Denali, or a Vauxhall? I don't pretend to know which name will capture something, but one will. Or different types of people will respond to different names. The one the youngins like will prove to be valuable.

 

[The Pool Man]

By the by -- for all those who responded in the spirit of the thread, thanks. I'm a 'thinking out loud' type and love it when people join in.

 

[ZoomZoom Diva]

I absolutely disagree that the Encore and Enclave look nothing like "a Buick". I think all 5 current models share a very strong family resemblance, and are a cohesive vision for the modern iteration of Buick while still sharing some vintage cues. It is my issue that the Cascada does not.

I see zero value in ditching Buick for some marque nameplate made from scratch or with little history in the United States. It is true that GM overly truncated their trims and makes starting with the 1977 downsize of the Electra/LeSabre and their kin. However, there is so much richness to draw on, that should be used in the marketing, such as their many decades of offering the "banker's hot rod" that the Regal GS ably carries on today.

I can see where you had the poor luck of quality issues with your samples from Buick, but I cannot see where you would have found them more basic than equivalent Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, or Pontiac models or where they would have been nicer. If you go by the "sound" of the name, then the position is from ignorance.

People under 30 with no knowledge of cars is quite possibly the worst demographic to choose for their opinions about cars or what a car should be named. It would be like having 90 year-old grandparents judging what makes a good smartphone.

How about Marquette?

 

[CarbonBlackCXS]

By the by -- for all those who responded in the spirit of the thread, thanks. I'm a 'thinking out loud' type and love it when people join in.

And I appreciate that but please don't take my poke at you about being in the sun too long as an insult. It was only a little ribbing and I hope you've got broad enough shoulders to accept it in a public forum. I think you do.

As for the name I remember Vauxhalls very well and my age bracket is still a very large segment of Buick's customer base and so to many of us in North America Vauxhall is not a name that says it's more upscale than a Chevy. Quite the opposite. As for the thousand people who are not knowledgable about cars those people are extremely rare and not the ones any car manufacturer would market to. I guess it would be an interesting exercise to see what they pick but its not realistic.

By the way Brits don't think they have an accent. When you go to their country YOU are the one with the cute accent.

 

[Foursoors]

Buicks have always had a reputation for reliability and more refinement than Chevy. It's just that their cars were boring. Once people discover that's no longer so they'll be fine. They have a good compact car -- the Verano -- but it gets terrible gas mileage. Once they fix that and get a midsize crossover to slot between Encore and Enclave they will have a pretty good lineup.

 

[Sal Collaziano]

I hear your point the Cascada hasn't been 'Buicked', but my point is the Encore and Enclave look nothing like Buicks. And the Encore is the biggest seller. This should be telling GM that maybe Buick buyers aren't looking for Buicks at all. Which is why the Cascada is coming over.

I believe some classic brands should never go away but always be improved. Cadillac is too valuable a brand to ditch. I think Buick is weak. And I've felt that way since the 70's. I've never heard anybody say "I drive a Buick!" or left on TV ad thinking "Buicks are cool." The brand so failed me I thought it was under Chevy in quality. A very 'basic' car where Chevy was nicer and Oldsmobile/Pontiac were even nicer and Cadillac ruled.

I'd bet if you found a bunch of 30 year olds that know zilch about cars and fed them alternative brand names to Buick -- they'd choose other names.

I'm really liking the new "face" of Buick. I'm quite impressed with the face of the Enclave and LaCrosse. I think the Regal and Verano are "handsome" cars. I'm personally not very impressed with the face of the Encore but it's selling well so my opinion is not very important. I won't hold any punches in my criticism of the Cascada. I don't like it. Period.

However, I feel all the cars outside of the Cascada DO look like Buicks - to me... Now think about the Avenir concept - and the FACT that that new face is coming to all Buicks very soon. That's a very attractive look. In my opinion Buick is moving in the right direction. And I feel they can SAVE their name. No, Buick isn't a brand that people brag about - but plenty of people still remember (and cherish) Buick's history. My nephew just got a hand-me-down 2002 Buick Regal in mint condition. He said, "too bad it's not a GS". He's still fond of old Buick's. He's 24 years old and also owns an M3.

