Penski buys Saturn

[CAL]

Be intersting to see what he does with it, if he can do anything at all with it.

[MrObsessive]

Yeah, I read that on another Automotive forum. They're keeping everything 'cept the Astra and the Sky. 'Tis a shame because those were the only two cars I really liked in the whole lineup.

The others weren't bad, just a bit too ordinary for my likes. Hopefully the Astra and Sky can find a home elsewhere...............one in my driveway would be nice for starters!

I especially was hoping for an Astra with that cool panaramic windshield that won't make it over here now.

I hope also my local dealer sticks around with their GREAT service! I have an Ion Coupe and each time I take it in for routine service, they wash and wax the car and vacuum the inside.

They also don't BS me with stuff the car doesn't need----------------too many other dealers have shot themselves in the foot pulling that nonsense.

[george 53]

Ol Roger ain't no dummy, I think he'll make it work. How many plants did he end up with? I thought they were onlyb built in springhill, but is there another plant? He bought the Detroit Deisel Plant 20 some years ago,an their still up an runnin. I think they might have a chance,hopefully.

[CAL]

Yeah, I read that on another Automotive forum. They're keeping everything 'cept the Astra and the Sky. 'Tis a shame because those were the only two cars I really liked in the whole lineup.

The others weren't bad, just a bit too ordinary for my likes. Hopefully the Astra and Sky can find a home elsewhere...............one in my driveway would be nice for starters!

I especially was hoping for an Astra with that cool panaramic windshield that won't make it over here now.

I hope also my local dealer sticks around with their GREAT service! I have an Ion Coupe and each time I take it in for routine service, they wash and wax the car and vacuum the inside.

They also don't BS me with stuff the car doesn't need----------------too many other dealers have shot themselves in the foot pulling that nonsense.

But they are not theirs (Saturn's) the Astra is Opel and will go with Opel. The Sky along with the Solstice will probably end up in the reformed GM line up.

[CAL]

Ol Roger ain't no dummy, I think he'll make it work. How many plants did he end up with? I thought they were onlyb built in springhill, but is there another plant? He bought the Detroit Deisel Plant 20 some years ago,an their still up an runnin. I think they might have a chance,hopefully.

Oh no he's not, very smart very calculating. I am sure he has a sound plan for it.

I think he needs to wipe the slate and start over.

[MrObsessive]

But they are not theirs (Saturn's) the Astra is Opel and will go with Opel. The Sky along with the Solstice will probably end up in the reformed GM line up.

The Sky was a derivative off the Solstice, taking styling cues from the Vauxhall VX Lightning show car a number of years ago. The platform (Kappa) was solely done by GM for use in the Solstice and then to the Sky to spread costs around.

The Astra's fate was sealed when it debuted with too high a price tag which was not very "Saturn like" for a compact car. I could see the Sky end up as a cheaper alternative to the 'Vette, but I'm not holding my breath.

Not to mention you couldn't get the regular Astra sedan which is sold in other markets...............Hatchbacks don't do well here in the states. People look at them as too utilitarian including me.

The Vue (not sure about the Aura) is also not an original Saturn, yet they want to keep that one. It's based on another platform from overseas. The Outlook is based on a new crossover platform which underpins the Buick Enclave, as well as the GMC Acadia.

The last really original Saturn was probably my Ion which they quit making two years ago for whatever reason. Some derided the fiberglass/aluminum construction, but the car was actually selling quite well compared to other GM small cars as of late '06 early '07. By April '07, GM pulled the plug.

Typical.

Edited June 5, 2009 by MrObsessive

[CAL]

The Sky was a derivative off the Solstice, taking styling cues from the Vauxhall VX Lightning show car a number of years ago. The platform (Kappa) was solely done by GM for use in the Solstice and then to the Sky to spread costs around.

The Astra's fate was sealed when it debuted with too high a price tag which was not very "Saturn like" for a compact car. I could see the Sky end up as a cheaper alternative to the 'Vette, but I'm not holding my breath.

Not to mention you couldn't get the regular Astra sedan which is sold in other markets...............Hatchbacks don't do well here in the states. People look at them as too utilitarian including me.

The Vue (not sure about the Aura) is also not an original Saturn, yet they want to keep that one. It's based on another platform from overseas. The Outlook is based on a new crossover platform which underpins the Buick Enclave, as well as the GMC Acadia.

The last really original Saturn was probably my Ion which they quit making two years ago for whatever reason. Some the derided the fiberglass/aluminum construction, but the car was actually selling quite well compared to other GM small cars as of late '06 early '07. By April '07, GM pulled the plug.

Typical.

Yeah, like I said, I am not sure what he got besides the name but it sounds like the best thing is to wipe the slate clean.

[Aaronw]

Wait what was that Saturn & Detroit Diesel, hmmm that could be fun. I could go for one of those little Saturn SUVs with an 8v71 under the hood.

Saturns seem like decent cars, so putting a good buisnessman who is also a car guy in charge can't hurt.

