WI: General Motors Standardizes Engines Earlier

Delta Force

Banned
The marques of the General Motors were intended to share components to help achieve economies of scale and lower costs. However, the marques all had their own V8 engines, and some had several. What if General Motors had decided to standardize its engine options earlier? What designs might have won out, and what might the results have been?
 

Delta Force

Banned
It seems General Motors was turbocharging engines well before Ford. Could General Motors have created a world engine or world car featuring the technology and popularize it in North America decades earlier? What about doing the same with diesel engines?
 
It seems General Motors was turbocharging engines well before Ford. Could General Motors have created a world engine or world car featuring the technology and popularize it in North America decades earlier? What about doing the same with diesel engines?

The problem there is that GM was slower than most to recognize the benefits of world cars and had built up huge fiefdoms in many areas - each division functioned with only the barest of co-operation and oversight until the 1970s, and the situation doesn't get better when you include global divisions. You'd need somebody willing to force the various fiefdoms to get into line, and that's really tricky to say the least.
 
One of the problems is that GM had so many divisions, with carefully nuanced branding. Look at the huge fiasco of 76/77 when they put Chevy engines into Oldsmobiles. An earlier parts sharing, common platform system would save them money, sure, but they'd probably have to be very, VERY careful with the branding. Possibly even (effectively) removing a couple of their divisions.
 

Delta Force

Banned
One of the problems is that GM had so many divisions, with carefully nuanced branding. Look at the huge fiasco of 76/77 when they put Chevy engines into Oldsmobiles. An earlier parts sharing, common platform system would save them money, sure, but they'd probably have to be very, VERY careful with the branding. Possibly even (effectively) removing a couple of their divisions.

From a technical standpoint General Motors could have used as few as four V8 engines: a very small block (Buick 215), a small block, a big block, and a very big block (Cadillac V8). Couldn't tuning and marketing help differentiate them? That's how it's done now.
 
I am sure that tuning and marketing could help differentiate them. The two ideas that you presented as far as engines go appear feasible. A Pontiac 455 could work as a very big block as well, in my opinion. If not then I would say that it would have to compete with the 427 for the big block slot. The 350 c.i. engine may very well be the go to small block option.
 
One of the problems is that GM had so many divisions, with carefully nuanced branding. Look at the huge fiasco of 76/77 when they put Chevy engines into Oldsmobiles. An earlier parts sharing, common platform system would save them money, sure, but they'd probably have to be very, VERY careful with the branding. Possibly even (effectively) removing a couple of their divisions.

'Genuine GM Parts' advertising didn't make up for the fact that the Olds and Buick V8s were superior to the Chevy, and then just a bit a sheetmetal changes and plastic trim to differentiate between one car that cost a fair amount of more money.

They didn't want a tarted-up Chevy at a Pontiac Price
 
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