PONTIAC SOLSTICE IS A HIT!

June 23, 2005

The Pontiac Solstice, a sleek two-seater coming out this summer from General Motors Corp., has prospective buyers visiting showrooms -- and the car isn't even out yet.

"Every day," said Tony Holyfield, new cars sales manager at Morgan Pontiac in Shreveport, when asked if buyers are seeking the Solstice. "We have presold six and we don't have any cars yet."

The appeal: "the looks, the styling and the price," Holyfield said.

GM's performance brand already has piled up 9,000 orders for the sporty ragtop, about half the number it had planned to build this year. The Solstice is important to GM, which is reeling after a $1.1 billion first-quarter loss and is counting on new models to lift sales.
Holyfield said the new model is important to the Pontiac division as well.

"It's a bright spot for Pontiac," he said. "The division has not had a two-door roadster ... especially for the pricing. The pricing is so low for that type of car."

The base sticker price for the Solstice is $19,995. But Pontiac is addressing complaints that its dealers are asking "well above" the base sticker price, according to a memo sent to Pontiac's 2,700 U.S. dealers and obtained by The Detroit News.

The strong early response to the Solstice has convinced Pontiac officials that a boldly designed vehicle can win back American car buyers who may have opted for Hondas and Toyotas in recent years. It could also help improve the image of the Pontiac brand.