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R.I.P: Saturn

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Penske Automotive Group was supposed to take over the Saturn brand this week.
But apparently, Penske was unable to strike a deal with the foreign company he was working with to provide him cars for the US market.
It was rumored to be Renault/Samsung from Korea.

So instead of looking for someone else, he walked away.
And GM decided to just kill the brand. The Aura and Outlook were supposed to be still available for a couple of years under Penske’s ownership.

This is just too bad…Saturn does have really good cars right now…

Conversation 14 comments

  1. Saturn and Pontiac should have been saved! They both have the best cars! The G8, G6, Aura, Sky and VUE are just a couple of their best cars.

    GMC and Buick should have been the ones to be killed! GMC is just a rebadged chevy. And nobody knows Buick as much as Saturn. Saturn cars has always been way more popular and more affordable than Buick.

    GM does not know WTF they are doing!!!! They will also R.I.P. if they continue their current plans…

  2. The ION outsold the Astra 10 to 1.
    Goes to show Saturn buyers are…..

    Penske didn't need that pig! I doubt he was ever really serious.

  3. I am surprised the Chinese haven't jumped on it to get access to the dealer network. You would think they would choose this over Hummer. I bet it isn't over yet.

  4. Another casualty of poor GM management, it doesn't matter now though since the brand turned to crap over 15 years ago.

    To the poster at "September 30, 2009 8:49 PM": You are an idiot. You really think that SATURN has a better image than Buick, a nameplate that has been around for almost 100 years? Get real, kid.

  5. it takes a group, like GM's useless management to screw up a sure bet. Had that been run by a well managed company, they would be the shining star of GM, now they go away. I hope they give the new GM boss a bonus though.

  6. They had the better cars over gM built cars , but they are far from the japanese standard. I drove in an '06 Saturn Vue for the first time the other day. I have always liked the look. However, with only 50,000 miles on it, there were sqeeks, rattles and the materials were plasticky.

  7. "Anonymous said…
    The ION outsold the Astra 10 to 1.
    Goes to show Saturn buyers are…..

    Penske didn't need that pig! I doubt he was ever really serious.

    October 1, 2009 5:02 AM"

    9 out of 10 of those Ions were fleet sales.

  9. Good. A smart business move by Penske. If Saturn was doing well, GM would not have let it go.

    Penske is nothing more than a middle man reditributing Saturn vehicles in the US. If no one is going to rebadge its vehicle into Saturn, Penske would be left holding nothing.

  13. You mean he couldn't have approached Peugeot for some of their offerings? Would be great to get them back into this market.

  14. But then Penske would have had to deal with the French…He does not have the character or stomach for that.

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