There's Power in a Name.(Column)(General Motors leaves Pontiac name off GTO)(Column)

Byline: Kevin A. Wilson

Great artists sign their work. So, too, do those of more modest ability but equal pride. Personally, I've long felt that if you're not willing to attach your name to your opinion, art or craftsmanship, I've no reason to show more interest in it than have you.

So what do we make of GM's decision to leave the Pontiac name off the GTO? Yes, GM is bringing out a halo car and leaving the division's name off. Natalie Neff's report on the not-badged-a-Pontiac GTO appears on page 20 and if you want to read about the hardware, she's got the goods for you there. And it appears the GTO has the goods to go with its name.

The GTO, though, isn't just hardware. It's the road-going manifestation of a spirit, of the Bob Lutz-driven revival of the primacy of car love at General Motors. Right? Give the Holden Monaro coupe a venerated model name, a new Pontiac-look nose, a little dress-up, and a lot of work under the skin to adapt to the U.S. market and... Presto! A hot new rear-drive car aimed at enthusiasts, the people who, if pleased, might go out and tell their neighbors something like "GM's on the comeback trail; look at this Pontiac!''

Evidently someone in the room missed class the day they were teaching the Oldsmobile lesson. When Olds introduced the first Aurora, the best-received GM car for a decade or so when it arrived in 1994, it left the name Oldsmobile off the car entirely. Why? Someone read the tea leaves and saw that Olds had a poor reputation within the target demographic. These people might buy the car, GM decided, if it didn't have that name on it.

That was weird logic then, and still is. The point of the Aurora was to erase a boring reputation and replace it with an ...