[Commodoreman2000]

Americans forced to wait for their Commodore
Date
April 30, 2013
Andrew Maclean

Aussie-built Chevy SS will be made to order to protect Aussie workers.

Holdens export Commodore
The new V8-powered Holden Commodore VF SS-V will be sold in the US as the Chevrolet SS.

Chevrolet’s version of VF Commodore, the SS, will be built to order only as a way of protecting Holden’s South Australian workforce and ensuring the critical export program has a “bullet proof” long-term future.

That means American customers will have to wait at least three months after purchasing their Chevy SS before they can drive it.

General Motors’ North American CEO and former Holden Chairman, Mark Reuss, confirmed the sales plan to exclusively to Drive.

He said it was critical that GM didn’t follow the same strategy it did with Holden’s previous US export programs, the Monaro-based Pontiac GTO and the G8 sedan, both of which ended with dealerships slashing prices when they became overstocked, which subsequently ruined the value of the cars.

Story and pictures at Link: Drive.com.au American's forced to wait for their Commodore

 

[Commodoreman2000]

This confirms the order one and they'll build it. If this is the case then what is the harm in at the very least offering all colours available to Holden customers. And of course maybe the odd Stick shift.
If enough people buy they may end up doing so, sooner rather than later. It may also help the case of getting an LT1 as an option or the very least an LSA special edition variant.

 

[BowtieDriver]

They just killed thier own program, because there aren't enough people with money in hand who will find this bullsh*t acceptable.

Im one of them.

 

[Commodoreman2000]

A mate of mine had to wait 8 weeks for a Commodore SS he had to order as it had to be built as no stock available in the configuration he wanted. And that was from a dealer that is literally a 5 minute drive from the factory in the heart of Elizabeth.

just wondering though. What would be a typical wait time for a car to be built in NA assuming the car isn't in inventory as you wanted a specific colour or feature?

I tried to order a car from a different manufacturer a few years back and they had what I wanted feature wise but not in the colour and waited nearly 3 months.

I am willing to bet that larger dealers may order a small inventory of say 5 or 10 depending on how much interest there is prior to the first car even rolling down the line.

if the car is on sale in say September just guessing that means orders and pricing should in theory open toward the end of June.

 

[BowtieDriver]

A mate of mine had to wait 8 weeks for a Commodore SS he had to order as it had to be built as no stock available in the configuration he wanted. And that was from a dealer that is literally a 5 minute drive from the factory in the heart of Elizabeth.

just wondering though. What would be a typical wait time for a car to be built in NA assuming the car isn't in inventory as you wanted a specific colour or feature?

I tried to order a car from a different manufacturer a few years back and they had what I wanted feature wise but not in the colour and waited nearly 3 months.

I am willing to bet that larger dealers may order a small inventory of say 5 or 10 depending on how much interest there is prior to the first car even rolling down the line.

if the car is on sale in say September just guessing that means orders and pricing should in theory open toward the end of June.

If I read the article correctly every one of these cars needs a deposit and an order to get it in the US. There will not be a stock of the SS available to just drive to your dealer to purchase. Your mate might not have had the configuration of his choice to buy, but there were other Commodores available, were there not?



Look, this isn't a criticism of the car. It is a criticism of a dumb decision that will make buyers turn away.

Yes, it is just that simple.

They might sell a few hundred, but they won’t get anywhere near the 5000 they hope to sell. Not enough people are willing to wait like that.

 

[SuperSport79]

Last I checked, the G8 held and continues to hold it's value. GM is shooting itself in the foot with this one, the only people that will be willing to buy the SS without a test drive is current G8 owners. So you've already dramatically reduced your consumer-base by not allowing the consumer off the street to test drive. Plus, what about the camaro shopper, that realizes it doesn't fit their family needs, this consumer would see the SS, take it for a spin and then consider the purchase.

 

[GTO_Guy]

They can go f*ck themselves. I'm not buying anything sight-unseen and waiting three months, and I'm not committing to one without a test drive. I realize its mechanically a G8 GXP but I've never driven one of those either. Plus I can't gauge fit and finish on the new interior or verify the audio system doesn't suck without getting into the car itself. The only reason to custom order any car is to get exactly the option/color configuration you want, but there's nothing configurable on the car beside a handful of exterior colors and a sunroof. I get no options but I have to wait three months for you to build me a car because you're scared you'll accidentally build too many? Grow up, GM.

With this delivery structure, there can be no negotiation on price, either. Dealers have incentive to negotiate only when inventory builds up. They've now guaranteed that will never happen, so MSRP will be the minimum price or the dealer has no reason to bother taking the order. How does this "benefit both sides" as the article states?

