TomServo92 Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reigner92 Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I thought Saturn was dead for sure..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TStag Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 "Piping in new products" - Interesting. The dealerships and brand may be usefull to someone like VW who have lots of brands like SEAT or Skoda. Or perhaps another GM partner like SAIC in China will do a deal..... Or then again maybe just a Chinese company will buy the brand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critic Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 Put on your critical thinking skills.... Todd Ingersoll, owner of two Saturn stores in Connecticut, has been heading up a task force at the behest of franchisees to determine the best way for the brand to break away from General Motors. First it was a Venture Capital firm, that thought they could buy a whole car company and run it, and run it into the ground they did. Now it's just a few car dealers that think they can buy a division of a car company and run it. Lets see how many days of media attention this one gets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 "Piping in new products" - Interesting. The dealerships and brand may be usefull to someone like VW who have lots of brands like SEAT or Skoda. Or perhaps another GM partner like SAIC in China will do a deal..... Or then again maybe just a Chinese company will buy the brand. Do you really think VW would be wise to try importing Seat or Skoda?? They aren't even meeting their goals with the Volkswagen brand here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guesswhoscomingtodinner Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 New products? Perhaps a Chinese or Indian company is buying their way into the USA via Saturn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-150 Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 New products? Perhaps a Chinese or Indian company is buying their way into the USA via Saturn. that gets my vote Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moby Vic Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Uh ... did you guys see the date of the original article? The Danbury News Times? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomServo92 Posted April 3, 2009 Author Share Posted April 3, 2009 Uh ... did you guys see the date of the original article? The Danbury News Times? Yes, the original story was posted on the Danbury News Times website on 3/30/2009 at 3:07PM EDT and it's still there. :shrug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiefstang Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Saw a pretty funny Saturn commercial last night. They were making fun of the Hyundai Assurance program. The guy said: "Can you imagine going home and telling your wife:'Honey I lost my job today, and Hyundai is taking our car. Now I lost my job and car in the same day... Not with Saturn.. Yada, yada'" Pretty funny spin on everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 Saw a pretty funny Saturn commercial last night. They were making fun of the Hyundai Assurance program. The guy said: "Can you imagine going home and telling your wife:'Honey I lost my job today, and Hyundai is taking our car. Now I lost my job and car in the same day... Not with Saturn.. Yada, yada'" Pretty funny spin on everything. Yes, I posted this same comment somewhere around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 (edited) Ya know what?!?! I just figured out how GM could save Saturn! Import Opels and rebadge them! Oh wait....... :blink: Edited April 4, 2009 by rmc523 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 Ya know what?!?! I just figured out how GM could save Saturn! Import Opels and rebadge them! Oh wait....... :blink: I think you and I have a pretty good chance at getting tapped for the job once Henderson gets booted. It's just so easy! GM's Road to Recovery: Step 1- Import Opels Step 2- ??? Step 3- Profit!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcsario Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 (edited) The problem wasn't rebadging Opels, it was Saturn's customers all along. They received plenty of new products. Aura and so on. They were good, decent vehicles. To think the Astra, Vue, Sky, etc. would've done as bad with a Chevy badge on them, would be naive. Chinese/Indian car importer sounds about right. Seems to fit the budget/mindset of the average Saturn customer. Edited April 4, 2009 by pcsario Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transitman Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 I think you and I have a pretty good chance at getting tapped for the job once Henderson gets booted. It's just so easy! GM's Road to Recovery: Step 1- Import Opels Step 2- ??? Step 3- Profit!!! I think there needs to be a few steps added: Step 1 Receive taxpayer money and do nothing Step 2 Beg for more taxpayer money and still do nothing Step 3 Fire CEO Step 4 File bankruptcy, layoff, fire and disrupt the lives of thousands of workers Step 5 Emerge from bankruptcy and change nothing other than a new contract with UAW and tell suppliers too bad, we're broke. Step 6 Beg Government for start-up capital Step 7 Import Opels... