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Penske Pulls Out of Saturn Deal, GM to Kill the Brand

Penske Automotive Group, the "new owner" of Saturn as some media publications around the world named it, yesterday decided to pull out of negotiations. Unfortunately for those of you who hoped to see Saturn stepping towards a bright future, the brand will actually be discontinued, according to an official statement released by General Motors.

Curiously, several sources hinted that the deal was expected to be closed this week, which in other words means that Saturn was going to live and be revived under Penske's umbrella. However, the American group decided to stop negotiations "because of the inability to source new products beyond what it had asked GM to build on contract."

Here is the entire statement released by General Motors, along with some clarification on how the US-based carmaker intends to wind-down the brand:

Today we learned that Penske Automotive Group (PAG) has decided to terminate discussions with General Motors to acquire Saturn. This is very disappointing news and comes after months of hard work by hundreds of dedicated employees and Saturn retailers who tried to make the new Saturn a reality. PAG’s announcement explained that their decision was not based on interactions with GM or Saturn retailers; rather it was because of the inability to source new products beyond what it had asked GM to build on contract.

As a result of PAG’s decision, we will be winding down the Saturn brand and dealership network, in accordance with the wind-down agreements that Saturn dealers recently signed with GM. Pursuant to the terms of those agreements, the wind down process will be determined and communicated shortly.

Saturn customers and owners will continue to be able to purchase and have their vehicles serviced at Saturn retailers during this process. Once the wind down is complete, Saturn owners will still be able to have their vehicles serviced at other GM dealerships. We will be communicating with our customers very soon to explain the next steps in this process.

Today’s disappointing news comes at a time when we’d hoped for a successful launch of the Saturn brand into a new chapter. We will be working closely with our dealers to ensure Saturn customers are cared for as we transition them to other GM dealers in the months ahead. I’d also like to thank every GM employee and Saturn retailer who worked so hard to try to make this new beginning happen for Saturn.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
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Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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