R.I.P. Saturn
Saturn, maker of quirky, innovative cars once billed by owner General Motors as “a different kind of car company,” died on Wednesday. When a deal to sell the ailing brand to Penske Automotive abruptly fell apart, GM announced it would wind down the brand, shuttering 350 showrooms and eliminating as many as 13,000 jobs. Saturn was 24 years young.
GM said it will cease making Saturns at plants in Kansas, Mexico and Michigan almost immediately, but will continue to honor warranties after Saturn dealers stop selling cars. Saturn owners can still get their vehicles serviced at GM’s remaining dealerships once their Saturn dealer shuts down.
More than 350 Saturn dealers expecting to hear about the closing of a deal instead are faced with shutting down their showrooms if they don’t have a viable contingency plan. Thousands of jobs are in jeopardy. Dealers will have to figure out how to sell remaining vehicles to customers who may be skittish over the news that the brand will disappear. But they won’t close immediately — GM gave dealerships until October 2010 to wind down their operations.
