General Motors’ Saturn brand may have already found a long-term partner to keep the marque alive, but it remains to be seen if the ailing automaker will be able to even hang on until the end of 2009. With so much uncertainty surrounding the brand, many shoppers are avoiding Saturn dealerships altogether, causing a large number of store closings.
According to Automotive News, Saturn had 420 dealerships as of January 1st, 2009. That number slipped to 405 by mid-February and now totals just 380. As many as six more stores could close by April 15th.
GM has committed to supplying Saturn vehicles through the 2012 model year, but will either spin off or close the division after that time. As such, those within Saturn are working at a fevered pace to keep the brand open for business.
“We’re in warp speed for this study phase,” Saturn spokesman Steve Janisse told Automotive News. “Once we make the announcement that this is the plan, we’ll continue to work at warp speed.”
Todd Ingersoll, a Saturn store owner, claims that Saturn has found a long-term partner, but GM has yet to confirm that report. However, Janisse says an announcement on the future of the Saturn brand is forthcoming, so we should learn more in the coming weeks.
