I've heard it mentioned as an option in some news articles, and heard it mentioned as a thought on here. So I'm curious... how would GM sell Saturn?

-What is included and not included in the sale?

-Who would buy?

-Why might this be the best option (if you think it is)?

Yeah, that's what I thought.

Edited February 16, 200916 yr by PurdueGuy

Likely the new owner would not buy any plants since the plants that make Saturns also make far more of other GM brand products. So they would be buying the rights to the name/logo and the distribution channel. But why would any automaker want it in a severely down market that may last years? The return on investment is just not there. Even if GM gave Saturn away there would be still fixed administration costs.

GM's long-running incompetence and this sorry economy have teamed up together to make lots of losers. One of those losers, apparently, will be Saturn.

Yup, that's pretty much my thought - the only thing GM can really do with Saturn is flat-out kill it. The ONLY way I could see selling it making any sense is to sell it to some Chinese or Indian company that has no brand recognition or dealer network, and would rather build off of something existing than make their own. There's pretty much no way to sell Saturn with any product or manufacturing capability, so it's just a name & dealer network. Even then, it's such a thorny issue that it probably just wouldn't work.

Yet in spite of all of this, people on here & in the media say things about selling Saturn. But perhaps expecting opinions that are based in reality is expecting too much...

You could sell the brand, dealers & a factory (there's plenty of unused/underused plants who's capacity isn't coming back).

To me, this actually makes MORE sense to a Chinese or Indian company (or Fiat, Citroen or other Euros w/no distribution here, BTW). Great dealers, good geographic coverage and a need to get out of the GM family dysfunction.

Unfortunately, they'll probably throw their hands up and close it down---another GM disaster in the making.

You could sell the brand, dealers & a factory (there's plenty of unused/underused plants who's capacity isn't coming back).

To me, this actually makes MORE sense to a Chinese or Indian company (or Fiat, Citroen or other Euros w/no distribution here, BTW). Great dealers, good geographic coverage and a need to get out of the GM family dysfunction.

Unfortunately, they'll probably throw their hands up and close it down---another GM disaster in the making.

They may be forced to close it for a lack of buyers. It's a buyer's market now, but (almost funny/ironic) almost no potential buyer has the financial muscle to raise acquisition finance...

Well, if it was pared back to the Astra and Vue and still built only in Spring Hill, they might have a chance to sell it to someone. But then, if that happened, the division might just survive, and we can't have that. Back to their roots would bring buyers back, but it isn't going to happen unfortunately...

They may be forced to close it for a lack of buyers. It's a buyer's market now, but (almost funny/ironic) almost no potential buyer has the financial muscle to raise acquisition finance...

An assumption of debt would be sufficient. I don't believe a dollar would have to be raised to take it from GM---thousands of employees and the savings of $billions by not having to face 400+ franchisee lawsuits would be payment enough, you'd think. Slap some new signage above the doors and, viola, no more Saturn for GM--a good deal for all around.

Well, if it was pared back to the Astra and Vue and still built only in Spring Hill, they might have a chance to sell it to someone. But then, if that happened, the division might just survive, and we can't have that. Back to their roots would bring buyers back, but it isn't going to happen unfortunately...

But that's not doable anyway, since spring hill is making the Traverse, and not making the Vue or Astra. GM certainly isn't going to invest in several major retooling projects to try to include product with the brand. Especially when they likely intend to give the product to another division (Astra). I could possibly see GM choosing a closed or highly underutilized plant to include in the sale, but I don't think there is any way they will include product with the brand unless GM still does the building of the car & owns the design, and it becomes a deal like some of the GM products that have been sold through Suzuki, etc.