"Buick" alone was probably never a name to brag about - but "Grand National" was. "T-Type" was. "GS" was... What Buick needs, rather than a brand name change - is products that impress people in a way that makes them talk. As mentioned if there were an Electra electric car - people would talk. If there were a Riviera - one like we've been hearing about and seeing concept pictures of - people would talk. Imagine a Grand National or GNX. People wouldn't STOP talking...

By the by -- for all those who responded in the spirit of the thread, thanks. I'm a 'thinking out loud' type and love it when people join in.

This is exactly the kind of discussion I love having on forums. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. That's what this is all about...

I absolutely disagree that the Encore and Enclave look nothing like "a Buick". I think all 5 current models share a very strong family resemblance, and are a cohesive vision for the modern iteration of Buick while still sharing some vintage cues. It is my issue that the Cascada does not.

I see zero value in ditching Buick for some marque nameplate made from scratch or with little history in the United States. It is true that GM overly truncated their trims and makes starting with the 1977 downsize of the Electra/LeSabre and their kin. However, there is so much richness to draw on, that should be used in the marketing, such as their many decades of offering the "banker's hot rod" that the Regal GS ably carries on today.

I can see where you had the poor luck of quality issues with your samples from Buick, but I cannot see where you would have found them more basic than equivalent Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, or Pontiac models or where they would have been nicer. If you go by the "sound" of the name, then the position is from ignorance.

People under 30 with no knowledge of cars is quite possibly the worst demographic to choose for their opinions about cars or what a car should be named. It would be like having 90 year-old grandparents judging what makes a good smartphone.

How about Marquette?

I feel that Buick is one step down from Cadillac. Not ALL that long ago the Park Avenue was considered "the doctor's car". Well, maybe it WAS a long time ago - but Chevy, Pontiac or Oldsmobile never had that honor. "The banker's hot rod". Another one...

Also, considering how "young people" are more interested in video games and Facebook these days - I don't think they're a good demographic to ask about cars. Even brands like Mercedes and BMW are very concerned that young people just don't care anymore. It's not good. But I do understand the point he's trying to make.

When all is said and done - if Buick were to ever change their name - it would need to sound a lot better than Vauxhall, Encore or even Denali to be an improvement. The name would need to be very avant-garde.

 

[The Pool Man]

An interesting discussion on how people view Buicks. I myself think the Encore and Enclave look very much like a Buick. Side profiles and backsides might be a bit different but most people look at a face to see a family resemblance.
View attachment 7973 View attachment 7974 View attachment 7975 View attachment 7976 View attachment 7977

Nice picture show! But hey -- I thought classic Buick's were long and rectangular?

 

[The Pool Man]

- if Buick were to ever change their name - it would need to sound a lot better than Vauxhall, Encore or even Denali to be an improvement. The name would need to be very avant-garde.

VAG Motors

(Very Avant Guard)

 

[The Pool Man]

Also, considering how "young people" are more interested in video games and Facebook these days - I don't think they're a good demographic to ask about cars. Even brands like Mercedes and BMW are very concerned that young people just don't care anymore. It's not good.

Perfect to my point. I know this is going to break some automotive hearts, but all I really know about Mercedes and BMW is that --

1. They're German.
2. Pricey.
3. Status symbols
4. Younger people typically CANNOT buy them
5. Can't name ONE of either brand that has ever caught my eye, outside of the BMW Z3 James Bond drove in the 90s.



I've had friends/relatives drive me in these cars. Couldn't identify most of them 3 minutes later in a police line-up. Since I wouldn't be able to afford any of them I dismiss almost all luxury cars. Very few have an interesting enough design to actually catch the 'designer' in me. There were some years where I noticed some Audis as sexy cars. This perspective might help people understand how Buick got by me.

Young people these days are very fashion oriented in clothing and gadgets. Generation Apple DOES care VERY much about design. Especially where it and cool meet. Just putting a Mercedes emblem on something means zip to these kids. Remember -- they're debadging types.

I believe the market is WIDE OPEN for hyper stylish/very reliable/reasonably luxurious/reasonably affordable cars. A hip Buick, if you will.

 

[CarbonBlackCXS]

Nice picture show! But hey -- I thought classic Buick's were long and rectangular?

Why do they have to be long and rectangular? Buick, BMW, Mercedes, Volvo, Chev, etc. all share styling cues across their respective brands.