Reports out of Detroit indicate that the Roger Penske, who leads Penske Automotive Group, expects the deal for his company to acquire Saturn from General Motors, could close late tomorrow with a formal announcement from the two parties expected on Thursday.
The Detroit Free Press reports that Saturn dealers have been asked to sign new franchise agreements for their stores with Penske and that the automaker’s general manager, Jill Lajdziak, has asked for an early retirement package from GM. It is unclear whether Lajdziak would join Penske.
The paper also quoted Michigan Saturn dealer Joe Serra as saying that, “It looks like they [Penske and GM] are probably on the two-yard line.”
It is likely that most dealerships would sign on to continue working with Penske. Though no official word has emerged from either party, early reports indicated that Penske would contract with GM to build the Aura, Vue and Outlook for at least two more years.
