Look out folks! Will this mean Saturn will have some serious performance models coming out soon?
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June 5, 2009 9:30 a.m. Xceler8x Dork
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June 5, 2009 9:36 a.m. Jensenman MegaDork
Allegedly there's some group called Black Oak which is considering it as well. Fiat's supposed to be interested in Opel, the Chinese want to buy HUMMER, man things are lookin WEIRD in this bidness.
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June 5, 2009 9:38 a.m. maroon92 UltraDork
not necessarily, it does mean they will sell relatively well though. Penske is certainly a good business man. He also has the distribution rights for SMART in the US, he does the rental trucks, alot of stuff....oh yeah, and he runs 3 racing teams!
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June 5, 2009 9:44 a.m. carguy123 Dork
That could be good for the brand
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June 5, 2009 9:47 a.m. John Brown MegaDork
Not likely, the Saturn business model will improve and the fact that there will be an additional X00 Penske dealers to pair with existing Saturn dealers. The problem is they will still be selling GM cars untill 2011 and possibly beyond.
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June 5, 2009 9:55 a.m. jcanracer New Reader
I wonder if the Sky will still be available...thats a nice looking roadster.
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June 5, 2009 10:14 a.m. RossD Reader
I dont see a problem in Penske selling GM cars for a couple more years because the current line up of Saturn cars are actually good. (my opinion). I'd love a Sky too. I think it's better looking than the Solstice. Why would you pair penske/saturn dealerships? Saturns are stand alone and the currents ones wouldnt need to leave there current dealerships; no need for a change of locations.
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June 5, 2009 10:21 a.m. 81gtv6 Reader
I think I remember reading that Penske may sell some French cars through Saturn.
With Koenigsegg trying to buy SAAB and all of the other brand swaping going on we may be in for some interesting cars in the next few years.
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June 5, 2009 10:24 a.m. TJ Reader
I like the idea of a former racer, current race team owner, and smart businessman building cars in the US.
So, for the short term when they will pay GM to build Saturns for them under contract, I don't see how Penske could make any profit on that if GM couldn't.
I hope this works out well.
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June 5, 2009 10:36 a.m. belteshazzar Dork
see how letting GM crash is not a bad thing in the long run?! somebody tell obama.
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June 5, 2009 11:33 a.m. m4ff3w Dork
Long term plans looks to be South Korean (Samsung) built Renautls. Though the current Samsung cars are based on Nissans.
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June 5, 2009 11:58 a.m. griffin729 New Reader
Well, Nissan and Renault are essentially the same company anyway so no problem there. I too really like the styling of the Sky.
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June 5, 2009 12:19 p.m. fastEddie Dork
Too bad Penske doesn't have his K-Mart auto service deal anymore, then you could but a Saturn at K-Mart!
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June 5, 2009 12:23 p.m. Volksroddin HalfDork
Wow. sounds great I hope it works out. If eny one can turn that company around its him!
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June 5, 2009 12:37 p.m. John Brown MegaDork
RossD wrote: Why would you pair penske/saturn dealerships? Saturns are stand alone and the currents ones wouldnt need to leave there current dealerships; no need for a change of locations.
I think you and I are pairing them in different ways. The Penske dealers were multi brand and mostly GM add those to the existing Saturn network and you have a respectable dealer presence.
I actually foresee a few of the larger ex-GM and ChryCo dealers that are currently unnafilliated being recruited by Penske in key locations.
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June 5, 2009 12:55 p.m. neon4891 UltraDork
Saturn gets sold off and Pontiac simply dies, WTF??!!!
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June 5, 2009 1:08 p.m. belteshazzar Dork
[nelson] ha ha [/nelson]
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June 5, 2009 1:57 p.m. pinchvalve UltraDork
Either all Saturns will be large, yellow and diesel-powered, or blue and seriously fast!!!!
