SATURN

9 entries

American General Motors brand founded in 1985 to take on Japanese imports, which ended production in 2009.

Founded: 7 January 1985, as a General Motors subsidiary
Plant: Spring Hill, Tennessee
Known for: No-haggle sales and dent-resistant polymer panels
Production ended: October 2009

The Saturn Corporation was established on 7 January 1985 as a subsidiary of General Motors, an attempt to compete directly with Japanese imports in the compact car market. Its first cars launched in 1990, five years after the company was founded.

Saturn operated quasi-independently, with its own dealer network, pricing structure and a plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee, and was known for its no-haggle sales technique. After a failed attempt by Penske Automotive to buy it, production ended in October 2009 and operations ceased in 2010.

1985Saturn Corporation founded
1990First Saturn cars built
1994Highest annual sales
2009Production ends
2010Operations cease

SATURN Saturn S-Series: the compact car that launched a new brand
SATURN Saturn L-Series: the mid-size Saturn sedan and wagon
SATURN Saturn Sky: the roadster Saturn built from the Kappa platform
SATURN Saturn Relay: Saturn’s only minivan
SATURN Saturn Vue: the best-selling Saturn
SATURN Saturn Outlook: Saturn’s eight-seat crossover
SATURN Saturn Ion: the compact that replaced the S-Series
SATURN Saturn Aura: Saturn’s last mid-size sedan
SATURN Saturn Astra: the European hatchback that ended the Ion