Least necessary car manufacturer?

". ." (xllx) 08/09/2013 at 12:34 • Filed to: quick question, oppositelock

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What is currently the least needed car manufacturer in existence? Is it Alfa Romeo with their slightly tarted up Fiats? Mitsubishi with their lackluster range of cars? Maserati? Lotus? Daihatsu? MG? Volvo? Seat? Lancia?

What manufacurer's demise would not really be felt? Who makes cars nobody would really want? Post your opinions!

DoctorNine > . . 08/09/2013 at 12:36

3

Lincoln. Hands down

Victorious Secret > . . 08/09/2013 at 12:37

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Mitsubishi.

You don't have much of a business when the only car that has large commercial appeal is an expensive rice rocket.

For Sweden > . . 08/09/2013 at 12:37

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Saturn's already dead, so I don't have a hard answer.

Nerd-Vol > Victorious Secret 08/09/2013 at 12:40

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This. I know enthusiasts would miss the evo, but that's such a small seller, no one would notice it.

ColoradoTaco > . . 08/09/2013 at 12:40

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GMC.

Do they make anything not already offered as a Chevy? Badge engineering FTL

RX > . . 08/09/2013 at 12:40

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I think you need to be bitch slapped for even mentioning Lotus.

The answer is Buick. What are they? a slightly nicer Chevy? A budget Caddilac? Well just make a nicer chevy or cheaper caddy and get rid of the useless brand. Same thing with GMC, Ford seems to manage selling a nicer trim package on the F150. Chevy cant do the same with the sliverado?

CalzoneGolem > Nerd-Vol 08/09/2013 at 12:41

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Isn't the EVO dead?

Mikeado > . . 08/09/2013 at 12:42

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I'm inclined to say Mitsubishi. Also, if you're going to pick on a Fiat-Group brand for just having tarted up Fiats, Lancia is a much better candidate than Alfa Romeo. At least the have the 4C now, and that Alfa Romazda MX-Spider is on the way too. Lancia just have the Delta which is a re-nosed Fiat Bravo, the Ypsilon which is a slightly longer and weird-looking 500, and then three rebadged Chryslers. They're the appendix of Fiat-Chrysler.

HammerheadFistpunch > RX 08/09/2013 at 12:42

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in the US Buick is redundant, but they are on fire in the Chinese market.

twinturbobmw > ColoradoTaco 08/09/2013 at 12:43

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Do people even buy GMCs these days? I know for a fact no one buys their trucks. Just a few Acadias.

Nerd-Vol > CalzoneGolem 08/09/2013 at 12:43

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Probably.

Mikeado > Victorious Secret 08/09/2013 at 12:43

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I'm not aware they're even building the Evo any more. So that leaves them with, what, the Mirage? As a brand they're practically invisible now...

. . > Mikeado 08/09/2013 at 12:45

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I'm a fan of Fiat group cars and I didn't really want to attack them. It's that most of their brands are utterly unnecessary and I find it hilarious that they still exist.

Victorious Secret > Mikeado 08/09/2013 at 12:45

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Word on the street is that the Evo will now become a GT-R fighting, 500hp, I guess new NSX fighting supercar as well now.

AKA, smoke and mirrors and vapours. And some witchcraft.

ColoradoTaco > twinturbobmw 08/09/2013 at 12:47

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I see GMC all the time here, Coloradans like trucks and SUVs almost as much as we like Subarus.

. . > RX 08/09/2013 at 12:50

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I don't like Lotus. If I were filthy rich I'd buy the brand just to start selling diapers under that name.

HammerheadFistpunch > ColoradoTaco 08/09/2013 at 12:52

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GMC makes commercial and heavy trucks that chevy doesn't. Its all the same company of course, but GMC does make something that chevy doesn't

(though it is all basically the same stuff with different configurations)

Nerd-Vol > Victorious Secret 08/09/2013 at 12:54

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Lol, just what the Evo needed to become... More expensive.

Victorious Secret > Nerd-Vol 08/09/2013 at 12:58

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I think those two ran into a big wall with the Germans, let me explain.

I can pay 50k for a STI in Canada or I can pay 50k for a CLA45 AMG.

With the STI getting its own platform, its not exactly going to be a cheaper car. So now what.

I love the performance out of those two cars as much as the next 12 year old but there comes a point where paying 50k for a motor and transmission and a plastic shell becomes stupid for a daily driver.