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June 5, 2009 2:18 p.m. Xceler8x Dork
Maybe Penske convinces GM to sell him the G8, Corvette, and any other performance car GM can't seem to sell. Then he has a high performance american car manufacturer. Next on this evil plan is to rule various forms of "stock" based autoracing by using his manufacturer to homlogate all sorts of various trickery and parts.
Saturn soon equals the Porsche of America.
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June 5, 2009 2:35 p.m. Xceler8x Dork
More info:
GM to sell Saturn brand to Penske dealership chain
Some highlights:
Penske has signed a memorandum of understanding that would give his dealership chain, Penske Automotive Group, Saturn's 350 dealerships, the companies said. Penske said that he expects to offer all the dealers new franchise agreements and will retain all 13,000 Saturn employees for now.
No job loss. NICE! Now the interesting part...
"I would expect that the model that we're putting together, the distribution model, will be profitable day one," Penske said in an interview with The Associated Press. "We'll have less costs. We'll not be in the manufacturing side."
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Penske Automotive will take over the separate Saturn parts warehouse and distribution center in Spring Hill.
Penske in an interview said foreign automakers would be key to his making Saturn succeed, but they will have to match GM's quality standards before Saturn's dealer network will distribute their products.
"As people around the world look at that, they have the opportunity to tap us on the shoulder and say we have product that we'd like to bring into the U.S." he said.
Other foreign automakers who have succeeded in the U.S. began with a distribution network, then started manufacturing operations, he said.
Sounds like ol'Penske is thinking of using the Saturn dealer network as a front to sell foreign made autos in the U.S.
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June 5, 2009 3:13 p.m. RexSeven HalfDork
fastEddie wrote:
Too bad Penske doesn't have his K-Mart auto service deal anymore, then you could but a Saturn at K-Mart!
When did that end? I still have a Penske battery in my FC.
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June 5, 2009 3:21 p.m. Type Q HalfDork
belteshazzar wrote:
see how letting GM crash is not a bad thing in the long run?! somebody tell obama.
Your post came across to me as being a bit smug and uncaring to the thousands of people that are caught in this huge painful upheaval. A lot of people on this board are being impacted as we speak. I don't think this was your intent. This board does not attract the type of shiny happy people that revel in the suffering of others. There are legitimate arguments about government involvement and when and how bankruptcy law should be used. I am assuming this is what you were referring to and I respect differences you may have with the Obama Administration.
As I see it, there are some potentially good things coming out of the GM collapse. I have a healthy respect for Roger Penske. The one thing that I am sure of is the Penske organization thought long and hard about how they could make work before making a proposal. If GM had just filed chapter 11 at the end of last year, who knows if there would have been a Saturn brand left to buy at this point. the same is true for the other brands that have potential buyers. I also think it is way too early to make an judgments about the "long run" yet.
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June 5, 2009 5:21 p.m. jstein77 HalfDork
Xceler8x wrote:
Maybe Penske convinces GM to sell him the G8, Corvette, and any other performance car GM can't seem to sell. Then he has a high performance american car manufacturer. Next on this evil plan is to rule various forms of "stock" based autoracing by using his manufacturer to homlogate all sorts of various trickery and parts.
Saturn soon equals the Porsche of America.
I can forsee (or maybe wish for) Penske turning Saturn into the Mazda of American cars. You know, Zoom-zoom, a bit of extra driving verve, real drivers/enthusiasts machines. Perhaps a sporting Penske edition of every model. He will eventually have to divorce himself of the GM lineage, and that would have to be replaced with something. Hopefully, he will work to keep the brand American. We really need a good American brand. (says the driver of a Nissan)
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June 5, 2009 5:25 p.m. aussiesmg Dork
LS7 in the Sky .............
damn that almost sounds like Lucy in the sky
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June 5, 2009 9:04 p.m. patgizz Dork
the sky doesn't need the LS7, the turbo 4 is a hell of a combo. my fiancee's mom has an 08 redline - cool little car.