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 I think there needs to be a few steps added:Step 1 Receive taxpayer money and do nothing Step 2 Beg for more taxpayer money and still do nothing Step 3 Fire CEO Step 4 File bankruptcy, layoff, fire and disrupt the lives of thousands of workers Step 5 Emerge from bankruptcy and change nothing other than a new contract with UAW and tell suppliers too bad, we're broke. Step 6 Beg Government for start-up capital Step 7 Import Opels... Woah......settle down there.....GM doesn't plan that far in advance... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transitman Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 Woah......settle down there.....GM doesn't plan that far in advance... You're right, I'm sorry. GM can't possibly be thinking about importing Opels. The menu in the executive dining room still needs to be agreed on. :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transitman Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 (edited) In all seriousness I hope Saturn does find a buyer or partner to stay alive. I know several people who own Saturn's and they're very happy with them. My 86 year old Mom still drives a 93 Saturn with 46000 miles which she loves and it's been a very good car for her. Just like those of us who are committed to the Blue Oval, Saturn, GM and Chrysler have their dedicated followers not to mention thousands of hard working men and women. The problem I have is, unlike Ford, who has been very upfront about their change in structure, the way they build vehicles and to many peoples chagrin, renegotiating Union contracts, I read and hear nothing about what GM and Chrysler are doing to improve their position other than requesting more bailout money. I looked at the GM line-up at the Auto Show. I was really disappointed with the new Camaro, the Malibu is not better than the Fusion and once the new Fiesta hits dealers it will out shine the style-less Aveo. The only Chevy products that impressed me was of course the Corvette and the Traverse. Of course it was a top of the line Traverse with all the options. I just purchased 300 shares of Ford stock (I wish I'd bought more but I'm just a working stiff) and made $102.00 yesterday. I'm going to buy 200 more if the price drops to $3.00. Ford is on its way back because of new designs, a great product and excellent quality. I can't say I see the same coming from the other two. Just to add a footnote here, the one area that disappoints me about Ford is their advertising. Even if the fate of the Freestyle and Taurus X were already sealed before they hit the ground, they were both very good cars in their class and I have to a least guess that Ford wanted to sell them. I can't remember ever seeing a TX commercial and what more can be said about the divorced Dad commercial. Ford has to sell the fact why the new Fusion is so much better than Camry, Accord and the rest. The commercials airing now are flashy but lack the real details serious buyers want. Sell the style, sell the mileage, sell the details that make it better than the rest. Edited April 4, 2009 by transitman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battyr Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 Ya know what?!?! I just figured out how GM could save Saturn! Import Opels and rebadge them! Oh wait....... :blink: I think GM was thinking of selling Opel to. And just selling European Chevies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battyr Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 Saturn would be a great stepping stone for anyone wanting to enter the US market. On the other hand, if the dealers and some private investor wanted to control Saturn, Ford could make some rebadged cars for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 The problem wasn't rebadging Opels, it was Saturn's customers all along. Right. Blame the customers. That's step 4 in the GM product philosophy these days: 1) Import Opels and Holdens 2) Try to sell them 3) Fail 4) Blame the customers ----- It's the Bob Lutz school of gut-based product research. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcsario Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 (edited) The #1 excuse from customers was that the Astra was priced too high. That's an Opel, fine. The Aura wasn't... yet their "loyal" customers pulled the same excuse. Fuck them. Nothing was cheap enough for them. As for the G8 bombing... I seriously can't understand that one. I don't believe a fancier interior or a billion cupholders would've made a difference there. It was launched right at the start of the gas crisis and people just don't care about Pontiacs anymore. Should've been a Chevy. Edited April 4, 2009 by pcsario Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 The Aura wasn't... yet their "loyal" customers pulled the same excuse. It hit the market with neither a manual transmission nor a 4-cylinder engine. Plus it didn't look like a Saturn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Plus it didn't look like a Saturn. Shouldn't that be in the "plus" column? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Shouldn't that be in the "plus" column? Well, not when you're trying to sell cars to Saturn customers. It was a nice looking, but bland, vehicle that didn't say 'Saturn', it just kind of said, 'car.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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