Why Buicks are Dying

Exactly! So we agree then?

I never want to feel the way those guys did when the TRs hit the show room floor. I don’t want some gay-ass four-door family car branded as a performance vehicle stealing the Turbo Regal glory.

So no. I am not eager to see another Buick performance car in the future.




Agreed, that new 4 door sedan doesnt cut it compared to the turboregals of the 80s. Speaking about More than just the power, im especially enamored with the looks of my GN. Whats rolling out of buick showrooms now is not comparable to the g body turbo regal, not even close. While there are less buicks it seems the cars still left are the best preserved. Even since i bought mine when i turned 18 the prices have shot up drastically and (im barely 20 now) it took a long time to find an 86 with no options but a posi and concert sound when i could finally afford it. Took a one way flight to arizona and got it from nick. That drive home was the best day of my life. The price and rarity of these cars might be a barrier to entry but it absolutely ensures they go to the right owners. In my experience the turbo regal community is great, and after a few long nights in the garage i made it to the last buick at bates and was blown away by how many buicks showed up. Everyone i talked to was passionate about their cars. Personally ill drive mine until im buried. Just from my perspective--Hard to tell this community is "dying".
 
It would really be cool to see a retro look of 81-87 TR in today's line up. Are you listening GM?
 
Hmmmm, very interesting conversation going on in this thread. Guess i'll throw in my 02. I think this whole "Why Buicks are Dying" conversation is interesting in the fact that there are two ways to look at this. The guys who race their cars at the "big" national Buick events seem to think that because less people are racing and showing up at the racing events, that it means the whole Buick Turbo world is 'dying'. But to the guys who just own these cars and show them at local events (car shows and cruise nights) there doesn't seem to be a lack of interest and or participation. As these cars continue to appreciate in value, I think it has caused some who would have modded their cars in the past to race, to not do that and just restore them to stock. I know myself, I couldn't give a rats ass for value as I don't plan on ever selling my GN, but I did keep my stock parts should I have a desire to return to stock in the future (all bolt on parts). I do see much fewer Turbo Buicks on the roads now then ever before because many are buying these cars as an "investment", which is a damn shame as I prefer to actually enjoy driving my car. It now has 108k miles, but looks like 8k miles. The car gets huge attention everywhere it goes, like I'm sure everyone else's! Either way you look at it, it's all good though. As long as YOU are enjoying the whole TB experience.......
 
They're dying because the number of cars and people is going down, not up. Buick hasn't released a car that captured any significant enthusiast interest since the GN ended production in late 1987.

Without new cars, we can't get enough new people, and Buick-only events will continue to shrink.

Yep. The latest generation Regal GS is actually a pretty cool car but just like the GN's, Buick SUCKS at promoting things. They could have a new 9000 horse regal and NO ONE would EVER know it. It's like they want to go where Olds went; soo odd. At any rate, they finally got awd and a turbo, but now no manual trans for the awd GS. Dumb move. All they'd have to do is bump the hp to around 330 or so, offer a manual option, lower the price a tad and PROMMMOTTTTE the car and you'd have more of an enthusiast crowd. NO ONE's buying a 36 thousand dollar, 14 second automatic buick. Sorry, not happening. Honestly, I love buick but if I had 36 grand I'd buy another Lexus, but CERTAINLY not a retirees car.
Give it some nice badging, up the hp, manual option, promote it like Alpha Romeo does, and build a enthusiast base and you'll be ok. Otherwise, there will be no one showing up at the shows, and Buick will find out where Olds had moved to and move in right next to them.
 
Yep. The latest generation Regal GS is actually a pretty cool car but just like the GN's, Buick SUCKS at promoting things. They could have a new 9000 horse regal and NO ONE would EVER know it. It's like they want to go where Olds went; soo odd. At any rate, they finally got awd and a turbo, but now no manual trans for the awd GS. Dumb move. All they'd have to do is bump the hp to around 330 or so, offer a manual option, lower the price a tad and PROMMMOTTTTE the car and you'd have more of an enthusiast crowd. NO ONE's buying a 36 thousand dollar, 14 second automatic buick. Sorry, not happening. Honestly, I love buick but if I had 36 grand I'd buy another Lexus, but CERTAINLY not a retirees car.
Give it some nice badging, up the hp, manual option, promote it like Alpha Romeo does, and build a enthusiast base and you'll be ok. Otherwise, there will be no one showing up at the shows, and Buick will find out where Olds had moved to and move in right next to them.
In today's world, Buick cars/crossovers are mainly made for the Chinese market.
 
Agreed, that new 4 door sedan doesnt cut it compared to the turboregals of the 80s.

