Ben Wojdyla from Jalopnik by way of the Maryland Gazette: Jill Bell noticed a scratched spot in a dent on the hood of her 1993 Saturn and decided to cover it with nail polish before the onset of winter caused it to rust and spread. When it held up to the elements, Jill, an avid quilter, wondered why she couldn't cover the entire car in a quilt inspired paint job of the same stuff.

Alex Taylor III, senior editor of Fortune magazine, recently compiled a list of the ten most significant cars in General Motors history. In chronological order, Saturn was cited as number 7. "Another GM effort to compete with the imports, Saturn represented a fresh start free of old encumbrances," he wrote.

Up until this year the general public had really only seen one picture of the original Saturn prototype that was taken when it was unveiled to the automotive press in 1984. However this year, thanks to the General Motors' collaborative GMnext 100th anniversary website, a bunch of never-before-seen photos of Saturn prototypes from the company's archives have made their way onto the Internet.

A Saturn prototype sedan undergoing testing at General Motors' Milford Proving Grounds in 1988.

Jalopnik.com reports General Motors will auction off a number of vehicles from its vaunted Heritage Center museum collection in an effort to raise cash to help offset the huge losses the company is faced with due to the global financial crisis. There are about 1000 vehicles of historical significance in storage that GM uses for the displays at the museum, but only about 150 to 200 of those vehicles can be featured at one time. On the list of vehicles to be auctioned are several notable Saturns from the past. The website says they will be sold at the upcoming Barrett-Jackson auction held January 13-19 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

On April 18, 2006, I was traveling with my two kids (a nine year old son and seven year old), and we were hit broadside on the passenger side of the car while making a U-turn by a Ford Ranger truck traveling at least 45-50 mph. Needless to say, my 1997 SW2 that I affectionately called "Smoke" was totaled. Most importantly, my kids and I walked away with no major injuries.

Back in the early 1990's Saturn was still building out its retail network and when new stores opened, they often ran advertisements like the one above in local area newspapers. This particular ad was printed inside the pages of a newspaper in New Jersey on June 25, 1993 to announce the opening of Saturn of Toms River.

Chris Chase from CanadianDriver.com: The second-generation S-series was offered in sedan, station wagon and coupe body styles (the second-gen coupe arrived a year later than its sedan and wagon siblings). In 1999, Saturn added a third door to the driver's side of the coupe to allow easier access to the rear seat.

This August 17, 1992 issue of Business Week recognized Saturn as a rare success for General Motors. "As foreign rivals continue to flood the market with new models, Saturn is meeting them head on," wrote the magazine. "Almost overnight, Saturn has become the highest-quality American-made brand, with as few defects as Hondas and Nissans."

A few weeks ago, in another episode of "Flashback Friday," I posted some not-so-well-known Saturn trivia bits. Folks seemed to enjoy taking a look back at Saturn while testing their knowledge of both the company and cars of yesterday. As a result of the feedback, I've compiled another list of "Did You Know?" Saturn trivia facts for your viewing pleasure.