Saturn Corporation 161812 226064863 2008-07-16T17:50:56Z WikiDreamer Bot 7221255 robot Modifying: [[zh:土星汽车]] {{For|the cars collectively known as Saturns|Saturn S-Series}} {{Infobox Company |company_name = Saturn |company_slogan = Rethink. |company_logo = [[Image:logo saturn.jpg|130px|Saturn Logo]] |company_type = [[Division (business)|Division]] of GM |foundation = [[January 7]], [[1985]] |location_city = {{flagicon|Michigan}} [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]], [[United States|USA]] |location_country = United States |key_people = |area_served = |products = [[Automobiles]] |parent = [[General Motors]] |homepage = [http://www.saturn.com www.saturn.com] |footnotes = }} '''Saturn''' is a division of the [[General Motors Corporation]] and a brand of [[automobile]]s. It was established on [[January 7]], [[1985]]. As a wholly-owned [[subsidiary]] of GM, and it manufactures automobiles in the [[United States]]. GM began manufacturing Saturn cars in 1990, largely in response to the success of Japanese & German small-car imports in the [[United States]], such as the Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen.[http://auto.howstuffworks.com/saturn-cars.htm] Starting in the 21st century, Saturn is becoming the US brand for [[Opel]] vehicles, similar to [[Vauxhall Motors]] in the [[Great Britain|UK]]. == History == Saturn was named after the [[Saturn (rocket family)|Saturn rocket]] that took American [[astronaut]]s to the moon in the 1960s and 70s, and not after the planet Saturn, even though a logo with an image of the planet is used. <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.welovesaturns.com/history.html |title=The History of Saturn Cars |date=2007-05-17 |format=HTML |publisher=We Love Saturns |language=English}}</ref>. Similarly, the [[Ford Mustang]] car was named for the noted [[P-51 Mustang]] fighter plane, but it used the symbol of a [[Mustang (horse)|wild American horse]] as its logo. Saturn's motto was initially "A different kind of company, a different kind of car," [http://www.ahundredmonkeys.com/random_marketing/content_09_marketing-strategy.htm] but it has changed that several times throughout its history. Drawing from experiences gained through its [[NUMMI]] and [[CAMI Automotive]] joint ventures with foreign manufacturers, GM organized the Saturn Corporation differently from their existing divisions, attempting to emulate the Japanese management techniques, which emphasize [[quality control]] and high product reliability. At Saturn, union workers would have more control<ref>{{cite web|url=http://auto.howstuffworks.com/saturn-cars.htm|title=Howstuffworks: How Saturn Cars Work}}</ref> and involvement in the plant. The Saturn Corporation also created its own distribution network from scratch, which was both independent and different from those used by older GM divisions. There was much emphasis put on the quality of customer service, with insights drawn from travel and hospitality as well as consumer retail industries, rather than traditional automotive sales.{{Fact|date=May 2007}} The uniqueness of Saturn's distribution network was emphasized by referring to what would usually be called "dealers" as "retailers", and conversely "retail facilities" in lieu of "dealerships". Such "retail facilities" served non-competing "market areas". They are noted for their no-haggle pricing, where the cars are sold at their exact sticker price, their no-pressure sales environments, and professional sales staff.<ref>[http://auto.howstuffworks.com/saturn-cars3.htm Howstuffworks "Saturn Emphasizes Customer Service"<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The Saturn Corporation strove to build a community spirit among their customers by hosting annual "homecoming" events at its former [[Spring Hill, Tennessee]] manufacturing plant, as well as day-to-day special events in retail settings. <!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Saturn logo.png|right|100px|thumb|Earlier logo of Saturn]] --> Saturn values were initially communicated through image advertising created by the [[Hal Riney]] [[advertising agency]]. The Saturn Corporation began in December 1982 with a group of 99 people from various areas of the automotive industry. Everyone from production and assembly, design and prototyping, sales and finance, as well as the corporate "white collar" positions, were represented in this group called "the 99." Originally, there were 100, but one dropped out, thus it become "the 99." In 1993, Saturn announced its first profitable quarter, and later, its first profitable year.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE2DC103EF931A25755C0A965958260 | title = Company News; Saturn reports it made its first profit in May | publisher = New York Times | date = 1993-06-12 | accessdate=2007-08-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://media.gm.com/us/saturn/en/company/history.html | title = Important dates in Saturn history | publisher=GM Media Online | accessdate=2007-08-22}}</ref> However, there is no evidence that GM has ever recouped its large investment in the company.