R.I.P. Pontiac

The Bandit. KITT. The Grand Am. The Fiero. The LeMans. The GTO.

And who can forget the Grand Safari – a.k.a. the wood-paneled wagon used to transport a little bundle of joy known as Sic Willie home from the hospital?

Nine decades of automotive history came crashing down today as a cash-strapped, ineptly-managed and union-raped General Motors announced that it would discontinue the Pontiac brand by the end of 2010.

Tragic … we know.

There had been talk of Pontiac sticking around to produce “edgy” cars for younger consumers, but GM obviously couldn’t make that work.

Since last fall, the company has received $15.4 billion worth of taxpayer-funded bailout money from the Treasury Department. Its financing company, GMAC, has received another $5 billion. The Canadian government has also poured $3 billion into GM.

In addition to scuttling Pontiac, GM announced today that it would be shaving 21,000 jobs.

Wonder how many of those it could have saved if it didn’t have to deal with the automotive unions?

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