Saturn recently added a new feature to its website that allows visitors to pose questions directly to General Manager Jill Ladjziak. Some folks have already taken advantage of the opportunity. They've asked questions about Saturn's future, the impact any changes in ownership will have on their vehicle warranty, and who she rooted for during the Stanley Cup finals (well, maybe not that question). Keeping in close contact with customers is something Jill has always felt strongly about and excelled at doing. This new tool gives Jill and her team a way to communicate on a personalized level with owners and enthusiasts.

General Motors 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.

From the Associated Press by way of the NYT: Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak said the brand, once billed as a different kind of car company, most likely will be sold, given the interest of several buyers who have surfaced. She says GM will take other bids for the brand until June 1.

Saturn's innovative social networking site, ImSaturn, turns one year old this month, and Saturn is celebrating with a look back on the site's accomplishments and an addictive twist on the childhood game Pin the Tail on the Saturn (betcha can't just play once). In a blog post, General Manager Jill Lajdziak said her team was "thrilled" when 1000 folks joined within the first three weeks. Today, the site boasts almost 5000 members.

Peter Valdes-Dapena from CNNMoney.com: Abandoned and facing death as General Motors cuts brands in its own fight for survival, Saturn, the "different kind of car company," could soon become a very, very different kind of car company just to survive. GM has said it will stop producing Saturn vehicles in about two years. Rather than accept that it's over, Saturn executives and the brand's leading dealers are looking at new ways - some that have never been tried before - to keep Saturn alive. "When times are tough, that's when the biggest breakthrough's come," said Jill Lajdziak, Saturn's General Manager.

Saturn owners have never been shy about sharing their thoughts regarding our brand. So when I wrote to you a couple of weeks ago to tell about the potential changes at Saturn, I knew that I would get a strong response. Your e-mails and phone calls showed that many of you share our enthusiasm for the idea that Saturn might return to its roots as an independent company. The thoughtful comments were a clear reminder of one of the things that has always made Saturn special.

From the Hub magazine: Between the time we spoke with Jill Lajdziak and the publication of this interview, General Motors announced plans to close Saturn. Well, here's another news flash: This doesn't necessarily mean the end for Saturn. And it certainly does not change the enlightened view Saturn brings to automotive retailing. Saturn was never designed to be a "luxury" automobile, but you'd never know that while visiting one of its state-of-the-art showrooms.

A letter from Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak: From our very beginning, Saturn has always sought a better way. We pioneered no haggle-no hassle shopping, built dent-resistant cars, set a new benchmark for customer service and forged a unique relationship with our retailers, workers and customers. From the beginning, Saturn was launched as a "Different kind of Car Company." Well, here we go again. You may have read that General Motors delivered a plan to the U.S. government that outlined the corporation's plan for long term viability. In that plan, GM stated that Saturn would work with its retailers to investigate options for the future of the Saturn brand. We said that all ideas were on the table and we meant it.

Warren Brown from the Washington Post: I am a great admirer of Jill Lajdziak, general manager of GM's Saturn Division. She has fought the good fight, greatly improved Saturn's manufacturing efficiencies and product quality, and expanded the division's product offerings. Ironically, Lajdziak's success is why Saturn must now be folded into Chevrolet.

Last week Saturn General Manager, Jill Lajdziak, posted an update on the state of Saturn on her blog at ImSaturn. General Motors, Saturn, and Saturn's retailers are looking at ways to overhaul the Saturn business model into one that is profitable for GM.