<ref>[http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Columns/articleId=116831 Saturn is ready to turn a profit<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://auto.howstuffworks.com/saturn-cars5.htm Howstuffworks "Saturn Car Company's Early Success"<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In any case, the company struggled so much that, in the new millennium, it was decided to integrate the company into the GM infrastructure in [[2003]], with [[Bob Lutz]] aiming to bring the brand closer to its GM European franchise, [[Opel]]. Saturn's headquarters, retail employee training facility and [[Spring Hill Manufacturing|primary manufacturing facility]] were originally located in [[Spring Hill, Tennessee|Spring Hill]], [[Tennessee]]. This location was chosen in 1985, after a highly publicized nationwide search for a site. The Spring Hill manufacturing of Saturns was ceased after the end of production of the Saturn Ion (2003-2007) and first generation of the Saturn VUE (2002-2007) at the end of March 2007. Saturn VUE production was moved to Mexico for the 2008 Model Year, where the 2nd Generation Saturn VUE is now being built. The plant has been retooled, and it is scheduled to assemble the 2009 [[Chevrolet Traverse]]. Saturn was originally established as a fully-owned, but independently administered subsidiary of [[General Motors]], with the GM executive [[Bill Hoglund]] at its helm. In 2006 Saturn became a Division of GM. It was hoped that lessons learned from Saturn would trickle down to the rest of [[General Motors]] - to make it more competitive against foreign automakers and to improve labor relations.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1153/is_8_125/ai_95263070 Lessons in co-management - Learning from Saturn: Possibilities for Corporate Governance and Employee Relations - Book Review | Monthly Labor Review | Find Articles at BNET.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> During the 2000s, Saturn has been gradually losing its autonomy. New models, for example, do not utilize polymer side panels, and they are derivatives of other GM models. Production has since been moved to other GM plants, such as in Delaware. Production of Saturn vehicles at the Tennessee facility ceased on March 30, 2007.<ref>[http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2007/03/26/daily27.html?f=et69&hbx=e_du Saturn goes idle in Spring Hill with last Vue - Nashville Business Journal:<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Initially, the Saturn Corporation was headed by a president who consulted with a Union local counterpart and reported to the GM Board of Directors. As the role of Saturn changed within General Motors, the chief executive role was shifted to be a Vice President of Sales, Service and Marketing. Since 2005, [[Jill Lajdziak]], previously a VP of Sales, Service and Marketing, has been the General Manager of Saturn, who reports to the Vice President of the GM Small Car Group. Saturn is known for its company-wide "no-haggle" sales philosophy. Saturn dealers (called "retailers" by the company) are encouraged to sell vehicles at [[Suggested retail price|listed MSRP price]]. Customer satisfaction with dealer service is among the highest of any car brand in the US.<ref>[http://www.saturnfans.com/Company/2002/jdp2002csi.shtml Saturn Ranked #1 In Customer Satisfaction Survey<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The company also won praise for its environmentally conscious manufacturing processes and for its innovations such as using flexible plastic side panels on its cars to avoid minor dents.<ref>http://www.ndu.edu/library/ic6/93F03A.pdf</ref> However, in 2005, the [[Saturn Relay]] became the first Saturn vehicle without polymer side paneling. The [[Saturn Relay]] was built in the Doraville, Georgia production facility, which also manufactured [[Chevrolet Venture]] and [[Chevrolet Uplander]] [[minivan]]s. The lack of polymer side paneling in Saturn Relay production has carried over to all new vehicles produced from the 2008 model year forward. According to a July 7, 2008 [[ABC News]] report, GM is considering selling or shutting down the Saturn brand as a way to get out of its current financial difficulties.<ref> {{cite web |url=http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8703703&ch=4226720&src=news|title=ABC News on Yahoo!