Mikeado > Victorious Secret 08/09/2013 at 13:00

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Last I heard it was going to be a diesel or a hybrid because of average CO2 drivel. We'll just have to wait and see if it actually appears. I'm not holding out much hope, though.

punksmurph > . . 08/09/2013 at 13:01

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Anything that is a brand engineering exercise...if there is not one unique product then drop it. So lets list:

GMC, Vauxhaul, Lancia, Seat, Lincoln, Dacia

There is enough unique product with other brands to warrant keeping them, Kia was on the bubble but they have the Soul and Sedona and Hyundai does not offer cars that are badge off the same vehicle.

Mikeado > . . 08/09/2013 at 13:01

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Well, Alfa and Maserati are both on a mission to turn things around and validate their existence (Ghibli, 4C, Spider, Giulia etc.), so IMO they're worth keeping around for at least the next 5 years while they execute their plans.

Lancia, on the other hand, don't seem to be doing anything of note.

Victorious Secret > Mikeado 08/09/2013 at 13:04

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If they do a turbo hybrid diesel, hello Le Mans tech showing up in a genuine production car. I could actually forgive that because that would be epic.

But it does not change the fact that their next most exciting car would be...well... give me a few decades to figure that one out.

carcrasher88 > . . 08/09/2013 at 13:10

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Scion, of course.

They could drop the brand, call the FR-S the 86 or GT86, call the tC the Celica, badge swap the iQ to Toyota and drop both the xB and xD (or, if the Corolla Rumion that the xB a rebadged version of gets a redesign, just drop the Corolla designation and sell it here as the Toyota Rumion).

Second place goes to smart, the ultimate redundancy of the automotive market.

. . > carcrasher88 08/09/2013 at 13:12

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I disagree with Smart. They're brilliant things for really crowded cities with narrow streets.

Bandit > . . 08/09/2013 at 13:14

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... and they would be the lightest weight and most simple diapers in existance :P

KnowsAboutCars > . . 08/09/2013 at 13:17

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Perodua.

Their range consists of cars that are rebadged or heavily based on Daihatsus and to my understanding they are not what you'd call good in any measure.

Nerd-Vol > Victorious Secret 08/09/2013 at 13:19

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Wow, they still have the 2012 Galant on their website:

http://www.mitsubishicars.com/MMNA/jsp/galan…

KnowsAboutCars > KnowsAboutCars 08/09/2013 at 13:20

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Forgot to mention in my first comment:

Shouldn't historical significance count as well? There are many car companies that are currently not necessary but have been necessary in the past.

Victorious Secret > Nerd-Vol 08/09/2013 at 13:21

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Shoot me now.

No wait, let me napalm them.

. . > KnowsAboutCars 08/09/2013 at 13:22

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I guess historical significance has some weight to it, but it won't pull a brand that has nothing to offer.

Nerd-Vol > Victorious Secret 08/09/2013 at 13:23

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You can still actually build your own. I assume they just will track down a similar model for you. Then again, knowing the stupidity of Mitsubishi I would not be surprised if they are still manufacturing the 2012 model.

Victorious Secret > Nerd-Vol 08/09/2013 at 13:25

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Mitsubishi is communist then, the anti-capitalist pig Uncle Sam always warned us about.

BURN THEM

axiomatik > RX 08/09/2013 at 13:30

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Buick offers "comfortable" premium instead of "performance" premium. They do fill a market segment.

moarpowerr > . . 08/09/2013 at 13:32

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Acura..Acura needs to die.

Make the NSX a Honda, so that they may have the turn around that they so desperately need. Acura is the japanese Lincoln.

Goshen, formerly Darkcode > Mikeado 08/09/2013 at 15:02

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Which is an absolute pity.

Mikeado > Goshen, formerly Darkcode 08/09/2013 at 15:11

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Sure is.

Considering their past for innovation, it would be great if they could use them for new technology and stuff. Unfortunately, they want Fiat themselves to be the innovative ones.

Goshen, formerly Darkcode > Mikeado 08/09/2013 at 15:14

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Imagine if the Fulvia concept had been produced.

Mikeado > Goshen, formerly Darkcode 08/09/2013 at 15:54

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A FWD 4-cylinder coupé that's totally legit in its desirability.

VincentPrice > . . 08/09/2013 at 17:32

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Well, the least necessary manufacturer, not brand mind you, is BMW. My argument rest upon a simple fact: if BMW disappeared tomorrow, the typical buyer would have no quarrel. They would simply buy a similar model from Mercedes or Audi. I chose to single BMW out of the Germans because VAG is far too large to simply disappear without consequence, and Mercedes is a bit more diversified that BMW.

King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider > . . 08/10/2013 at 03:23

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Barring the ownership cluster with Porsche, I would say all of VAG. Not one of their brands isn't recreated with more relevance by another manufacturer.