It was not totally unexpected. But when General Motors announced Monday it was phasing out its Pontiac division, dealers in Connecticut were a bit saddened.
No dealership in the state sells only Pontiacs. As a matter of fact, only about 40 dealers nationwide exclusively sell Pontiacs. But there are some in Connecticut that have have sold Pontiacs for years, and for them, it is the loss of a popular brand.
Bob Oles, general sales managers at Stephen's Auto Mall in Bristol, says the phaseout will come to a close around the end of 2010.
In the meantime, Oles says GM will continue to make Pontiacs, dealers will still sell them, and they will also stand-by all of the incentives that are included with the sale of a new car.
GM had said it had hoped to keep the Pontiac division going, but that, long term, the dollars simply did not add up.