Some Saturn News

We're Open!

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:39:00 +0000

We Are Open!

An Open Letter to our Customers:

It is with great regret that we inform you that the transaction between GM and Penske Automotive has been cancelled. For us, this means the Saturn brand will not be sold and GM will now begin to wind down all Saturn Facilities. What caused this was not GM or Saturn but rather Penske's inability to source new products for Saturn beyond 2011.

What does this mean for you and us?

We are now in a wind down process that could take until October of 2010 (up to 13 months).

For now and the foreseeable future it is business as usual. We are here to take care of all your sales, service and warranty needs. In the near term nothing will change.

When our stores no longer represent Saturn (which could be up to 13 months) you will be able to take your Saturn to the GM dealership that is convenient for you and they will be able to handle your warranty work.

We would be honored to continue to do your maintenance and non-warranty repairs with our Saturn Factory Trained Technicians at our four facilities as we transition to life after Saturn.

We will continue to sell the new Saturn vehicles that we have in stock from one of the largest inventories in North Carolina. As you know, the Saturn lineup is the best that GM has to offer! We expect them to move quickly with the great savings we have to offer.

We have some exciting plans in the works for the future of our facilities. We feel that you'll be pleased and surprised with what we have in store. So please stay tuned!

Thank you for your loyalty and good wishes. We are one of the original Saturn Retailers. We joined with Saturn because the unique approach and focus on a great service and sales experience is what we believe you deserve. It is a privilege to be a part of Saturn and its mission.

We genuinely appreciate your business and we will be here to take care of you! Thank you for your continued patronage.

Sincerely,

The Saturn Team
Saturn of Charlotte
Saturn of Hickory
Saturn of South Blvd
Saturn of Concord

Test drive a new Saturn by Sep 15 - get a ticket to the ‘09 Southern Women’s Show. Shopping, fashion shows, celebrities & prizes.

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:23:00 +0000

Test drive a new Saturn by September 15, 2009 and receive a ticket to the 2009 Charlotte Southern Women’s Show. There’s something for everyone: Savvy shopping, creative cooking ideas, healthy lifestyle tips, great celebrities and fabulous prizes.

Ticket supply is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Offered by Saturn of Charlotte, Saturn of South Blvd and Saturn of Concord (NC).

here's a link to the show

Thirsty? https://www.saturntestdrive.com/

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:27:00 +0000

Saturn and Honest Tea have teamed up for a promotion.

Cash for Clunkers megasite - lots of information

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:20:00 +0000

Looks like GM has all of the good links right here

Blood Drive @ Saturn of Hickory July 18th

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:21:00 +0000

Date: Saturday: Jul 18, 2009

Start Time: 10:00 AM

End Time: 1:15 PM

Where: Saturn of Hickory

Bloodmobile

Address:
1775 Catawba Valley Blvd SE
Hickory, NC 28602

Humane Society Rabies Clinic at Saturn of Hickory Saturday 6/20

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:15:00 +0000

Saturn of Hickory is hosting a Humane Society Rabies Clinic this Saturday from 2-4PM. Bring your pets in for $7.oo rabies vaccinations and $30 microchipping. That's a bargain! This is the last one of these for awhile - don't miss your chance to save some $.

Saturn of Raleigh hosting Free Child ID event

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:21:00 +0000

What's a Picture really worth?
If your child is missing for whatever reason, the picture you take now could be priceless!

Entertainment for kids:
*Clowns from Jolly Raleigh Klown Alley
*Play in the Sea Creature Wonderland
*Pony Rides
*Design a T-shirt and you could win a mountain bike -kids only :)
*Free Photo ID and finger printing

Date:	Saturday, June 20, 2009
Time:	11:00am - 3:00pm
Location:	Saturn of Raleigh
Street:	5501 Capital Blvd
City/Town:	Raleigh, NC

Phone:	919 604 0126
Email:	nylhtak@gmail.com

Saturn Listening to Students

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:26:00 +0000

Saturn Listening to Students’ Strategy for the Brand’s Future...

Undergraduate management students in the NC State College of Management's Policy and Strategy class taught by Ed Weems, lecturer, have been studying the Saturn brand case during this summer's first five-week session.

check out the whole article

letter to Saturn Customers from Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:48:00 +0000

"Saturn, from the beginning, has always been a brand to challenge convention. A belief that good enough isn’t good enough. And no matter how great the challenge, a knowledge that there is always a way to persevere. So, at a time when the automotive industry is challenged to find a better way, Saturn stands poised to accept that challenge. It is that enduring spirit that will guide us as we open this new chapter in the Saturn story."

read the whole thing here

GM warranty confusion cleared up at Consumer Reports

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:51:00 +0000

from CR:

"Under the terms of the warranty, the customer should first attempt to bring their vehicle to any Saturn retailer for warranty service. If there is no retailer in their immediate area, or if it is an emergency situation, the repair can be made at any General Motors dealership. In non-emergency situations, it is a good idea for a customer who is having trouble finding a nearby Saturn retailer to call Saturn Customer Assistance before going to a non-Saturn location. That number is (800) 553-6000."

This is great, but not everyone is playing along, so:

In the meantime, we recommend car owners call ahead and confirm with a service manager that warranty work will be performed. If one dealer refuses, call another.