Edited June 5, 2009 by Aaronw

[Brendan]

He's basically getting all the makes of the Saturn brand. It does not matter where the chassis came out of; he still gets the right to use the designs. He does not get a plant, though. So he will have to outsource that to a facility to actually build the cars. He gets also part of the dealerships which is a good thing for him since he has a deal with Mercedes to sell the Smart Car. Would be a way for him to get those cars out to more places.

What I think he might be doing is setting it up to go into NASCAR since Dodge is supposedly pulling out. This way if he is a manufacturer he would be able to sell that body style to other teams. But this is only speculation and would be a smart move on his part.

[mountaindewd]

SUVs with an 8v71 under the hood.

SUV? I think that would qualify as a CUV(crossover). As Rick Flair said, "WOOOOOOOOO!"

Les

[Eshaver]

I met Mr. Penske once , I was impressed by his keen business sense . However I sure hope hedosent decideto paint all th " New " Saturns Chrome Yellow as he did with all his trucks . You know like Henry Ford , You can have any color so long as it's Yellow ......................

Good luck Mr Penske , youre fightin an up hill battle !

Ed Shaver

[Guest]

Seriously? Saturn is no longer owned by GM?

[Brendan]

The Saturn my family owns is either a '92 or a '93 and we gave it the nickname of "the car that won't die"...I've really been impressed with it. Of course, it's been well taken care of. I use it every day to take my dog everywhere for his walks. It still gets decent gas mileage...about 28 to 30 mpg and that's driving in city.

[CAL]

Seriously? Saturn is no longer owned by GM?

Nope

Niether is Opel

Niether is Hummer

Saab who knows

Pontiac is defuncted

And Caddi may still end up on the block

They are trimmer er right down to the bones.

Edited June 6, 2009 by CAL

[Foxer]

I met Mr. Penske once , I was impressed by his keen business sense . However I sure hope hedosent decideto paint all th " New " Saturns Chrome Yellow as he did with all his trucks . You know like Henry Ford , You can have any color so long as it's Yellow ......................

Good luck Mr Penske , youre fightin an up hill battle !

Ed Shaver

hehe Ed. And he probably won't have to buy any yellow paint for 2 years. Excellent business sense.

[Seattle Mike]

Both the Solstice and Sky were being built at the Wilmington, Delaware plant, which is being closed down permanently. With Pontiac going bye-bye, and Saturn going to Penske, the Kappa platform is done. While the cars were fun to drive, they were not very practical. With the top down you had nowhere to even put an overnight bag. The turbo versions were a blast, but compared to other 2 seaters out there, they were too big, too heavy and too expensive to produce.

The Astra was a good idea, as the Ion was a piece of junk. During my time at Saturn (9 years as Parts Manager), I saw a large number of Ion's coming back for warranty work. You would think that after producing cars for nearly 100 years, GM could have produced something with turn signals that didn't ###### out almost immediately. We used to go through 20 to 25 gets of headlight assemblies a week, until GM finally recalled the silly things and came up with a better and more permanent fix. The interiors were the sorriest design to ever hit the streets.

The Astra suffered from too high of a price point. Because they were built in Belgium and shipped over, they were saddled with a base price of over 16k - too big of a jump over the 12K base of the Ion it replaced.

Saturn's problems could be traced back to a management team that had no clue, a marketing team that was even more clueless, and a false sense of self importance. Saturn was brought on line to be a cheap, reliable alternative to entry level Japanese cars like the Corolla and Civic. Because GM refused to fully support Saturn during the early years, the brand fell far behind the competition. The decision to move Saturn upmarket to take over the position that

Oldsmobile had was another huge blunder.

Hopefully Roger and company will be successful with the brand in the future. It's ironic that the GM brand designed to combat the foreign makers is now going to be the one bringing more of them in!

[old low&slo]

Both the Solstice and Sky were being built at the Wilmington, Delaware plant, which is being closed down permanently. With Pontiac going bye-bye, and Saturn going to Penske, the Kappa platform is done. While the cars were fun to drive, they were not very practical. With the top down you had nowhere to even put an overnight bag. The turbo versions were a blast, but compared to other 2 seaters out there, they were too big, too heavy and too expensive to produce.

The Astra was a good idea, as the Ion was a piece of junk. During my time at Saturn (9 years as Parts Manager), I saw a large number of Ion's coming back for warranty work. You would think that after producing cars for nearly 100 years, GM could have produced something with turn signals that didn't ###### out almost immediately. We used to go through 20 to 25 gets of headlight assemblies a week, until GM finally recalled the silly things and came up with a better and more permanent fix. The interiors were the sorriest design to ever hit the streets.

The Astra suffered from too high of a price point. Because they were built in Belgium and shipped over, they were saddled with a base price of over 16k - too big of a jump over the 12K base of the Ion it replaced.

