Should Vauxhall rebrand as Opel?

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by garcon

If I ever own a multi million dollar company of any description, the very last thing you'll see me blasting anywhere in is a prehistoric Aussie truck.

+1

[garcon]

Originally Posted by I Rosputnik

Killjoy... >_<

Edit - I've just seen the running costs... Oh well, I'm sure if you had a million pounds I'm sure you wouldn't care... Much...

Imagine the running costs with fuel over two (aus) dollars a gallon.... (That's just to make our Aussie readers wince. )

But who cares about that if you're a millionaire ... there'd be at least one V8 in my garage, with an AMG badge on it.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by garcon

Imagine the running costs with fuel over two (aus) dollars a gallon.... (That's just to make our Aussie readers wince. )

But who cares about that if you're a millionaire ... there'd be at least one V8 in my garage, with an AMG badge on it.

which would be fun until someone else comes in with a 'pre-historic aussie truck' and absolutely creams your AMG in a race for a lot less money!

[davyboy]

As of right now, 9 people have voted that it should not be re-branded against one who said it should, a pretty convincing majority which is probably why it's never happened. However, nobody has given a reason why... and this is the real intriguing bit. Can the 9 people step up and explain why they've voted as they have.

[garcon]

Originally Posted by Matt

which would be fun until someone else comes in with a 'pre-historic aussie truck' and absolutely creams your AMG in a race for a lot less money!

Depends which AMG I choose ...

[awrb]

I don't think they should re-brand Vauxhall simply because I don't see the benefit of doing so. It's one of the two "home" brands, if you like, and has a great reputation in the UK. Bringing Opel into the minds of the British public, ensuring it gets a good reputation like Vauxhall currently has, and winning the hearts if the public after replacing a well known "British" brand would be difficult, expensive and time consuming.

So what would GM gain with a re-brand?

[Paradise City]

I don't think so either. Vauxhall has built up an inheritance over the few decades. I appreciate the ownership nuances give complete lie to this but in the mass-mind, the rebranding Vauxhall with a German name would seem like foreigners conquering yet another old British institution. Might leave a subconscious bad taste in the public mind what with the infamous selling off of vulnerable British manufacturers to oriental owners.

Personally I like going to the UK and seeing all the Vectra's..etc branded Vauxhalls. It makes me feel the UK is an alternative universe where nothing makes sense.

[I Rosputnik]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

I don't think so either. Vauxhall has built up an inheritance over the few decades. I appreciate the ownership nuances give complete lie to this but in the mass-mind, the rebranding Vauxhall with a German name would seem like foreigners conquering yet another old British institution. Might leave a subconscious bad taste in the public mind what with the infamous selling off of vulnerable British manufacturers to oriental owners.

Personally I like going to the UK and seeing all the Vectra's..etc branded Vauxhalls. It makes me feel the UK is an alternative universe where nothing makes sense.

Thank you, the UK is a rather crazy place where we drive upside down. ;p

Personally, I'd rather see someone take the Vauxhall brand from GM and give it some form of personality separate from Opel. It already has in a way with the VXR line up (Yes with V8 Aussies...) but similar to how BMW gave Mini a fresh outlook. (Whether people feel it was a good thing, that's a different argument) Then if GM wants to bring Opel into the UK then that's their choice.

[garcon]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

It makes me feel the UK is an alternative universe where nothing makes sense.

I thought that was France?

[FAS33]

Originally Posted by garcon

If I ever own a multi million dollar company of any description, the very last thing you'll see me blasting anywhere in is a prehistoric Aussie truck.

yes this looks sooo prehistoric

[garcon]

Looks like a Ford Sierra that's crashed through Halfords to me.

[johngee]

Originally Posted by garcon

Looks like a Ford Sierra that's crashed through Halfords to me.

Exactly the same thought went through my mind!

[FAS33]

Originally Posted by garcon

Looks like a Ford Sierra that's crashed through Halfords to me.

I smell Jealousy!! and whats halford? either way if rumours were true this Ute would not be far off from keepin up with an AMG , not bad for a prehistoric truck aye?

