Saturn looks like it will join Pontiac in the history archives, due to GM not finding a new owner for the once popular brand.
Yesterday we announced that Penske Automotive Group would be sealing the deal to purchase the popular Saturn brand away from General Motors. It appears now that although Penske tried very hard, they were not able to get preparations made to keep Saturn on the market.
The reason why Penske was unable to purchase the brand was due to not being able to find a automaker to supply the vehicles that would be re-branded as Saturn for dealers to sell. This now throws a big wrench into the future of the Saturn brand, which had a good history of reliable cars and great customer service when it formed in 1985. GM later purchased in 1990 which a lot of people said was when Saturn took a turn for the worse. Now it looks like it will join Pontiac in the history archives of failed brands due to poor planning and management on GM’s part.
We will be working closely with our dealers to ensure Saturn customers are cared for as we transition them to other GM dealers in the months ahead,” said Fritz Henderson, General Motor’s CEO in a statement released by the automaker.
It still is possible that the brand may be saved by another bidder, but at this point it is highly unlikely due to the poor automotive market right now.
September 30, 2009
Car News