Makes sense.

For the record: We've never stopped doing warranty work for Saturn owners.

Everything you need to know about...

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:49:00 +0000

from Tuned.com

Let’s face it. Pretty much everything happening within GM is big news these days. But when legendary racecar driver and business mogul Roger Penske says he wants buy Saturn from the bankrupt automaker — that’s a top of the fold, front-page story.

Sweet.

Triangle Saturn TV Spot

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:25:00 +0000

if this player doesn't work - try clicking here or look for it on Facebook

Great Penske Interview from WJR

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:32:00 +0000

Right-click here to download or click here to listen to the mp3.

Saturn VUE makes Top 10 Least Expensive to Insure list

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:23:00 +0000

"...the Saturn Vue is a relatively compact cute 'ute with little aspirations of actually venturing off the beaten path. It's a pretty good car by our reckoning, and we'd be more than happy to shell out the $911 average yearly insurance premium..."

from Autoblog.com

Will Saturn/Penske become the new template for auto retailing?

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:42:00 +0000

“The announcement that Penske Automotive Group will buy General Motors’ Saturn brand is one of the most significant developments in a month that has been full of significant developments. The proposed acquisition marks the beginning of a new business model in this industry; a model in which the distribution side of the business controls the brand and manufacturing is conducted by one or more sub-contractors.”

- Jack Nerad, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book and kbb.com speaking to Dealersedge.com

Roger Penske: 'We're going to build a Saturn team' - USATODAY.com

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:40:00 +0000

We start with a tremendous foundation of product, of people and, more important, we have 3.5 million consumers that are driving Saturn vehicles today. If you came in from the outside as a manufacturer from anywhere in the world, you wouldn't have that base.

Some background on Roger Penske...

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:39:00 +0000

added to the MSNBC story from Friday.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31131864/

Penske and Jill Lajdziak on cnbc

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 19:07:00 +0000

Bigger player at MSNBC

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

“It allows Saturn to get back to its original roots, which is to be an independent car company,”

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 19:00:00 +0000

from msnbc

Carl F. Galeana, who owns two Saturn dealerships north of Detroit, said Friday he was thrilled that Penske would be the Saturn buyer.
“Roger Penske is an icon in the business world,” Galeana said. “I’ve worked with him personally. Nobody works harder than Roger Penske.”
Galeana said the fact that Penske is interested in Saturn means the brand has value.
“It allows Saturn to get back to its original roots, which is to be an independent car company,” he said.

Saturn and Penske: Two Iconic Teams Poised to Make History Again

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:31:00 +0000

from SaturnCares

“There has been a groundswell of support for Saturn, with our retailers and owners urging us to save the brand,” said Lajdziak. “We heard their call loud and clear, and it inspired us as we worked to secure Saturn’s future.”

More details on Penske Saturn Purchase...

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:39:00 +0000

from Dealers Edge:

Penske's Deal To Buy Saturn Confirmed
Saturn dealers exhale then celebrate

In what has to be very good news for about 350 of the remaining Saturn dealerships, the man with the Midas touch has signed a memorandum of understanding with GM; agreeing to acquire the Saturn brand, the right to distribute vehicles to the Saturn dealer network and their inventory of parts. A third-quarter closing is expected; the selling price has not yet been disclosed.

The Penske Automotive Group already has a network of franchised auto dealerships totaling 310 locations around the world, according to a report in The New York Times. In addition the Penske Group is the sole distributor for Smart cars in the U.S. In a statement from Penske, there is no plan to distribute Smart cars from the Saturn locations. Penske also controls Detroit Diesel along with several IndyCar, NASCAR and Grand-Am racing teams.

According to an Associated Press report, while talking to reporters, Penske indicated that he expects to offer new franchise agreements to the existing Saturn dealers.

For the next two years, the new Saturn will have access to GM-built vehicles. According to a Penske quote, he said, "We will be selling as many GM cars -- a many GM-produced cars -- under the Saturn brand as possible."

He also indicated that they are in talks with vehicle manufacturers from around the world about building new Saturn models in the future. One such proposed deal would have Saturn models being build by Renault's Samsung manufacturing unit in Korea.

According to a statement released by Penske, "We have agreed upon a framework that we believe will build momentum for the Saturn brand. Saturn has a passionate customer base and outstanding dealer network. For nearly 20 years Saturn has focused on treating the customer right. We share that philosophy, and we want to build on those strengths."

So while GM will be shedding a brand and some 350 dealers, as decreed by the Treasury Department, albeit indirectly, at least this group not only gets to keep their franchises, but get to do business with Roger Penske who had demonstrated repeatedly that he knows how to win. A good deal for existing Saturn dealers.

Penske to buy Saturn

noreply@blogger.com (DriveSaturn) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:03:00 +0000

Many links to good news:

GM, Penske reach tentative agreement for Saturn brand Detroit Free Press

GM to sell Saturn to Penske CNNMoney.com

Penske Auto to Buy Saturn Brand as GM Shrinks in Bankruptcy Bloomberg

GM: Saturn-Penske Deal Saves 350 Dealerships, 13000 Jobs Wall Street Journal

General Motors to Sell Saturn Line to Penske Washington Post