Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Why Old People Drive Buicks

  Are you under the age of 50? Are you in the market for a new American Car? Have you considered Buick? If you haven't considered buying a Buick its probably because you don't want to be caught dead driving an old people's car. Considering that I have no interest in modern day Buick's is because they don't appeal to my taste. I do however have interest in certain Buick cars such as the Roadmaster, Grand National, 1971 Buick Riviera and the Buick 8 and any vintage Buick.
  I know that this comes to our minds once in a while, but we really don't think of the details on why they buy them. Lets face it one time or another in our lifetime we get stuck behind a little old lady who can just about see over the steering wheel, driving her Buick Park Avenue way under the speed limit, making us late to our destination. Are old people attracted to Buick's because they offer some sort of Senior Citizen discount, that is only known to people who are 65+? Or is it because Buick has an old person magnet that attracts the senior citizens into the showroom to buy one? Or is it the bland, unattractive styling that drives the old people to buy one?
Tiger Woods + Buick = FAIL
  Well General Motors has been trying for years to attract a younger crowd to buy Buick cars. I believe that it is partially General Motors fault that they let the Buick brand fall to a certain demographic. In fact I think the moment that made Buick uncool was when Buick left NASCAR in 1991. Then Buick started to sponsor golf. As a matter of fact, don't a lot of old people like to watch golf on TV and play golf? Yep they sure do. I know there are a lot of young people who play golf also. I also think that when Buick started to sponsor golf, they went downhill. Way Downhill. Also getting Tiger Woods to be a spokesman for Buick was a worse decision. If Tiger Woods can't convince a person younger than 55 to buy a Buick who else can? I remember when GM had those ads a while back with the ghost of GM designer Harley Earl to convince someone younger than 55 to buy a Buick. In fact most people who were younger than 55 when those ads aired wouldn't even know who Harley Earl even was. I remember watching that commercial with my dad and he told me who that was.
  Buick's are the number one selling import brand in China. That's right China. I find it ironic that the number one import car brand in China is Buick and in the USA there isn't a Chinese car in sight. If I'm not mistaken, I believe the reason for Buick being so big in China is due to it being a status symbol long ago. In the USA Buick was considered a doctors car. I do have a doctor that owns a Buick and she's pretty young. But at least somebody fits the old target demographic.
  What pisses me off is that GM can't get the younger crowd to buy a Buick. No matter how hard they try, GM dun goofs and they attract the old people. David Dunbar Buick, the founder of Buick, probably never imagined old people being the ones buying his cars the most. In fact David Dunbar Buick was 49 years old when he founded Buick in 1903, six years shy of the current demographic. He's probably rolling around in his grave with those statistics.
  If General Motors wants to save Buick they need to get their priorities straight and turn this brand around before it sees itself being discontinued. Or better yet the Chinese would love to buy the automaker Buick. They could rejuvenate the brand. To this day I don't have any interest at all in a new Buick because they are bland and unattractive.

7 comments:

  1. I think the seniors prefer to drive Buicks because these cars have that retro feeling. As we all know, the Buick was very popular before Japanese cars entered the US market.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am 33 y.o., on the sporty cars side and I have never ever considered driving a Buick. Yeap...."Senior citizens' car, for sure" - in my opinion. However, when I needed a car, I decided to get a better feeling of nowadays auto market. And surprise, surprise - I found myself exploring Buick as a potential car to drive. And, I was pleasantly surprised with its presence: strong, technology savvy, well-finished (interior and exterior) with a touch of elegance. Loved it! It's about time to shave off our society's cliché. Realistically, elderly people are not silly, they've lived a lifetime to become more knowledgeable and probably make smarter purchases. So, I am proudly driving my Buick and still feel young!

    ReplyDelete
  3. After getting my 97 LeSabre as a gift, i fell in love with buick. I am 33, father of 2 years old son. Recently I was in market for an upgrade and was considering passat, a4 or a6. The winner is 2006 Lucerne CXL. I love this car. Very elegant. We just can't get it how people can not love the car.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've got a 55 Century hardtop and just love it. I'm 50, and the Buick makes me feel young.

    ReplyDelete
  5. 2015 Buick Verano Turbo Premium in Crystal Red Tintcoat - 0-60 in 6.2 and a nicer ride than any single car in it's class as far as long trips with minimal engine noise! The car is a total sleeper and I get compliments on it all the time.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have 2016 Buick gs differently not a old man's car sportier than a lot of other cars out there and it's fast

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have 2016 Buick gs differently not a old man's car sportier than a lot of other cars out there and it's fast

    ReplyDelete