We are still Saturn

[Jill Lajdziak]

From our very beginning, Saturn has always sought a better way. We pioneered no haggle-no hassle shopping, built dent-resistant cars, set a new benchmark for customer service and forged a unique relationship with our retailers, workers and customers. From the beginning, Saturn was launched as a “Different kind of Car Company.”

Well, here we go again.

You may have read that General Motors delivered a plan to the U.S. government that outlined the corporation’s plan for long term viability. In that plan, GM stated that Saturn would work with its retailers to investigate options for the future of the Saturn brand. We said that all ideas were on the table and we meant it.

Today, we confirmed that Saturn and GM would further investigate one of those options: a spin-off of an independent Saturn Distribution Corporation.

The Saturn Distribution Corporation already exists as an indirect subsidiary of GM. It’s the entity with which our retailers currently have their franchise agreement. An independent Saturn would still have its great retailers, and it would continue to source current products from GM through 2011 and if successful, SDC at that point would source products from other manufacturers.

The goal -- from a product perspective – would be to find future vehicles that match the Saturn brand: fuel efficient, safe, reliable and affordable. From a retailing perspective, we would build on our core strength of unmatched customer service. The same hassle-free experience that is a hallmark of the brand could be taken to even higher levels.

While this process proceeds, we will continue to do what we have always done best: Sell great vehicles and take care of our customers. We have a fresh portfolio of award-winning, fuel-efficient vehicles and a network of retailers that is second to none. And our new vehicles are still backed by a 100,000 mile/5-year (whichever comes first) Transferable Powertrain Limited Warranty. When you add Roadside Assistance and Courtesy Transportation Programs, we believe it is the industry’s best overall coverage. It is coverage that GM and Saturn will continue to firmly stand behind and GM will support the continued availability of Saturn parts and service as needed.

This is an exciting time at the Saturn brand, and I have to confess, it feels a bit like it did back in the 1980’s when the original Saturn project was being developed. As loyal Saturn owners and enthusiasts, I know you support this brand and you can believe we are working towards a vibrant future. Difficult times sometimes yield the most innovative solutions, and those who are willing to take on the challenge will emerge victorious. Stay tuned.

- Jill Lajdziak

[Nan Amanda Grimmer]

I have an Ion and I love it. I have been with Saturn since 1995. I intend to stay with Saturn. I like my dealership, I like my car, my lease is up in December, and I'm with you guys whatever you do. Go Saturn!!!

[Jay]

i am in the process of buying a USED saturn sky right now and i seriously hope the brand doesn't go away. i think they make one of the best looking cars out there and to see them go away would be hurtful. however i don't think selling rebadged cars is good for any company. it's ok to sell cars from other countries that are not available here but to just start selling the ones we can get from its original brand it's silly. make a partnership with peugeot and fiat and start selling them here as saturns... but please keep the sky cause it's too freakkin beautiful to disappear! and dump GM... their management is clearly what brought the whole company down and they are trying to blame it on every one else. saturn would've been very successful had them been part of a different company. oh.. and having no dealership doesn't help selling cars does it? i have to drive 20 miles to get to the nearest saturn dealer whereas there are two fords within 5 miles from my house...

[blackthorne]

I have been a faithful Saturn customer, and all of this makes me very sad.

If Saturn is sold off, to Honda perhaps, this could be a good thing. Other manufacturers that are not short-sighted could make Saturn rise like a phoenix from the ashes.

It seems that GM leadership typically sabotages great decisions (like the original Saturn philosophy, and the EV-1) and runs in the opposite direction. Is it greed? Stupidity? Both?

The recent Saturns leave me cold. I have been very happy with my 1999 SC1... it still looks new, and I've only had to replace a battery, the tires, and the clutch. My husband has his 2002 SC2. I was considering getting another, but when I went into the Saturn dealership recently, I was greatly disappointed.

