The Conservative Cave
Current Events => Breaking News => Topic started by: Gratiot on September 30, 2009, 06:43:43 PM
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Penske calls off Saturn deal with GM
Detroit tycoon Roger Penske has terminated a deal with General Motors Co. for the Saturn brand after Penske's prospective provider of new vehicles pulled out.
The deal broke down after the Renault-Nissan Alliance decided Wednesday not to proceed with a deal to supply Penske with future vehicles for Saturn dealers, according to a source familiar with the discussions.
The deal's unraveling dooms about 340 dealers and the Saturn brand, which appeared to have been rescued this summer when Penske announced he had reached a memorandum of understanding with GM.
DetNews.com (http://www.detnews.com/article/20090930/AUTO01/909300417/Penske-calls-off-Saturn-deal-with-GM)
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Just Damn. I bought my 2nd Saturn 2 weeks ago, an Astra. Man, I am glad I got it when I did. All the peeps in the dealership were so stoked about Penske. They have got to be so crushed. IMHO, GM killed em. So sad indeed.
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I don't get this. I have never owned a Saturn, but I thought they made affordable cars with good gas mileage. Isn't that what GM was told to do after the government takeover?
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No, you do NOT make decent cars with good gas mileage if NON-UNION workers make them, dammit! /Obummer mode
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Man, that sucks. I love Saturn. Guess I'll stick with the German or Japanese cars now.
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I have owned a Saturn...great car...also received a letter with real signatures from the people that built it and a birthday card every year...how cool is that? No union..that's what its all about.
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I have owned a Saturn...great car...also received a letter with real signatures from the people that built it and a birthday card every year...how cool is that? No union..that's what its all about.
Saturn did start out as non-union, but that lasted only a few years, IIRC, then the UAW forced them to unionize.
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It is a crying shame. A danged crying shame. The people at the dealership I work with were so thrilled about Penske. They never did like GM, and thought that GM was running them into the ground. I just retired a 10 year old car, that had almost 200K on it, and it STILL got 24 mpg. I am saving it as a back up, though. Their marketing STUNK.
I know those people have to be crushed. Maybe I will bring them some cookies...
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This shutdown will decimate that area. Spring Hill is Saturn. There is nothing there to replace all the jobs lost with the shutdown, and with those jobs gone...the rest of the community will be in dire straits....
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Saturn dealers had good service and they did not pressure customers into buying a car, which is typical of many car dealers.
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Saturn dealers had good service and they did not pressure customers into buying a car, which is typical of many car dealers.
IIRC, they had a "no dicker" policy. The price is the price.
I'm not sure I like that, but it does make things easier for those who don't want to do any research.
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IIRC, they had a "no dicker" policy. The price is the price.
I'm not sure I like that, but it does make things easier for those who don't want to do any research.
That would be me, and I liked the price is the price. Now, I did research as far as what car I wanted, and compared the prices, but didn't have to mess with haggling, which I loathe.
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If anyone could have pulled this off, it was Roger Penske....
He rescued Detroit Diesel from GM several years ago, when it looked like GM was just going to let it "wither on the vine".
GM, whether it's their management group or their design and engineering departments, can't
seem to get their heads out of their asses long enough to allow oxygen back into their brains. :hammer:
You'd almost think the company was run by DUmmies....
(Oh, wait. IT IS!)
Thank GOD I own a Ford....
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Saturn did start out as non-union, but that lasted only a few years, IIRC, then the UAW forced them to unionize.
GM and the UAW had a joint study group that developed the Saturn concept in the early eighties.
Saturn was 100% UAW from Day One, but Spring Hill had a separate contract that was more flexible, and protected
them from layoff. A few years ago, they were folded into the GM master contract.
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Will the sale of Hummer to the Chi Coms fall apart as well?
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GM and the UAW had a joint study group that developed the Saturn concept in the early eighties.
Saturn was 100% UAW from Day One, but Spring Hill had a separate contract that was more flexible, and protected
them from layoff. A few years ago, they were folded into the GM master contract.
You're right. They were UAW from day one, but as you said their contract was much different. It was more mutually beneficial for the company and the workers, whereas the typical UAW contracts are more union friendly.
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The Chinese or someone else may buy Saturn. I don't think the brand will die. This is just my gut feeling.
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The Chinese or someone else may buy Saturn. I don't think the brand will die. This is just my gut feeling.
The Chinese love them some Buicks. I think that may be where that brand is headed.