In January 1985, Saturn Corporation was formed around the concept of designing a high-quality car to compete with compact rivals from Japan. "A different kind of car company" was Saturn's tagline. After a number of years of development and refinement, the first Saturn car rolled off the assembly line in Spring Hill, Tennessee in 1990. Later that year, the first cars went on sale in California.
Customer service and "no haggle" prices were the focus of the sales side of the business. In May of 1991, Saturn voluntarily replaced 1,836 cars due to a coolant manufacturer's improper formulation instead of repairing them. On the manufacturing side, a new type of agreement was formed with Saturn and the auto workers' union. The unions agreed to a 20% pay reduction in exchange for a risk/benefit arrangement that gave bonuses in good times and cuts in bad. There was also a no-layoff policy included. This contract was dismantled in 2004 in favor of the national GM-UAW agreement, which helped to ensure the plant would stay open.
The first Saturn cars, the... View more S-series, used a spaceframe design that allowed plastics to be used for body panels since they bore no load. The platform was designed almost entirely in house. Available in a coupe, four-door sedan, or wagon arrangements, this line was updated in 1996 and 2000. Production ended in 2002 with the replacement Ion. The Ion shared a GM corporate platform and ran from 2003 to 2007.
Beginning with the 2007 model year, the line-up received a heavy revamping. Vehicles were coming from Opel, one of GM's European brands at the time, and rebadged as Saturns. The Aura sedan, Vue crossover, Sky sports convertible, and compact Astra were all of German descent. The new offerings were often met with praise, but sales didn't soar as the parent company expected.
After GM agreed to government assistance, in late 2008 it was announced that Saturn would not be among the brands chosen to continue operations. Early the next year, GM CEO Rick Wagoner announced that Saturn production would continue through the planned life-cycle culminating in 2011. However, a buyer would be actively sought.
There was almost a chance for the brand to continue. Penske Automotive terminated discussions late September 2009 because an agreeable manufacturing partner could not be found. Estimates suggested 13,000 jobs would have been saved if the sale had gone through. The break had been surprising, since many of the dealerships had already received contracts from Penske Automotive. After the brand was discontinued, GM stated the vehicle warranties would be honored through approved GM dealerships. 2010 was the last model year. View less
The Saturn Aura was a mid-sized sedan that was offered by the Saturn brand of General Motors. The sedan was introduced in 2006 as a 2007 model and remained in production until 2009. The Aura represented...
The Saturn Ion is a compact car manufactured during model years 2003 to 2007. Model choices included four-door sedan and four-door quad coupe vehicles. The Ion was a front-wheel drive vehicle with a...
The Saturn Outlook is a full-size crossover SUV that was offered by the Saturn division of General Motors. This vehicle was sold during the 2007 and 2010 model years. The Outlook shares its Lamda platform with...
The Saturn Sky is a sleek two-seat convertible sports car manufactured by General Motors. This vehicle boasts the unique title of being the only sports car in the company's line of models. Designed with a...
The discontinuation of the Saturn badge spelled the end of the line for the Vue, which was a popular compact crossover SUV. The five-passenger Vue stood apart for its exceptional, European-influenced interior...
