What Happened to Saturn Cars?
The once-promising Saturn fell victim to mismanagement and bad decisions. In 2009 the company closed its doors.
Written by Preston Charles
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Saturn
cars had an odd cult following that orbited around sensibility, reliable cars, good customer service, and something called polymer panels aka dent-resistant side panels. They were so fervent in their love for the car that they had a weekend-long homecoming at its factory in Spring Hill, Tennessee in 1994 and 1999. But like a brilliant supernova, it exploded and shuttered
much too soon. It was a narrative that GM, unfortunately, knew well during the time; poor management decisions that seemed driven more by fear than a clear mind. But before we get to its untimely ending, let's bask in its glory days.
The beginning of Saturn
In the early ‘80s, GM was beginning to feel the heat from the affordable, reliable small cars out of Japan (hello, Honda and Toyota). Rather than try and churn out another ill-fated small car with the “GM” emblem on it, they boldly started a whole new subsidiary.
It started incredibly democratic, what Jeff Nelson, writer for
CurbsideClassic
, called “Corporate Camelot.” Line workers and shop foremans worked hand in hand with engineers and management to most feasibly construct the new Saturns. When the first SL-1 and SC-1s finally debuted in 1990, they were a quick hit, holding their own in the class of highly functional small cars that the Japanese first engineered. Awards were garnered for these quasi space-age-looking small cars as the brand found its way into the cultural zeitgeist.
Trouble on the horizon
All good things must come to an end, some more quickly than others. A lot has been said about the downhill turning point of Saturn but it seems to be a story of hubris and bad calls from the higher-ups.
The early golden ticket to Saturn's success was that they were a collaborative, almost homespun company that knew who they were. In the early days, their growth was indeed great, but it was also organic.
However, the corporate powers that be back in Detriot thought it would be a good idea to turn Saturn into a mansion when the thing that made it successful was that it was the perfect young married apartment. GM began to sink heaps of money into it rather than letting it grow on its own time.
The end of the line for Saturn
In sinking millions into the otherwise humble little arm of GM, they tried to expand to midsize cars, a minivan, and then SUVs. They were inevitably more expensive and failed to connect with the Saturn faithful who resonated with the functional simplicity of the early models.
It was the automobile version of your favorite small band catching the eye of the big record exec and then being forced to sing songs that weren’t authentic to them.
In the early 2000s, the company was on life support and essentially became a dumping ground for GM. By 2009, the party was over and the once teeming plant in Spring Hill was seriously downsized and retooled for other GM cars. Saturn eventually shuttered completely
Insuring your Saturn
If you’re one of the lucky ones who still has a well-kept, early Saturn model, you’re going to want to make sure that you have good coverage for that vintage ride. Super app,
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