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04-21-2009, 11:13 AM | #1 | |
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Saturn was Supposed To Save GM, instead they crushed it.
here's the start:
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http://www.newsweek.com/id/192458
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04-21-2009, 11:36 AM | #2 |
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What I'd like to know is who said that Saturn was supposed to save GM..? I don't recall GM ever mentioning this
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04-21-2009, 11:38 AM | #3 | ||
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04-21-2009, 11:39 AM | #4 |
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saturn was supposed to be a cheap brand with dent resistant (plastic) panels, but then it turned into another cousin brand of GM, where they took the same design, applied a different brand and sent it out.
I liked the Saturn Sky though. |
04-21-2009, 11:41 AM | #5 |
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It was supposed to be their import fighter when it was launched, but after a year or so they cheaped out and turned it into a niche brand with nothing going for it other than a selling strategy. It's a pretty common result for US car companies; start full of big plans then scale back to the mediocre in pursuit of immediate profit. Chevy Cavalier, anyone? How about a Lincoln LS? The Contour and Focus in the US are great examples; they both had plenty of promise and Ford gave up on both cars in the US, discontinuing one and letting the other atrophy. I could say the same about the Fiesta's fate in the US as well; the longer they take to release it here the more it's going to end up just like the Focus. Years late, then abandoned to a long and dull production life.
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04-21-2009, 11:47 AM | #6 | |
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04-21-2009, 11:48 AM | #7 |
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Hmm, well duh. How does spending MILLIONS building a new brand, dealer networks etc going to save you money when you have other brands desperate for added brand awareness. IE buick, GMC...
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04-21-2009, 11:54 AM | #8 |
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The problem with Saturn is that they did a 1/2-ass job, which is the same problem with the rest of GM.
The idea was great - create a semi autonomous division within GM and let them try to compete with the Japanese head-on. The problem is that while the initial models were greeted with pretty damn good reviews, like everything that GM touched back then, they screwed it up by not updating their models for many, many years. It got to the point that all the built-up "goodwill" that Saturn had was wasted. People so loved their Saturns that people were willing to travel to the company picnic held at the factory where the cars were built. Other companies would kill for that kind of enthusiasm and loyalty. Saturn was supposed to be the model for how to run a US car company for the rest of GM, but instead of spreading that knowledge to Chevy and Olds and Buick, the opposite happened, and Saturn got infected by the mediocrity that was the rest of GM. |
04-21-2009, 11:57 AM | #9 |
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04-21-2009, 12:03 PM | #10 |
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GEO could have saved GM. The Metro got 60mpg with its tiny 3 banger Metro.
They killed that off. GM is DEAD |
04-21-2009, 12:27 PM | #11 |
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Saturn was created as a separate company with it's own operations. I am unsure when, but to save money (Had to be during the Lopez years) Saturn was reorganized to become a division of GM just like the rest. That is when it started getting full badge engineering and the beginning of the end.
I work with a guy that still loves Saturns, says the dealer has always treated him great. Saturn maybe the only thing Smith did that was worth while. Peace, Greg Last edited by b4wantab; 04-21-2009 at 12:28 PM. Reason: grammer > me |
04-21-2009, 12:38 PM | #12 | |
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04-21-2009, 12:46 PM | #13 |
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This follows a typical social patterns of the day. Put two kids in a room, one smart and the other dumb. Eventually, the smart kid will become more and more unintelligent, and the dumb kid will remain unchanged. People always sink to the lowest level allowed. We see it in everything. Call it peer pressure, mob mentality, no child left behind, whatever.
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04-21-2009, 01:04 PM | #14 |
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see idk if saturn hasnt turned a profit lately but some of their cars dont look too bad right now that lil hatch seems like it could be interesting and i thought the astra was like North American car of the year or something for 2007 or 2008 the vue has ballooned to lambda chassis size which doesnt make any sense to me but their cars have looked actually sellable for a reason other than cheapness
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04-21-2009, 01:12 PM | #15 |
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I'm pretty sure Saturn was Smith's baby; it was a big deal back in the 80s. When my Mom was working for SAE I remember a lot hope for the direction Saturn was supposed to go, and this was within the industry, albeit just a different aspect of PR aimed at the industry rather than consumers.
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04-21-2009, 01:56 PM | #16 |
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I wasn't very familiar with the history of Saturn. That was a very interesting read.
It seems like while Smith and the UAW head guy at that time shared the vision that became Saturn, no one else in either management or labor saw it the same way. And that pretty much meant that it was bound for failure, as both these guys had to step down at some point. It's VERY difficult to imagine a reliable system that would inject some far-sightedness to the board room in modern corporations. The most recent success story in auto industry, Hyundai, has been basically run by a family like a medieval clan. Sounds stupid, but if the head guy has the right idea, it can be very effective too. |
04-21-2009, 01:57 PM | #17 | |
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We'll have to wait and see if GM makes the same mistake with its Chinese partners. I agree that Saturn was a good idea that got mismanaged. A lot of the funds that were initially earmarked for Saturn went into trying to save Oldsmobile. Remember the Aurora? |
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04-21-2009, 02:02 PM | #18 |
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So, they are going to kill off a brand when it finally started getting good?
I've never seen so many Saturn's in my lift until the last 3 years. |
04-21-2009, 06:02 PM | #19 | |
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All good things come to an end I guess. |
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04-24-2009, 11:45 AM | #20 |
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As a Saturn owner for the last 6.5 years, I have to say they did an awesome job with the cars and filling the market niche. There were no 'dealer tricks' with the financing of the vehicle. The price you saw was the price you paid. I have an 02 SL w/ 100k miles. It gets 37-42 mpg, even w/ the SOHC, it's fun to drive. The plastic panels are awesome for their lack of dents & dings. Only things I've had to replace are the belt, wheel bearing, brake pads & rotors, & an IM gasket. Shame they are disappearing, but I considered Saturn dead after they swapped to the 2.2L & away from the plastic body panels.
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