Stories
Goodbye Saturn, Thanks for the Ride (1985-2010)
Note: As General Motors gets ready to shut Saturn's doors at the end of this year, I'd like to take a moment to look back at why the brand was created and how it evolved over the years, what made the cars and company so special to me, and also address some concerns about how Saturn's closure will impact the future of SaturnFans.com.
Later tonight the giant ball in Times Square will be lowered when the clock strikes twelve and 2010 will come to an end. It's been a emotional year for Saturn employees, owners, and fans; October 31st marked the end of General Motors' grand Saturn experiment. Of all the news articles I've written for SaturnFans.com over the past 15 years, this one has been by far the hardest for me to write. Saying goodbye is never easy, and this time is no different. To me Saturn was more than just another car or company: it represented a fresh approach to running a business, and more significantly, it was a symbolic entry in America's ideological battle against the best vehicles the "import" car companies had to offer.
A Different Kind of Car Collector
From Hagerty: The most interesting car collection you've never heard of lives in a subdivision just outside Princeton, New Jersey. Nestled between patches of bucolic farmland and aging equestrian stables, in the cool shadow of a nature preserve, the neighborhood looks like any other. Drive past too quickly and you might miss the vast horde of Saturns, fanned out in the driveway of a single house like paint swatches in a catalogue. Before that rainbow array of plastic body panels stands its caretaker, a soft-spoken 26-year-old woman named Jessieleigh Freeman. She fiddles with a scrunchie on her wrist and purses her lips as I wander, speechless, among the coupes, sedans, and wagons.
How Saturnalia Helped Us Save $900
My girlfriend and I have been using the info on this forum to help troubleshoot problems with her '98 SL2 for some time. Recently, it's been going through a phase of needing some new parts, which is not all that surprising given the age of the car. When we took it back to a local shop after they replaced the tensioner pulley and belt a new problem arose - choking and stalling out.
Remembering the 2007 Saturn Brand Advocate Board Meeting: Charlie and the Saturn 'Factory'
Its amazing how life sometimes imitates art. Take Roald Dahl's children's book, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," for example. According to the story, candy maker Willy Wonka opened the doors of his mysterious and intriguing plant for a sneak peak at how his workers dream up new types of candy and create the world's best chocolate. The privilege to venture deep inside the walls of the famed chocolate factory was limited to five lucky children who found golden tickets tucked inside the wrappers of Wonka chocolate bars. Inside the plant, Mr. Wonka took this small group of folks on an adventure they wouldn't soon forget. A few weeks ago I had the privilege to attend the Saturn Brand Advocate Board Meeting in Detroit. As I thought about how I wanted to write about my very own Saturn adventure, the story of 'Charlie' kept coming back to me over and over again. Our journey even included a ride in a glass elevator...
Where Have You Gone in Your Vue?
I drove from Vancouver, British Columbia to Victorville, California and back to Washington state in mine. I stopped off in Sacramento and picked up three more people on the way down and dropped them back off on the way back. It managed to take the Grapevine with that load passing other vehicles with ease. It got great mileage down and back with the average of 26 mpgs.
Owner Story: Comic Books and Saturn
From Tom Mason: Now that GM is shutting down their Saturn division, let me tell you how comic books helped me get a really nice, reliable car. Years ago, my old car went on life support and, reluctantly, since I could no longer count on my friends to keep picking me up by the side of the freeway, I had to get another one. I hate buying a car more than I hate trying to get a hotel room for Comic-Con International in March. So I needed a plan.
Handcuffed Saturn Retailers Consider their Fates
Steve Finlay from Wards AutoWorld: GM says it will shut down Saturn after Penske announced that his plan to buy the brand has failed due to an inability to find a supplier of vehicles beyond GM. Some Saturn dealers have other brands to fall back on. Those that don’t are the hardest hit. One of them is Todd Ingersoll, owner of Saturn of Danbury, a facility that opened last year.
Disappearance of Saturn Brand Disappoints Car Fan
Ashley Yarchin KSDK Channel 5: Kevin Keller, 36, is on his third Saturn in more than a decade. In fact, he still has his first Saturn, although he doesn't drive it anymore. Keller said he fell in love with the brand in 1996 and even joined a sort of fan club called the Saturn Performance Club.
Former Saturn Owner Struck by "Unresponsive" and "Inattentive" Treatment from Toyota Dealer
Reader "Capitol Hill" posed the following question to Warren Brown, the Washington Post Cars columnist: I've owned three Saturns. However, now that my L300 has died, I have decided to buy a Prius. I love the car and am happy to buy one. However, after my experience with Saturn, I was struck by how unresponsive and inattentive the Toyota dealer was. I had a similar experience 17 years ago, which is what drove me to Saturn. The only reason I stuck with Toyota this time is I really wanted the Prius. Not sure I would do it again when I buy my next car. Is this a common experience?
Owner Story: Vacationing with the Vue and a RV Trailer
Many years ago, my wife and I started doing camping using the minimal equipment: a tent, a Coleman LP stove and a cooler. We were young and soon discovered that even if this kind of camping can be fun for a few days, living in such minimalist gears during two or three weeks is not the same story. When you want to do "serious" camping, you need serious equipment. And a RV is almost mandatory! But what kind of RV can you afford when you don't want to change your car for a large F-350 pick-up truck?
Random Article from the SaturnFans.com Archives
Saturn in Times Square
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![]() Saturn "took over" Times Square for a special event prior to the start of the New York Auto Show on Tuesday, April 11, 2006 in New York. Saturn used the event to introduce three new Saturn vehicles - the Sky Red Line performance roadster, the Outlook crossover vehicle, and the Aura midsize sedan. Click here for more photos. |