|accessdate=2008-07-07|}}</ref> == Slogans == {{Unreferencedsection|date=July 2008}} * [[1985]] ** "What Kind Of Car Is That? It's A Saturn!" * [[1989]]-1994: ** "A Different Kind of Car Company" (US) ** "We've reinvented the automobile." (Canada) * [[1994]]-2002: "A Different Kind of Company, A Different Kind of Car." * [[2002]]-2004: "It's Different in a Saturn" * [[2004]]-2006: "People First" * [[2006]]-2007: "Like Always. Like Never Before." * [[2007]]-present: ** Formerly "Rethink American.", later "Rethink." (US) ** "Like Always. Like Never Before.", later "Rethink." (Canada) ** "Passion for the Road." (Spanish-speaking US slogan) ==Products== The company's products used a dedicated platform called the [[GM Z platform|Z-body]] and a dedicated engine, the 1.9&nbsp;L [[Saturn I4 engine]], and a dedicated plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee. All of the [[Saturn S-Series|original Saturns]] featured dent-resistant plastic body panels which were also touted as allowing the company to change the look of the vehicles readily. However, in practice, the company did not take advantage of this capability often. Saturn S-Series cars were produced from 1991-2002. There were 3 Generations of S-Series Cars. First Generation S-Series cars were produced from 1991-1994. For the 1995 Model year, Saturn implemented a "First Generation" exterior, and "Second Generation" interior. The exterior of the 1995 model year looked the same as the first generation cars, but exhibited larger gauge faces on the instrument cluster, and a redesigned middle console. First Generation engines were rated at 85 Horsepower for the Single Overhead Cam Engines, while the Dual Overhead Cam Engines were rated at 124 Horsepower for the entire run of S-Series cars (1991-2002). In 1996, the Second Generation S-Series Sedan was introduced and remained virtually unchanged for the rest of the vehicle's production run. In 1997, the Third Generation of the Sport Coupe model was introduced with a more "Scooped" headlight front. The S-Series was produced in three trim levels: Coupe, Sedan, and Wagon. The Wagon was introduced for the 1993 Model year and was produced until 2002. The first real change came with the [[2000]] [[Saturn L-Series]] [[mid-size car]]. It shared the [[GM2900 platform]] with the [[Opel Vectra]], along with its engine, and was built at a GM factory in [[Wilmington, Delaware]]. The [[Saturn Sky]] is now being produced in the Wilmington factory along with the essentially identical [[Opel GT]] and the closely-related [[Pontiac Solstice]]. Today, the company shares GM's [[GM Delta platform|Delta]], [[GM Epsilon platform|Epsilon]], [[GM Lambda platform|Lambda]] and [[GM Theta platform|Theta]] [[automobile platform]]s, along with the company's [[GM Ecotec engine|Ecotec]] - including the new [[GM Family II engine#LE5|2.4L LE5 I4]], [[GM Family II engine#LNF|Turbo 2.0L LNF I4]], and [[GM Family 1 engine#DCVCP|DCVCP 1.8L I4]] - with the V6's being the [[GM High Feature engine#LY7|High Feature LY7 3.6L V6]] and [[GM High Value engine#LZ4|High Value LZ4 3.5L V6]] engines. Saturn cars are built at GM plants throughout the world. The [[Saturn Vue]] used a [[Honda]] engine in the past, and the plastic body panels have been discontinued on most current vehicles. In past years, Saturn sales have been declining, and the Ion production lines were halted for two weeks in 2003 to allow dealer inventory to reduce. The L-Series was canceled after production of the 2005 models, and the Ion was canceled after 2007. The current Saturn models are as follows: [[Saturn Sky|Sky]] roadster, [[Saturn Aura|Aura]] sedan, [[Saturn Astra|Astra]] hatchback, [[Saturn Vue|Vue]] small [[crossover SUV]] and [[Saturn Outlook|Outlook]] large [[crossover SUV]] built off of the [[GM Lambda platform]] (replacing the [[Saturn Relay|Relay]] [[minivan]]). GM decided that Saturn and [[Opel]] shares numerous models that differ only slightly. For example, the 2008 [[Saturn Vue]] is almost the same as the [[Opel Antara]], the [[Opel GT]] is a copy of the [[Saturn Sky]], while the [[Opel Astra]] has already brought over as the [[Saturn Astra]] to replace the current [[Saturn Ion|Ion]] as the entry-level car, and the [[Saturn Aura]] is similar to the [[Opel Vectra]]. The [[Saturn Astra]] is built in Antwerp, Belgium and imported to the United States as a Saturn. The company offers two sub-lines of vehicles: "Red Line" Saturns are performance-oriented, while "Green Line" cars will be more environmentally friendly. The Vue and Ion Red Line models, launched in [[2004]], have been joined by Vue and AURA Green Lines for the 2007 model year and a Sky Red Line the same model year. Saturn's Green Line vehicles utilize [[mild hybrid]] technology. == References == {{reflist}} == External links == * [http://www.saturn.com/ Saturn official website] * [http://www.saturncanada.com/ Saturn official Canadian website] * [http://www.saturnfans.com/Cars/s-seriesmodelchanges.shtml Detailed year-to-year model changes] * {{dmoz|Recreation/Autos/Makes_and_Models/Saturn/}} {{commonscat|Saturn vehicles|Saturn}} {{General Motors brands}} [[Category:General Motors]] [[Category:Motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States]] [[Category:Companies based in Tennessee]] [[Category:Maury County, Tennessee]] [[Category:Companies based in Detroit, Michigan]] [[Category:General Motors marques]] [[ca:Saturn (automòbil)]] [[de:Saturn (Auto)]] [[es:Saturn Corporation]] [[fa:ساترن]] [[fr:Saturn (automobile)]] [[hr:Saturn (automobil)]] [[lt:Saturn]] [[hu:Saturn (autómárka)]] [[nl:Saturn (automerk)]] [[ja:サターン (自動車)]] [[no:Saturn (bil)]] [[pl:Saturn (samochód)]] [[pt:Saturn (automóvel)]] [[simple:Saturn automobile]] [[sl:Saturn Corporation]] [[fi:Saturn (automerkki)]] [[sv:Saturn (bil)]] [[tr:Saturn (otomobil)]] [[zh:土星汽车]]