Crédit photo: courtoisie

SATURN

Saturn was a brand of cars that was owned and operated by General Motors until the subsidiary’s dissolution in 2010. The brand was recognizable for its distinctive silver and red logo and unique typeface, and primarily focused on the production of small to mid-size sedans for urban drivers.

The Saturn brand was formally created in 1985 and began manufacturing cars for market in 1990, starting with the SC and SL models. Saturn vehicles were marketed in a way that was meant to undermine the traditional approach used by all major auto manufacturers; the Saturn tagline of “a different kind of car company” was meant to elevate the brand into a rarified status. General Motors took pains to allow the brand to develop independently, providing Saturn with a dedicated manufacturing facility and a separate network of retailers apart from GM’s traditional retail operations.

Authorized Saturn retailers were provided with stock of an early electric car, the EV1, which was marketed under the GM brand. By the late 1990s, sales of Saturn vehicles were robust enough that the company embarked on the design and production of its new L-Series models, featuring more luxurious styling. In 2002, the first Saturn-branded sport utility vehicle, the Vue, was released. Minivan and roadster-styled Saturn models hit the market in the mid-2000s, however as General Motors struggled financially during and after the financial crisis of 2008, the decision was made at GM to refocus operations on Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac and Buick brands, and to disengage from promoting the other brands that GM had acquired over time.

After General Motors shuttered Saturn dealerships, the Penske Corporation expressed interest in purchasing the Saturn brand, however the planned sale fell through in 2009 and production of new Saturn vehicles also ceased that year. Saturn vehicles are now serviced at GM dealerships and at special authorized service providers. Several recent models of Chevrolet cars have been based on Saturn designs, as GM uses its preferred brand platforms to continue selling previously Saturn-branded products.