Back in the 1980s, General Motors scored a hit with the Chevrolet Blazer/GMC Jimmy, arriving almost a decade before the pickup-based Ford Explorer. GM was certainly no stranger to inexpensive badge engineering — the automaker made only a perfunctory attempt to differentiate the SUVs — and each one managed to carve out its own price point, if not find very distinctive audiences. They were, after all, basically the same thing. GM resisted the temptation to also field Pontiac and Buick versions of the GMT330 platform, settling instead for the Oldsmobile Bravada, which arrived much later than the first two, to occupy the role of the "luxury" version of the SUV.
Thirty years later, badge-engineered SUVs are alive and well in Detroit, even if GM clearly took things too far in the recent past with the Saab 9-7X. Remember those?
But the return of the Blazer nameplate, after a remarkably long absence and a foray into plus-size SUVs with the launch of the beefier Trailblazer and its various siblings, has prompted a few flashbacks to the early '90s viewed through rose-tinted glasses. Despite the name, the all-new Blazer features no easily discernable tributes to the original Blazer/Jimmy.
This got us thinking: perhaps the trick is to bring back as much of the band as possible? GMC does not have a version of this Blazer at the moment. And in the best traditions of badge engineering, it wouldn't take much to create such a model for GMC dealerships, complete with some vintage badging and graphics. Perhaps that's what the Blazer was missing all along: retro '80s flair, complete with some 4×4 stripes and graphics, tires with white lettering and a spare tire on a tailgate mount. GM shouldn't be ashamed of its vehicles from that decade — the kids of the '80s are now middle-aged and are making car purchasing decisions.
Should GM bring back the Jimmy as well?
Let us know in the comments below.
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