I truly hope that someone with vision picks up the Saturn line (or GM gets it act together), and brings us dependable, economical, polymer-paneled, affordable sport coupes once more. I would love to continue to buy Saturns.

[dorothy litomisky]

I have been trying to reach you it is at best impossible we have a file that Sharon in corporate started we have been trying to solve problems with our Saturn vue for 2 years the #if you are interested is 71703524076 we have talked to 18 departments over a long period of time we have faxed documents to different departments I have a list of people we have talked to thank You Jill

[Valentino]

I hope for the best when it comes to Saturn's future, but if they start to offer cheap throw-away cars, I fear I have bought my last "new" saturn, my 08 Vue. If they offer quality cars, with good mileage and great looks, for about the same as other cars in its class, then I'll still consider them. I'm planning on buying a used Astra next if the Saturn spin-off isn't successful however. After that, who knows?

[Pat Blanchard]

I've had my Saturn for 13 years and still get 30mph doing strictly city driving. I never touch the freeway. The current Saturns can't match my gas mileage, so I have hung on, as the service is so wonderful. To me a car is a car is a car; but the Saturn promise of personal attention and the actual receipt of that fabulous attention and care for the past 13 years, has made me a loyal owner. I don't want to go elsewhere when my "baby" finally bites the dust, but you will need to go back to the glory days of the 1990s when Saturn was at the top of its game with innovation and real craftsmanship. I truly hope you return to that "different kind of car".

[Stan]

Jill,
This is my 3rd Saturn.They have been great cars- good gas mileage, quality, performance and reliable and long lasting.
Dealer service was good but expensive and inconvenient to get to.
I hope independent spin-off does not mean you will be selling Chinese, Japanese, Indian or other foreign cars and slapping the Saturn name on them. This takes away one of my main reasons for buying a Saturn - a good quality American engineered, designed and made car.

[Avyril Brady]

Saturn Corporation has been such a breath of fresh air for the auto industry! Despite GM, I hope Saturn keeps going strong...providing safe, reliable,affordable cars made in America. I'm on my 3rd and hopefully not my last Saturn. I love them, the way they do business, and the fact that I am RESPECTED and not treated like an idiot when I walk into their showrooms.

I wish Saturn the best of luck with their big decisions to move forward.

[Stephen Schmidt]

Jill:
Check out these concept cars from the Geneva Auto Show. The proposed new Saturn Company should get the North American marketing rights to a few of these obscure ideas. I would love to see one of these babies at my local Saturn dealer in the next few years:

http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/matt-hardigree/two-lane-blacktop/10-concept-cars-will-change-driving-forever

Steve

[John]

I say Saturn should take a page out of the Obama administration's playbook, and rather than think small (ie, continuing as a mere distributor), Saturn should think BIG and swing for the fences.

Convince GM to to give Saturn an idle factory, convince the US government to make a (moderately large) investment in Saturn as "green" technology-- a road Saturn once started down a long time ago-- and go back to designing and building your own cars, the Saturn way. While the new line is being developed, you should be able to continue distributing the current lines, only acting as a reseller instead of a GM brand.

I understand that what I'm proposing has risk-- but then again, Saturn's future is pretty much at risk anyway. I've seen the sales numbers for last month.

GM has consistently tried to find more business by shrinking it's bottom line, and every time they contract the bottom line, the quality drops, the cars get worse, and GM's sales plummet. Saturn was the one bright spot in their recent history-- Saturn built good cars, and they built them well, and in doing so, built up a very loyal customer base, but GM has consistently gone for short term margins, instead of long-term sustainability. Make a break. Form a deal with Opel and Saab. Focus on the long term, and strike now, while the government's willing to help.

Finally, don't make it easy on the Chinese. If they want to compete, let them do it by building a dealer network of their own, rather than handing them one of the best dealer networks.

Good luck, and I'll be in line to buy the next American-made sports coupe Saturn makes. If they make one.