It's semi-official: Penske to buy Saturn

[rfernatt]

Hopefully, Saturn dealers will be able to provide smart service...

GM to sell Saturn to Penske - Jun. 5, 2009

[parnami]

If true, this could be ideal! With their spaceframes and plastic body panels on their original models, I've always thought SMART is the car they should have built!!!

[Smart Enuf]

I wonder if the combined company will be called smarturn or Satart.

[sato7]

well we might get to be treated better at their service dept, unlike the MB attitude that we are 2nd class to the MB cars....

[babybenz]

Originally Posted by sato7

well we might get to be treated better at their service dept, unlike the MB attitude that we are 2nd class to the MB cars....

Sato thats bc your not coming to the tampa dealer like alan BBB does!

[Smart Enuf]

More info from the Wall Street Journal (http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090605-706741.html):

GM and Penske have a memorandum of understanding signed, and the deal is considered tentative at this point. Penske declined to disclose the price tag of the Saturn deal. He said the sale is expected to preserve around 13,000 jobs. Penske already has an exclusive deal with Daimler AG (DAI) allowing him to distribute Smart mini cars in the U.S. He essentially serves as the U.S. sales and marketing arm of Smart, and works to provide a network of dealers with Smart cars. Penske said Friday he has no plans to join Saturn with Smart dealerships.

(emphasis added)

[cubefx]

The good news is we're getting the Renault Megane.

[doogster]

Does this mean I will be able to get my Smart serviced at my local Saturn dealer instead of driving 80 miles to my nearest Smart dealer?

[Smart Enuf]

Originally Posted by doogster

Does this mean I will be able to get my Smart serviced at my local Saturn dealer instead of driving 80 miles to my nearest Smart dealer?

See post#6, highlighted text.

[Old smart]

"He said the sale is expected to preserve around 13,000 jobs."

Kind of sounds like Saturns will continue as-is, at least for a while (including Skys).