The worst part is, I need to concede to TT's point that GM will indeed somehow manage to f*ck itself up on the SS by being greedy and/or stupid.

If this article is accurate I'm moving on. At least my new avatar makes sense and is no longer ironic.

 

[BowtieDriver]

I don't even know if I could walk into a GM dealer now in good conscience because of this.

 

[\/Eight]

woww this sure changes things and will start a heated convo.

doesn't seem like this was their original intention, i'd like to hear what someone from GM would have to say about it. Like mentioned above, since they are making these to order they might as well give us the manual transmission option.

just maybe Chevy is following the current trend, holding off on manual for the first year. 2015 model Chevy SS's could be better.

 

[BowtieDriver]

woww this sure changes things and will start a heated convo.

doesn't seem like this was their original intention, i'd like to hear what someone from GM would have to say about it. Like mentioned above, since they are making these to order they might as well give us the manual transmission option.

just maybe Chevy is following the current trend, holding off on manual for the first year. 2015 model Chevy SS's could be better.

If this article does not prove that GM doesn't give a **** what we (the people who would want to buy this thing) think, then I don't know what would.

 

[GTO_Guy]

I don't even know if I could walk into a GM dealer now in good conscience because of this.

I wouldn't walk into a Chevy dealership to take a dump at this point.

 

[TT C6]

IF THE SS IS "MADE TO ORDER", WHY THE [email protected] CAN'T WE ORDER IT WITH A STICKSHIFT !!!?????

GM better fix this NOW.
They have a few months left to fix this catastrophic error.

 

[\/Eight]

If this article does not prove that GM doesn't give a **** what we (the people who would want to buy this thing) think, then I don't know what would.

It is good proof, it just seems to me that we're getting the left over VF commodores to save Holdens arse from some losses.

Chevrolet needs to assemble a team of people like what Scion did to build the FR-S. Real enthusiasts were behind the creation of that vehicle and not just a bunch of greedy corporate people looking to make a quick buck.

 

[GTO_Guy]

woww this sure changes things and will start a heated convo.

doesn't seem like this was their original intention, i'd like to hear what someone from GM would have to say about it. Like mentioned above, since they are making these to order they might as well give us the manual transmission option.

just maybe Chevy is following the current trend, holding off on manual for the first year. 2015 model Chevy SS's could be better.

Holding off on a stick for the launch displays questionable wisdom. Launching a 415 hp RWD sedan right before winter displays questionable wisdom. Refusing to build and ship the car until someone promises to buy it displays retardation.

 

[GTO_Guy]

It is good proof, it just seems to me that we're getting the left over VF commodores to save Holdens arse from some losses.

Chevrolet needs to assemble a team of people like what Scion did to build the FR-S. Real enthusiasts were behind the creation of that vehicle and not just a bunch of greedy corporate people looking to make a quick buck.

This is GM's way of insulating themselves from any losses that might come if the SS was left to fend for itself on the open market, at the expense of the potential buyers.

 

[GTO_Guy]

IF THE SS IS "MADE TO ORDER", WHY THE [email protected] CAN'T WE ORDER IT WITH A STICKSHIFT !!!?????

GM better fix this NOW.
They have a few months left to fix this catastrophic error.

It's not made to order...it's "made when you pay us up front to make it."

 

[TT C6]

If this article is accurate I'm moving on. At least my new avatar makes sense and is no longer ironic.

I am confident you will like the car.
If you can stomach the price, my personal advice is that you should order one. I'm confident you will love it.

If you are still nervous buying without a test drive, reach out to G8 owners on the G8 forums and see if they would meet your for a test drive in exchange for a steak dinner.

I have flown to other parts of the country just to buy a guy and his wife a steak dinner to drive a highly modified car before I dropped $25k+ on a high performance build.

 

[LS1hawk]

The series of events surrounding this new "SS" keep getting stranger. You can't buy on Monday after the win on Sunday with this program. Win on Sunday, pay up on Monday, get car three months later and hope its everything you expected it to be.

 

[GTO_Guy]

Every Chevy store should at minimum keep a Demo unit in stock and available for test drives for any serious potential buyer. That doesn't seem unreasonable.

It's funny...I've spent the last few months on the forum defending GM and the SS (mostly from TT) and it turns out he was absolutely right. GM must think its customers will line up to grab their own ankles because it managed to create an appealing car.

 

[TT C6]

If GM has any sense, the will make sure there is at least ONE demo SS Sedan in every region for people to buy.
Any smart dealer will order one in as a demo.


Reuss did get ONE thing right. Now, let's see if they get that actual "price point" right:

“At the right price point, we would sell a tonne of them. There is no issue about the product itself,” he said.