GM Readies New Ads, Deep Discounts to Clear Remaining Saturn Inventory

[Charlie]

A new story entry has been added:

[drupal=3433]GM Readies New Ads, Deep Discounts to Clear Remaining Saturn Inventory[/drupal]

Automotive News reports that General Motors is preparing what will likely be one last Saturn advertising campaign in an effort to sell the brand's last remaining 9,400 2008 and 2009 models. Susan Docherty, GM's newly appointed vice president of U.S. sales, told the trade publication that "starting next week, we'll have a print campaign which features that product. In the next 90 days, we'll have cleaned up that inventory. I'm not worried about it at all."

[s3nfo]

Instead of spending millions, well, it's print, so probably a million to sell 9,400 already "deeply discounted" cars, why don't they just pay people to take these orphans off their hands.

[Citation84]

Originally Posted by s3nfo

Instead of spending millions, well, it's print, so probably a million to sell 9,400 already "deeply discounted" cars, why don't they just pay people to take these orphans off their hands.

A million here a million there. Who cares? It's just taxpayer money. Close enough for Government work.

[davidsky]

Originally Posted by s3nfo

Instead of spending millions, well, it's print, so probably a million to sell 9,400 already "deeply discounted" cars, why don't they just pay people to take these orphans off their hands.

You have an idea in a way. Why not just give the last cars to charity groups?

[Saturn#5]

NEWS FLASH: GM WANTS YOUR MONEY!

Sure now GM puts money into Saturn ads...where the hell was GM advertising when they actually made cars for the brand for the past 15 years!

Hey GM...why don't you give the $5000 dollars to ALL customers who purchased 2008/2009 vehicles before your sorry excuse for management

[Citation84]

Originally Posted by Saturn#5

NEWS FLASH: GM WANTS YOUR MONEY!

Sure now GM puts money into Saturn ads...where the hell was GM advertising when they actually made cars for the brand for the past 15 years!

Hey GM...why don't you give the $5000 dollars to ALL customers who purchased 2008/2009 vehicles before your sorry excuse for management

GM's sorry excuse for management is in it's DNA. You could go all the way back to 1979 and before and still not cover the period.

[VWCarcrazy]

Is GM nuts? Do they really think that a $4,000 or $5,000 (for loyal Saturn owners) rebate is significant for a car that is 1 - 2 model years old AND a discontinued orphan? That is not enough. I got a 2X better deal on a 2009 Jeep 3 months ago PLUS C4C! I can get almost as good a deal today at Ford or Chevrolet for a 2010 model, taking everything into account. What a JOKE, GM! This sort of thinking is typical of the stupidity that exists at the upper levels of GM and Chrysler management today. Idiot 20 and 30-something snot-nosed Harvard MBA's that they hire in sales and marketing. Get new management from accounting and engineering to lead the company and kick the incumbants out. Here's an idea for management: rebadge the Aura as a mid-size Buick (the new full-size Lacrosse is too big and too expensive) or replace the ugly Malibu with the sleek Aura in the Chevrolet lineup.

[cavalier]

Remind me again please................


WHY DID WE BAIL THIS COMPANY (GM) OUT???????

Surprised they're not also throwing in free back issues of the discontinued Saturn magazine (whatever it was called) with every purchase.

GM is a joke of a company that's being by run (into the ground) by Bufoons.

On our dime, no less.

[XRL]

Those aren't really very good deal actually. Anyone who buys one of these now is doing themselves a disservice. Wait for a few months until they double the money theyre taking off and just sell these cars at a (large) loss to get rid of them.

$4000 is a typical rebate for an American car that isn't being shut down.

[wei_]

I'll gladly take a VUE or Astra 5-door off their hands for $2K OTD.

[Citation84]

Originally Posted by cavalier

Remind me again please................


WHY DID WE BAIL THIS COMPANY (GM) OUT???????

Surprised they're not also throwing in free back issues of the discontinued Saturn magazine (whatever it was called) with every purchase.

GM is a joke of a company that's being by run (into the ground) by Bufoons.

On our dime, no less.

Where do you think that "deep discount" money is coming from?

Well said, Cavalier.

[eRic 02sc2]

I will take an ASTRA 3-door if they want to give them away

[l57]

VWCarcrazy.......What was to be the new "Aura" for 2011 will be the new mid sized "Regal" next year...I guess you haven't heard.

[mikeyt]

Now if that $4000. was in addition to the $7k discount they were already offering here in Canada then they would be doing something realistic.

[mikec]

I remember when they wound Oldsmobile down, I would go by the dealerships and just see how long certain vehicles would hang on the lot and how low that they would go. I was surprised at how long that Aleros and Silhouettes were on some lots. The difference then was that most Olds dealers were multi-brand dealers and could afford to sit on these vehicles. Since Saturn dealers are on their own, I suspect that we will see some steep discounts between now and Christmas so they can close up shop.

[Saturn#5]

Originally Posted by mikec

I remember when they wound Oldsmobile down, I would go by the dealerships and just see how long certain vehicles would hang on the lot and how low that they would go. I was surprised at how long that Aleros and Silhouettes were on some lots. The difference then was that most Olds dealers were multi-brand dealers and could afford to sit on these vehicles. Since Saturn dealers are on their own, I suspect that we will see some steep discounts between now and Christmas so they can close up shop.

Except for those Saturn dealerships that are not closing up shop. Some are going to sell other GM nameplates.

I checked with my dealership...they have 51 cars left...mostly Aura and Outlook...haven't had an Astra since the end of the summer!

[GR898SL2]

Originally Posted by l57

VWCarcrazy.......What was to be the new "Aura" for 2011 will be the new mid sized "Regal" next year...I guess you haven't heard.

It really doesn't look that bad as a Buick. However, there won't be a V6 right away and only one trim will be available at launch: the leather-upholstered, mid-level CXL.

[piney]

Today's full page ads show such barn-burner bonanza deals such as $4,000 off an Outlook XE, fwd for only 27k and change (after the rebate). With deals like this, they will be on the lot till the 2011 models are out from the competition.

[s3nfo]

Yep, got that here in todays paper too. Hummm, I can get a "great deal" whopping $4,000 off on an orphaned Outlook that'll really take a hit on depreciation due to it's orphan status, or, for just about the same money, in the ad right next to it I can get $10,000 off a Ford F-150 Supercrew from a company that's making a good comeback without gubmint money...........
More proof that GM just doesn't get it!