I heard on my local nooz that GM will let Saturn die if they can't sell it

[Stinky The Clown]

Isn't Saturn the first of the new breed of car plant, located in the non-union south?

I wonder if Richard Shelby approves of this?

[Lars39]

1. Located in Spring Hill, TN

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Yup ... they were in the vanguard of the new way of staffing car plants

weren't they?

[Lars39]

4. I don't remember the percentage, but quit a few of the employees

came here from Michigan to work.

[Hissyspit]

3. And they're still making decent cars. I love my Aura.

Don't know what I'll trade in for next year.

[flvegan]

5. Their new Astra is a brilliant car.

Every time I see one on the street I admire it and the intelligence of the individual that bought it.

[jpak]

6. So yes - in GM's brilliant brilliancy, Saturn must be terminated.

and that is why they are worthy of billions in "bailout"

[blue_onyx]

29. I love the Saturn vehicles but...

I'm not sure GM is making a mistake. From what I read, Saturn has been losing money pretty much every year since it started. Many of the Saturn vehicles are almost identical to others GM products: Aura= Malibu; Outlook=Enclave,Traverse,Arcadia; Sky=Solstice. Basically that leaves the Astra which they can't sell and the Vie (the best looking SUV, IMO). They have so many 2008 Astras that GM won't produces any 2009 models. I'm not sure how the Vue is selling but that's one vehicle that could be easily given to one of the other brands. As much as I like Saturn, it may be the right decision to cut it loose.

[Still Sensible]

7. I would expect they could eventually find a buyer for that unit

just based on Saturn's very high customer satisfaction. Of course, that might not happen soon enough for GM.

I was surprised when they shut down Olds instead of Buick, though, because Olds was within a decade of having the best selling car in the world--Cutlass--a few years running, but I guess that is all Olds had.

Why wouldn't a streamlined GM with just Chevy, GMC, Pontiac and Cadillac be able to make it? Driving a lot of rental cars for work travel, my opinion is they shouldn't even bother with Chevy cars, the Pontiac line is so much better. And if they kept Chevy trucks and SUVs, would they even need GMC?

[Stinky The Clown]

8. I pretty much agree ......

Two car lines: Pontiac and Cadillac. One truck/van/SUV line: Chevy.

[OmahaBlueDog]

9. They made a half assed attempt to remake Olds in Saturn's image

They tried to go high end with the Aurora, and tried a 1 price concept. The problem was that Olds was still principally an old folks car, and the old folks had long memories of dealers dropping their pants in negotiations over the price of the vehicle. In the end, GM cut the cord after having sunk many millions into trying to revive the Olds name

[Historic NY]

13. GMC & Chevy are built on the same line, their are differences but its mostly

in design purpose.

[blue_onyx]

33. Buick is a global brand and Pontiac isn't

I think GM made the right decision when picking it core brands. Buick has had success with the Enclave. The problem with Buick has been a lack of products. I think with better vehicles, Buick has a lot of potential.

Pontiac is a useless brand, IMO. It's suppose to be sporty but its not. I think Saturn would serve more of a purpose than Pontiac would.

GMC is sticking around because it's their second best selling brand.

[tammywammy]

35. Buick is highly popular over in Asia as well. n/t

[OmahaBlueDog]

10. There was this happy news back in December

:sarcasm:

http://www.gasgoo.com/auto-news/1008700/GM-likely-to-sell-Saturn-brand-to-China-s-SAIC.html


<<Potential buyers of Saturn are likely to be Chinese automakers, which have close relationship with GM, such as SAIC, or the Indian carmakers that have already entered American market ,such as Tata, said Mark Phelan, auto critics of Detroit Free Press newspaper.>>

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

23. Ugh...we've talked about getting a Saturn eventually, but if that happens no way

I'm not driving around in a car made in China or India.

[KharmaTrain]

11. Saturn...A Big Letdown...

I had a '95 Saturn SL-1. 5-Speed...a sweet little car and I felt like I was helping by buying American. Despite regular care, at 30,000 the engine began to burn oil...and my "fun" with Saturn began. At first they blamed me for not changing to oil...30,000 miles and no oil change? I had to find receipts from my changes before they honored the warranty...and then claimed that the oil change places were at fault for using the wrong oil. I ended up going back and forth with them over the next two years. At 45,000 they did a major engine overhaul (which I would end up paying a good chunk of)...just hoping I'd get another two years out of the car. It didn't make it. A year later, it failed an emissions test...oil was leaking again. I quickly traded the car...the last GM I will ever own.

[Hissyspit]

14. You were right there in the weak middl when they had kind of lost there way. The new

vehicles are much better. But as others have pointed out, it is hard to overcome those old experiences. What do you drive now?

[KharmaTrain]

17. A Nissan...

I drove Fords for 20 years the went with a Pontiac and Saturn...no matter how well I maintained them, they burned oil at 60,000 or less and nickel and dimed me.