I think you guys were kind of missing the point. There was no real following for the '78 Buick Regal Turbo when it first came out because the Regal was never really considered a muscle car, and that was all the rage back then. GM was trying to compensate for stringent emissions laws and reduced cubic inch displacement, but guys still had "no replacement for displacement" still embedded in their brain. But because Buick took a chance on a 3.8 turbo Regal in 1978, people started realizing their potential, and the GNX was perfected a decade later. Here we are forty years later, and the 2018 Buick GS was released in which will not only wipe the floor with a 1978 Buick Regal Turbo in any conceivable way, but is light years ahead of it in terms of technology. If the 2018 GS had backing that the '78 Regal Turbo did, imagine what the Buick GS will be a decade from now. That is what I was getting at. Yes, it is four doors, but it's one heck of a start for a possible comeback. Also, I think the post above nailed it, Buicks do extremely well in China because that is where their marketing "was" focused thanks to Bill, Hillary and Obama. Hopefully Trump changes that and reminds them where their loyalty should really be. Isn't that right Hillary... ;)

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Street legal - I totally agree with your statement about showing support for the Buick GS , Buick is not going to swoop in to create something that we think may save our little club here. The investment is way too high now a days to create a car for a very limited market unless the price tag can be set very high, way higher then what most here would pay.
But uou are wrong about Buick or GM being forced to sell in the China market by Hillary - GM saw a vastly expanding market of customers with money to burn and a very poor domestic car market. And that is why they got into the Chinese car market , hell they sell more cars in China then in the US . They also looked into India as a growth market but there economy is more set up as a have and have- not . So the need there is for super affordable transportation with no concern for quality or safety . That market has product widely available for that purpose . Where as the Chinese market demands quality and they have a big market willing to pay for it.
 
But uou are wrong about Buick or GM being forced to sell in the China market by Hillary

No no Jeff, I didn't mean to imply that they were literally forced to sell in China, I just meant that investors from GM were seeing the way in which the United States was leaning, going global so they were forced to make a move or lose out, so they invested themselves in areas like China, India and Mexico. Trump has been trying to undo the likes of NAFTA and such, and bring those companies back, especially Harley Davidson. That's what I meant by that, not that they were coerced. Businesses never really take sides politically, they just go where the money and demand will be, ahead of time... and that is where Hillary was going,

- Rob
 
No no Jeff, I didn't mean to imply that they were literally forced to sell in China, I just meant that investors from GM were seeing the way in which the United States was leaning, going global so they were forced to make a move or lose out, so they invested themselves in areas like China, India and Mexico. Trump has been trying to undo the likes of NAFTA and such, and bring those companies back, especially Harley Davidson. That's what I meant by that, not that they were coerced. Businesses never really take sides politically, they just go where the money and demand will be, ahead of time... and that is where Hillary was going,

- Rob
It’s all good street lethal - I work at GM and hear about us being controlled by the government all the time which is so untrue. We have been in China for a long time and plan on being there for a long time . Now I’m sure the government asked what GM was planning to not find itself in the position of going bankrupt again - hence the loss of Pontiac and olds - which I totally understand when you have to go and how kid your hand out for a bail out. Now before any one thinks that GM going down would have not hurt the entire industry doesn’t know how close the suppliers I worked with were to going under , most were barely covering payroll so the loss of business would have put many under. With just in time manufacturing that would have shut many plants down. I know of a few suppliers that were only shipping parts by court order and loans from the government.
 
As tight as GM has become, why bother piggy backing a new GNX off a four door when they have good selling Camaros and Corvettes? I’d rather drive my GN. If I was in the market I’d rather be in some traditional muscle and not a four door. How many hopped up four door classics do you see around?
 
How many hopped up four door classics do you see around?

It really depends on advertising and how it is built. Classics were very big cars as they were, and four doors just made them all the more bigger, and nobody dragged with the family so the concept of four doors was, well, wrong back then. But today's newer cars like the Chevy SS and Pontiac G8 were really sweet, but had very poor advertising. These are four doors that I know you wouldn't mind rolling in. Now picture a twin turbo Buick GN... ;)


 
How many hopped up four door classics do you see around?

It really depends on advertising and how it is built. Classics were very big cars as they were, and four doors just made them all the more bigger, and nobody dragged with the family so the concept of four doors was, well, wrong back then. But today's newer cars like the Chevy SS and Pontiac G8 were really sweet, but had very poor advertising. These are four doors that I know you wouldn't mind rolling in. Now picture a twin turbo Buick GN... ;)


I had a mildly modified G8 for 7 years. It was one of the best cars I ever owned - size, speed, rwd, handled well, safe, easily modified LS motor, sleeper - and few knew about it. It's replacement, the Chevy SS, was even nicer and again, barely promoted and mostly unknown. Shame. A Chevy SS with a bolt-on Whipple is a badazz car.

