KANSAS CITY, MO - Saturn owners in Kansas City have good reason to be confused after GM referred customers needing service farther away than they needed to go after Saturn dealerships were closed down in the metro area. But FOX 4’s Megan Cloherty is Working for You with some important information about where Saturn owners can go to have their vehicles serviced without a long drive to Topeka.

For a map of GM dealerships in the Kansas City area, click here.

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[Source: Fox4kc.com]

From Laura Layden, Naples Daily News:  The owner has hit the brakes on Saturn of Naples. On Wednesday, Bob Goodman said he’s putting the skids on the dealership off Airport-Pulling Road as part of a consolidation.

Sales and service operations in Naples will be merged with Saturn of Fort Myers off Fowler Street, which Goodman also owns.

The change is effective June 18.

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[Source: Naples Daily News, Read Entire Story]

From Jamie Lincoln Kitman, The Washington Post: There’s a reason why finding buyers for the carmaker’s German Opel division and domestic Saturn brand has been easy: They’re the most promising divisions GM owns. Getting rid of them was dumb and pretty much seals the company’s fate.

For GM, junking Saturn represents opportunity lost. Creating the brand in the late 1980s gave the firm its only great post-Vietnam-era marketing success story. A make that appealed to people who didn’t like Detroit’s constant horsepower and styling wars, Saturn may not have been “a different kind of car,” as its colorful advertisements had it, but it did attract a different kind of customer, one GM had lost to the likes of Toyota and Honda. Educated and reasonably affluent, these customers wanted to buy American again, yet a remarkable 87 percent didn’t know that Saturn was part of General Motors. That was part of the plan.

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[Source: The Washington Post - Read the Entire Article]

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Saturn of Carbondale Owner says "I will never buy another G.M. Product."

Instead of selling vehicles, lately Shemwell is selling tables, chairs, sofas, signage and other décor that once helped make his place of business welcoming to customers. Now, nearly fully stripped, footsteps echo off the walls and voices carry in the carless showroom.

As vacuums hummed outside his office, Shemwell sat and noted how this month’s bankruptcy filing by General Motors has left him in the financial lurch, including $80,000 in parts, $120,000 in specialty tools and thousands of dollars in signage for which he said he’ll take a loss.

“I’ll tell you this, and please quote me, I will never buy another G.M. (product),” he said. “It’s because of what they’ve done to the American people. They want another $30 billion in taxpayer money and they can’t buy us (dealerships) out.”

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[Source: The Southern]

Clark Howard talks about Saturn's Future

Consumer advocate, Clark Howard talks about Saturn’s new lease on life. Clark feels positive about Saturn’s future under the leadership of Roger Penske.

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Exclusive CNBC Interview of Roger Penske and Jill Jill Lajdziak.

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It look likes Saturn will live on as an independent car company. There are still a lot of unknowns on the direction Saturn will take, but I think you can be pretty confident that great things are going to happen under the leadership Roger Penske.

Press Release

Saturn and Penske: Two Iconic Teams Poised to Make History Again Transaction would save more than 13,000 jobs; preserves renowned brand and retail network

DETROIT (June 5, 2009) — General Motors Corp. and Penske Automotive Group today confirmed details of a proposed transaction under which Penske would acquire the Saturn brand. If completed, the deal would save more than 350 dealerships and 13,000 jobs at Saturn and its retailers in the United States, and would preserve the customer-focused Saturn brand.

The proposed transaction is part of GM’s rebuilding efforts outlined in the viability plan that was submitted to the U.S. government earlier this year. Under the terms in the memorandum of understanding, Penske would obtain the rights to the brand as well as certain other Saturn assets. GM would continue production, on a contract basis, of the Saturn Aura, Vue and Outlook.

“This is the combination of two iconic teams: Saturn and Penske,” said Saturn general manager Jill Lajdziak. “GM had the vision to create Saturn and has the desire to see it succeed in the future.”

“Saturn has a passionate customer base and outstanding dealer network,” said Roger Penske, chairman of Penske Automotive Group. “For nearly 20 years Saturn has focused on treating the customer right. We share that philosophy, and we want to build on those strengths.” Saturn began selling cars in 1990 and has sold more than 4 million vehicles. More than 80 percent of those vehicles are still in operation, according to data from R.L. Polk. Saturn has regularly scored among the industry leaders for non-luxury brands in customer satisfaction surveys.

“There has been a groundswell of support for Saturn, with our retailers and owners urging us to save the brand,” said Lajdziak. “We heard their call loud and clear, and it inspired us as we worked to secure Saturn’s future.”
The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of this year and is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Financial terms of the agreement will not be disclosed at this time.

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