Saturn's problems could be traced back to a management team that had no clue, a marketing team that was even more clueless, and a false sense of self importance. Saturn was brought on line to be a cheap, reliable alternative to entry level Japanese cars like the Corolla and Civic. Because GM refused to fully support Saturn during the early years, the brand fell far behind the competition. The decision to move Saturn upmarket to take over the position that

Oldsmobile had was another huge blunder.

Hopefully Roger and company will be successful with the brand in the future. It's ironic that the GM brand designed to combat the foreign makers is now going to be the one bringing more of them in!

hey mike just to let you know I live about 20 miles from the plant and its fate is still up in the air. they have been voting on concessions and what not but nothing has been decided yet.

[Guest zebm1]

What I'm curious about is this new "Online Bank called ALLY Bank" which is actually a new name for GMAC's Financial Division. Anyone hear anything "Positive" about this move or is this just another Scam to Fleece the Middle Class ....One More Time?

[roadhawg]

What I'm curious about is this new "Online Bank called ALLY Bank" which is actually a new name for GMAC's Financial Division. Anyone hear anything "Positive" about this move or is this just another Scam to Fleece the Middle Class ....One More Time?

ANY car loan is a scam........even "Zero Interest" car loans.

[Modelmartin]

Hey! Spell the guy's name right! Penski sounds Polish! It's Penske with an E. Sheesh.

They should have sold all of GM to Roger. If I recollect correctly, he turned Detroit Diesel around and paid it off in a few years. He knows how to run things and puts good people in the right places to get things done properly!

[Foxer]

... puts good people in the right places to get things done properly!

What a novel idea!.

[Eshaver]

Both the Solstice and Sky were being built at the Wilmington, Delaware plant, which is being closed down permanently. With Pontiac going bye-bye, and Saturn going to Penske, the Kappa platform is done. While the cars were fun to drive, they were not very practical. With the top down you had nowhere to even put an overnight bag. The turbo versions were a blast, but compared to other 2 seaters out there, they were too big, too heavy and too expensive to produce.

The Astra was a good idea, as the Ion was a piece of junk. During my time at Saturn (9 years as Parts Manager), I saw a large number of Ion's coming back for warranty work. You would think that after producing cars for nearly 100 years, GM could have produced something with turn signals that didn't ###### out almost immediately. We used to go through 20 to 25 gets of headlight assemblies a week, until GM finally recalled the silly things and came up with a better and more permanent fix. The interiors were the sorriest design to ever hit the streets.

The Astra suffered from too high of a price point. Because they were built in Belgium and shipped over, they were saddled with a base price of over 16k - too big of a jump over the 12K base of the Ion it replaced.

Saturn's problems could be traced back to a management team that had no clue, a marketing team that was even more clueless, and a false sense of self importance. Saturn was brought on line to be a cheap, reliable alternative to entry level Japanese cars like the Corolla and Civic. Because GM refused to fully support Saturn during the early years, the brand fell far behind the competition. The decision to move Saturn upmarket to take over the position that

Oldsmobile had was another huge blunder.

Hopefully Roger and company will be successful with the brand in the future. It's ironic that the GM brand designed to combat the foreign makers is now going to be the one bringing more of them in!

I gotta hand it to ya Seattle Mike , I like wher ya commin from there ! I think you might have made several VERY VALID MAMAGEMENT POINTS that any up andcomming business person should take note of ! Here Here !Well said ! Ed Shaver

[Seattle Mike]

I gotta hand it to ya Seattle Mike , I like wher ya commin from there ! I think you might have made several VERY VALID MAMAGEMENT POINTS that any up andcomming business person should take note of ! Here Here !Well said ! Ed Shaver

Thanks Ed - but I've had my share of management time with Saturn. I learned a long time ago that common sense is not held in high esteem by any large corporation. It's no wonder that so many big companies are in so much trouble.

[Nick F40]

He's basically getting all the makes of the Saturn brand. It does not matter where the chassis came out of; he still gets the right to use the designs. He does not get a plant, though. So he will have to outsource that to a facility to actually build the cars. He gets also part of the dealerships which is a good thing for him since he has a deal with Mercedes to sell the Smart Car. Would be a way for him to get those cars out to more places.

What I think he might be doing is setting it up to go into NASCAR since Dodge is supposedly pulling out. This way if he is a manufacturer he would be able to sell that body style to other teams. But this is only speculation and would be a smart move on his part.

I didn't know some of that.

Really? since the bodies in NASCAR look or derive NOTHING from the actual vehicle? Take them road racing like the new Camaro already is with the Penske colors.

Nope

Niether is Opel

Niether is Hummer

Saab who knows

Pontiac is defuncted

And Caddi may still end up on the block

They are trimmer er right down to the bones.

all the good brands, except for Bummer! The CTS-V is one of the best "muscle cars" you can buy today. It's a liitle more money but they say well worht it. I like the Saturn "Opel" Astra, with being the same name and design. Opel is worried about with who's owning them, I wonder what VW and Fiat is thinking.

[Maliburacr]

and if he could buy Pontiac and put them back into racing ?