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No no Jeff, I didn't mean to imply that they were literally forced to sell in China, I just meant that investors from GM were seeing the way in which the United States was leaning, going global so they were forced to make a move or lose out, so they invested themselves in areas like China, India and Mexico. Trump has been trying to undo the likes of NAFTA and such, and bring those companies back, especially Harley Davidson. That's what I meant by that, not that they were coerced. Businesses never really take sides politically, they just go where the money and demand will be, ahead of time... and that is where Hillary was going,

- Rob
Buick as a brand is only around today due to it's sales in China. Buicks are not new to China, they been there for around 100 years.
 
That's it. Life gets in the way.

Without a way to get the younger people into the hobby to keep it fresh and vibrant, attendance is going to continue to go down. We can't rope them in with the existing vehicles, either. That population declines every year through theft and crashes, and always will.

Without a new vehicle to take over the mantle and get younger people involved, we're treading water.
Nothing to be ashamed of. We get one trip through this thing called life. You do what enjoy and are passionate about. I have one more passion in this life..........Music and Playing the music I loved in the 80s and early 90s (guitar). Started about 5 or 6 when I heard my first Elvis song my Dad was listening to. Long story short, I had to make choice.......Cars or Playing and trying to get in with a recording band. In retrospect if I had been more devoted to that and stood a very good chance of doing so had I been willing to move out of Western NC (where in the day if you did play Hank Jr and drive a jacked up Camo and Rusty Chevy you stood out like a sore thumb). I made my decision and stayed in the Muscle car scene. The rest is history. Still there at 47 and LOVE MY Buicks! I still play more than
I have in years.........but you have to look back and realize that alot of the great musicians I looked up to (and still do) are on the wrong side of the dirt now. They could not handle the fame, money and all the excess. Who is to say I would not have ended up a bit different. So we can't look back and be regretful or always wondering what if. We all make decisions, we all second guess them, we over analyze. But look at all the comradery in the Buick Family. I have always said this and do to this day. You will NEVER find this type of close knit family type atmosphere as you will in the Buick family. I feel I personally know my Buick Brothers and Sisters and many I do. But take most car groups for example it is simply a comparison in many groups with can be related to a comparison of genital size, not helping each other. I am 47 as well so simply enjoy the decisions you have made, do not look at life in the rear view. The is a good reason the windshield is much bigger! It is where were meant to be looking through.......;)
 
How many hopped up four door classics do you see around?

It really depends on advertising and how it is built. Classics were very big cars as they were, and four doors just made them all the more bigger, and nobody dragged with the family so the concept of four doors was, well, wrong back then. But today's newer cars like the Chevy SS and Pontiac G8 were really sweet, but had very poor advertising. These are four doors that I know you wouldn't mind rolling in. Now picture a twin turbo Buick GN... ;)


I had a mildly modified G8 for 7 years. It was one of the best cars I ever owned - size, speed, rwd, handled well, safe, easily modified LS motor, sleeper - and few knew about it. It's replacement, the Chevy SS, was even nicer and again, barely promoted and mostly unknown. Shame. A Chevy SS with a bolt-on Whipple is a badazz car.

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While G8’s are cool, they’re not as cool as any Turbo Regal/Challenger/Mustang, etc. just like a four door Skylark isn’t as cool as a GS. Some people might think so but to me they’re like a 5 series Bimmer.
 
While G8’s are cool, they’re not as cool as any Turbo Regal/Challenger/Mustang, etc. just like a four door Skylark isn’t as cool as a GS. Some people might think so but to me they’re like a 5 series Bimmer.

I agree, yet I disagree. For the most part you are correct in that a two door is much cooler than a four door, with certain exceptions. First off, in my opinion there is almost nothing cooler than a sweet turbo G-body from the late '80s, PERIOD, but even in their heyday, they were a fairly rare sight. As for most other cars, when you compare base models to base models, always the two door, but when you start talking special packages, all bets are off. You have to look at the entire car. Take a base Challenger and my current daily, an '05 Grand Prix GXP. Gimme the GXP any day. LS power, nice factory looks with enough styling changes from a base GP to make it stand out to those who know, a well sorted out suspension, a production number of around 2,000 for the first year versus 10 Challengers on the road between home and the nearest Wal-Mart, and four door practicality . The feeling would be even sweeter in a G8-GXP or a Cadillac CTS-V. Now when you start adding names to the other cars like Shelby or Hellcat or ZL1 then the tables turn, but take that 5 series Bimmer and tack the letters AMG after it and the argument can start all over again. ;)
 
Buick as a brand is only around today due to it's sales in China. Buicks are not new to China, they been there for around 100 years.