[johngee]

For the enlightenment of our colonial cousins , Halfords (or Halfrauds as they are popularly known) are a large chain of spares and accesories shops in the UK, offering both the useful and totally useless and 'bling' parts for your road car.

[garcon]

Originally Posted by FAS33

I smell Jealousy!! and whats halford? either way if rumours were true this Ute would not be far off from keepin up with an AMG , not bad for a prehistoric truck aye?

John has more than adequately described Halfords. Not sure what the Aussie equivalent of a chav is, but that's where they shop.

I reckon that Ute would keep up with most AMGs in a straight line, but in Europe we have these things called corners, and I'd quite like to survive the first one I encounter.

And ... if I'm in charge of a multi million dollar company (which is where all this started) I'd rather drive something fast and luxurious, rather than something with an interior out of a 500 dollar farmer's truck.


(Don't tell everyone, but I do like Holdens really. In the UK Vauxhall sell the latest GTS saloon as a 'VXR8'. It's a superb piece of kit - but for the scary fuel consumption...)

[FAS33]

Originally Posted by garcon

John has more than adequately described Halfords. Not sure what the Aussie equivalent of a chav is, but that's where they shop.

I reckon that Ute would keep up with most AMGs in a straight line, but in Europe we have these things called corners, and I'd quite like to survive the first one I encounter.

And ... if I'm in charge of a multi million dollar company (which is where all this started) I'd rather drive something fast and luxurious, rather than something with an interior out of a 500 dollar farmer's truck.


(Don't tell everyone, but I do like Holdens really. In the UK Vauxhall sell the latest GTS saloon as a 'VXR8'. It's a superb piece of kit - but for the scary fuel consumption...)

awkward moment when its not even a Holden...Its a Ford
here we call the poor people Bogans, and yes most of them drive holdens. but the upperclass ones rather a FPV (Ford Performance Vehicles)
heres a look at the "500 dollar interior"


almost as comfy lookin as a C-Class, what u reckon?

[garcon]

I thought I saw a Ford badge, but then we were talking about GM so I decided to ignore that and pretend it was a Holden. I know how you guys love each other really.

(Is it me or do the Utes all look the same anyway?)

That interior does look acceptable for a Ford I suppose. Still too much hard plastic that doesn't fit properly to compare to anything European though.

[FAS33]

Originally Posted by garcon

I thought I saw a Ford badge, but then we were talking about GM so I decided to ignore that and pretend it was a Holden. I know how you guys love each other really.

(Is it me or do the Utes all look the same anyway?)

That interior does look acceptable for a Ford I suppose. Still too much hard plastic that doesn't fit properly to compare to anything European though.

Holden special vehicle guys wish they were in same class as FPV, A Ute's a ute , and what about the later Mazda models , is it me or are they starting to look like AMG's?

[davyboy]

Thread drift going on here.

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by garcon

John has more than adequately described Halfords. Not sure what the Aussie equivalent of a chav is, but that's where they shop.

I reckon that Ute would keep up with most AMGs in a straight line, but in Europe we have these things called corners, and I'd quite like to survive the first one I encounter.

And ... if I'm in charge of a multi million dollar company (which is where all this started) I'd rather drive something fast and luxurious, rather than something with an interior out of a 500 dollar farmer's truck.


(Don't tell everyone, but I do like Holdens really. In the UK Vauxhall sell the latest GTS saloon as a 'VXR8'. It's a superb piece of kit - but for the scary fuel consumption...)

Here, this is better:


I'd roll in this.

And to close the colonial loop, the American equivalent of Halfords is Pep Boys and the chavs are (sort of as chav has a broader meaning than the car culture) called 'ricers' here for the preponderance of distastefully modified Japanese cars. The distasteful mods are now called 'rice' no matter the origin of the vehicle.

[garcon]

See, I told you they looked the same...

[I Rosputnik]

Originally Posted by davyboy

Thread drift going on here.

Trust me and my soft spot for Utes...

[FAS33]

Originally Posted by garcon

See, I told you they looked the same...

here *hands garcons his glasses*

[garcon]

Thanks.