I've have a 2003 Nissan Altima that gets between 25-30 MPG and an excellent maintenance plan. Yes, I wish I could have bought union and here's hoping that ALL American plants are unionized in the near future.

I'm holding out for a hybrid...hopefully the incentive programs will make that happen sooner than later.

Cheers...

[Hissyspit]

18. I had Nissans before I bought the Saturns, and was very happy with them. I would like a hybrid, too.

So I'm not really sure what I'm going to do next year. I don't want to hold on to a car past 20,000.

[Historic NY]

12. They are dropping to 4 brands from 8

The carmaker's brands would also be reduced from eight to four - Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC. Hummer going to Chinese defense contractor that already make a knock off. Saturn will be absorbed into Chevorlet. I will say unless they start selling some cars that the prices for all those so called efficient cars will place them out of reach for most people. They will need to makeup their profit margin.

[liberalpragmatist]

16. Why keep GMC?

Their entire lineup is entirely interchangeable with Chevy trucks. Even the model names are the same!

[Historic NY]

19. Saab is on the block too.

[tabbycat31]

20. why keep Buick?

Buicks are known as an old person's car. I rarely see anyone under 70 drive a Buick (I know some younger people that inherited them from grandparents but that's the only exception I know).

I think that Saturn could do better than Buick would.

[blue_onyx]

34. My parent are in their 50s and own Buicks

Buick is a global brand and its strength in China is what saved it. I think Buick does have potential. The Enclave did really well when it was released (before gas price shot way up). I read an article that said Buick was getting quite a few foreign trade-ins for this vehicle which isn't typical for the brand and the average age of the consumer was 50ish. With good vehicles, I could see Buick doing well.

[tammywammy]

37. Buicks are popular in Asia

And have made huge headway with the Enclave (a beautiful car). Buicks have huge potential.

[1]

15. that's how business works. if people don't buy the saturn, then the saturn goes...

they are going to shut down the hummer lines too...

[LeftinOH]

21. Yet the keep Buick, the chief market of which (in the US) is steadily dying off..

..look in any Bob Evans parking lot -nothin' but Buicks.

[undeterred]

22. They have no say over Saturn.

[Stinky The Clown]

25. Come again?

GM has no say over Saturn?

[undeterred]

26. The planet, Saturn.

GM does not own it so they do not influence its continued existence.

[Freddie Stubbs]

24. Satrun workers are members of the UAW

[LeftyMom]

27. And that's pretty much the only non-high end GM car I'd consider.

I *really* like my Saturn.

[tammywammy]

28. It's not surprising they'd let Saturn go and diminish Pontiac as well

Those are no brainers.

[ThomWV]

30. That is what they said they were going to do with SAAB, Saturn was just going to die

I don't recall the CEO of GM's name but I saw him in a replay on Cspan this morning. I believe he said they were looking for a buyer for SAAB and if they couldn't find one they were going to work with Sweden through the bankrupcy process, they were going to kill Hummer outright, and they were going to let Saturn die a natural death at the end of the either the production or market cycle, something like that. I believe that Is what I heard him say but I wasn't taking notes.

[tammywammy]

32. Yes, that's the plan

Pontiac will be minimized in some form. They won't be their own outright brand, but the branding will be there added on to Chevy.

[and-justice-for-all]

31. GM just needs to get their hands off Europe...

They are stretched beyond their means, they do not need to own Opel and SAAB or even some of their other autos they make for the middle east. Ford is the same way...

Both need to start selling off those smaller arms and also start making autos we need...like EVs.

[Romulox]

36. GM makes money in Europe. They would be profitable if they could drop ALL US operation

to concentrate on Europe and Asia.

[Stinky The Clown]

38. I think you're wrong.

Do you have something to back up what you aver?

[madmom]

39. Two anecdotes about Saturn: My SO worked for GM when they decided to

build the Saturn plant in Tenn. One of his good friends decided to transfer down there when the offer came. We asked how things where going, thinking possibly of transferring there ourselves. He said NO! DON"T! He had his tires slashed and actually shot at while going to his car in the parking lot. He was constantly harassed because "damned northerners taking our jobs" Second anecdote, when GM decided to build the same Saturn plant, they used profit sharing funds. When Saturn started seeing profits, these GM employees saw none of these profits, it all went to the Saturn employees. It was set up this way by roger smith (remember him?)His supposed goal was a new car manufacturer for the future. In retro spec it was most likely to try to get away from the unions.GM also did the same thing with EDS buying it from Ross Perot. When EDS wouldn't fall in lock-step with GM's 14th floor, they sold it. The only one making out in this deal was Ross Perot.
When all this wheeling and dealing was going on with profit sharing funds, did any of the ceo's have to include their profits aka bonuses? What do you think?