Saturn

brerpie · 12-09-03, 06:17

Yesterday someone informed me that Saturn was once owned by the japanese and then GM took over. Is this true? I couldn't find anything on google.

BW · 12-09-03, 06:24

I don't know, but I do know that their VUE is to get a 3.5L Honda V6 engine and 5-spd autobox. Why doesn't GM use their new 3.6 on more of their cars?

brerpie · 12-09-03, 06:29

I heard about that. That's pretty wild.

AnytownUSA · 12-09-03, 06:40

Staurn was started by some rogue employees who got a long lease and deep development account at GM. It was never in Japan. I interveiwed with them as I was getting out of college so the Saturn brass I talked to are a pretty reliable source. Also, thanks to our unions it is getting cheaper to buy foreign engines than build our own. Ford has been using Mazda engines in their small cars for over a decade and Dodge/Chrysler has been using mitsubishi (sp?) powerplants and trannys in various model since the middle 1990's.

ShadowMan · 12-09-03, 08:44

just read this today...
It describes the origins of Saturn briefly.

link to Motor Trend article

medic · 12-09-03, 01:22

Quote:

Originally posted by ejant
The Japaneese car that GM sells is the GEO manufactured by Toyota.

true, and maybe it's just mental, but anecdotally the geos didn't hold up over time the same way the corolla counterparts did.

Aurora40 · 12-09-03, 03:38

I think Saturn is the company that GM should have dropped... Oldsmobile was selling cars at a level Saturn dreams about when it got the ax. Also, Oldsmobile has (had) products that are actually compelling.

Medic, it must be mental. They were built on the same assembly lines. But then much of it is mental. I know people who had to get major powertrain components replaced on their imports (euro and japanese) who weren't concerned about it. If that had happened with a GM car, they'd chalk it up to GM being crap.