After attempting unsuccessfully for months to sales its slagging Pontiac brand, General Motors has decided to end the brand. What follows will be painful buyout of Pontiac dealers at a time when GM is on a federal lifeline saving it from bankruptcy.

This move is long overdue. For years, GM coasted by with mediocre cars. It could afford to do so when Americans did not have much choice. But, alas, for GM, this is the world of globalized choice. And such stale brands no longer hold. Pontiac has to be one of the most unoriginal and boring car brands. GM needs to rid itself of such dead-weight so it can concentrate resources and time into better brands.

Pontiac represents an earlier time when people expected less from their cars. Not they wants roomy, gadgets and style. Pontiac does not deliver any.

What would be better for GM is if it shed Pontiac while under Chapter 11 bankruptcy. That way it would be saved a lot of money and negotiating time because Chapter 11 served the purpose of a quick and orderly corporate restructuring.

The fear is that now GM could be held up by bitter Pontiac dealers and their lawyers trying to sequeez as much as they can from the company at a time when it can ill afford such tactics.

Either way, the hopeless Pontiac had to go and this is a good move for what GM execs dream to be a more efficient automaker.