[LadiesMan217]

Originally Posted by kdbolt70

I agree with everything you said, but I wanted to touch on this point a bit. As some of Camaro5 knows by now, my dad is an "exec" at GM, and has been there for a while (just got his 25 years of service gift!) We were talking about bankruptcy, and the death of some brands, and he said the biggest regret he has in his career at GM is how Saturn was handled. Saturn is different than other car companies, it is unique in so many ways, and if it was marketed correctly, it could have been thriving in this economy. But for a long time it was sort of GM's "black sheep", which translated into a poor opinion of quality and value in the eyes of the public. Since the other GM brands were prospering, why put effort into selling a "budget" brand? This is where he feels they really failed the employees and customers of Saturn. He tells me stories about the passion Saturn engineers had for their vehicles, and the level of customer service the dealers had that is unmatched today. I really think Saturn was poised to be the next great American brand, but instead it has to go the way of the dodo because of a little shortsightedness.

And of course, all the brands that are dying are tragic. But in all reality, while Hummer is a great vehicle and it does what they intended it to (he reminded me ALL Hummer models are required to have the ability to scale a 16" vertical wall, which they stuck to), it is simply not what will sell in this economy.

I am assured chapter 11 will be swift, and I hope GM can shed its debt and other things weighing it down. We know they have the product linup to be extremely successful (10 years ago would you have EVER heard of a lexus driver switching to a Chevy?), they just need to instill a little confidence in the market, and nail the marketing. Can it be done? Absolutely. And finally, I think GM has the key to their own destiny.

It shocked me to hear that Saturn is losing money they way it is. I agree, Saturn, for a long time was considered the "plastic throwaway car." (The rubbermaid-like commercials didn't help). Look at their lineup now. How can you argue with it? Great SUV, Awesome roadster...pretty nice ride in the Astra...the Aura HELLO! Very nice ride.

I'm still shaking my head over it.