I have to respectfully disagree. Buick is not new to Hong Kong which had been a crown colony under British rule for 156 years, but was in fact new to China prior to 1997 when Hong Kong's sovereignty was handed back to Mainland China, and this was during Clinton's presidency. Buick did not survive in Hong Kong during the 70's, 80's and 90's, but was later persuaded to invest in China, as were many other companies, because this was the direction the United States was headed in. Do you think it is a coincidence that China bought the steel from the collapsed Word Trade Centers under Bush's reign? Do you think it is a coincidence that Bush and the two Clinton's are the best of friends? China was the direction they were headed in, deals were being made, and the automotive industry was already in the know. Obama continued it. Trump ended it.
 
I have to respectfully disagree. Buick is not new to Hong Kong which had been a crown colony under British rule for 156 years, but was in fact new to China prior to 1997 when Hong Kong's sovereignty was handed back to Mainland China, and this was during Clinton's presidency. Buick did not survive in Hong Kong during the 70's, 80's and 90's, but was later persuaded to invest in China, as were many other companies, because this was the direction the United States was headed in. Do you think it is a coincidence that China bought the steel from the collapsed Word Trade Centers under Bush's reign? Do you think it is a coincidence that Bush and the two Clinton's are the best of friends? China was the direction they were headed in, deals were being made, and the automotive industry was already in the know. Obama continued it. Trump ended it.
Street lethal - I think you have youre information wrong - buick opened its first sales office in shanghai china in 1929 and was the chosen vehicle for the Chinese government presidents and officials for decades , its pretty general information you can look up on the internet. And I can guarantee you GM has no plans on giving up their largest market.
 
Street lethal - I think you have youre information wrong - buick opened its first sales office in shanghai china in 1929 and was the chosen vehicle for the Chinese government presidents and officials for decades , its pretty general information you can look up on the internet. And I can guarantee you GM has no plans on giving up their largest market.

Again, I will respectfully disagree. In 1911 the Xinhai Revolution resulted in the establishment of the Republic of China, with Shanghai leading the way for Western European immigration, which increased in size allowing for Shanghai to be more European oriented, in so much that it would be labeled "Paris of the East" and "New York of the West". There were actually more Europeans in Shanghai than Chinese. It is known as a political power struggle Jeff, and up until 1989 things were no good in Shanghai, but then really began to change under the leadership of Zemin who encouraged Foreign investment, and this was under Bush Senior's rule of the United States. This didn't necessarily go over well with Capital Hill, and is the BASIS of Trump's argument of how we're getting screwed by China. GM stopped operating in China in 1949, but restarted in late 1993/1994, again under Bush/Clinton...
 
Again, I will respectfully disagree. In 1911 the Xinhai Revolution resulted in the establishment of the Republic of China, with Shanghai leading the way for Western European immigration, which increased in size allowing for Shanghai to be more European oriented, in so much that it would be labeled "Paris of the East" and "New York of the West". There were actually more Europeans in Shanghai than Chinese. It is known as a political power struggle Jeff, and up until 1989 things were no good in Shanghai, but then really began to change under the leadership of Zemin who encouraged Foreign investment, and this was under Bush Senior's rule of the United States. This didn't necessarily go over well with Capital Hill, and is the BASIS of Trump's argument of how we're getting screwed by China. GM stopped operating in China in 1949, but restarted in late 1993/1994, again under Bush/Clinton...
must say street lethal I am impressed with your Chinese history knowledge - and you're points are valid , but back to the basis of the topic. there are some that may ask why this is relevant to the topic you need to look into why the question came up in the first place. Buick can now be considered a Chinese brand with some input from the American side. so the chances of a next generation GN coming out is pretty slim if at all. I think as a group us turbo buick owners have to either 1 accept that we are a shrinking and aging group , a very awesome helpful and determined group. but still as we shrink our show numbers will continue to decrease and our vendor base will shrink as well.
now for some that isn't a problem , keeping it pure to the 80's turbo regal's is what they want. or we could try to open up our group to be more modern buick and g body aligned. try to keep interest in our cars going while adding other performance cars that can help our small numbers look a little bigger in the overall scheme. can this be done . I have no idea - but I think the turbo buick world has a far better knowledge base to help guide others. for example helping other buick regals feel welcome to our shows ever tho they don't fit our turbo v-6 world. if we can get people into standard buick regals with say LS motors in them to our shows that could help a vendor decide to say spend the money to make a header panel that works.
that's just how I see it , some may hate on my thoughts and that's fine. I just look at the first gen Camaro world and wish we could see some of the innovation they have on our side, no one over there looks at what started out as a base Camaro and is now a quarter million dollar pro touring car as a bad thing. but that's just what is my opinion
 
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