Mitsubishi and Saturn? Seriously?
End of Days folks, when the president of the United States puts taxpayer billions behind a “merger of equals” between Chrysler and Fiat. The latest weirdness: The Detroit News reports that “Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp. is in talks to supply vehicles to Saturn dealers if the brand and dealer network is sold this year.” Would that be the same Mitsubishi who’s ass has been repeatedly kicked by the U.S. market, to the point where most industry analysts figured it would give up and go home? The same company that built a thousand cars in the USA so far this year? The one that sold 55 percent fewer cars last month than the same month last year (3919 vs. 8878)? The same. Or not. “A Mitsubishi spokesman said he was unaware of the company’s interest in providing vehicles to Saturn’s dealer network.” Yes, well, never mind all that. There’s another player sniffing around, and that’s where the real action is . . .
The DetN mentions them in passing: “Mitsubishi is among several manufacturers, including Nissan Motor Co., talking to parties interested in acquiring Saturn’s dealer network from General Motors Corp., sources said.”
Mark my words, Nissan/Renault is in the hunt here, GM-wise. As we’ve pointed out before, Kirk “the Lion of Las Vegas” Kerkorian tried to shotgun GM and Renault before this recent “unpleasantness.” We hear that Captain Kirk’s main man York is once again highly active behind the scenes.
Besides, the country didn’t seem to mind when Chrysler was handed to the Italians, with a huge dowry no less. So why not GM? Why not indeed.
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Just think: Mitsubishi could resurrect the old 4G63T engine and stuff it into an Ion. The result: The Saturn V. It'll be like a rocket.
It is still difficult to believe any foreign car company wants any U.S. car dealers. One, of many, reasons why GM and Chrysler failed is because they couldn't shed dealers. Each dealer wanted an SUV, pick up, sports car, CUV, little car, and their regular sedans. A Cadillac pick up - give me a break. The manufactures gave in to their dealers and created a mess. Because of individual state franchise laws the manufactures couldn't say NO to stupid short sighted dealers destroying brand identities or get rid of dealers. Incidentally the book, "How the Mighty Fail" by Collins is a great read.
Akear: Best summation I have read of Saturn & Saturnfans: clear, objective and true. And I have 2 Saturns in my driveway. The Saturn mystique and the enthusiasm ginned up by the the marketing department to create a brand was brilliant.Apparently the sales process @ Saturn was studied in business schools.People believedd that if they bought a car from Saturn, they were sort of buying a stake in a new pioneering comapny, that they were full partners in the process of the manufacture and sale of Saturns. Absolute genius. The home "team". Nullomodo: in LA Mitsubishi has been running "Fantastic Four" ads touting their products that use their 4 cyl [I think it's the World engine co developed with DCX and Hyundai]and it's "up to 30 mpg highway mileage". At any rate: I would but a Mitsubishi Lancer or Galant before I bought anything from Saturn. And at a $S26,000 Fed subsidy for every car GM builds, I would buy a Kia Rio rather than stick my neighbors,friends and neighbors with the bill so I can have the privilege of owning a GM car. Fug em. It's over.
Mitsubishi may even have superior cars to Saturn’s, but they are not Saturn’s and thus will fail. When Saturn started to rebadge other GM cars the soul was ripped out of the company. I know harping on plastic panels is silly, but it really made a difference to Saturnfans. Unless Saturn starts to produce cars in Springhill again the cult will disappear with the division. Saturn was a community experience that started in Springhill. Rebadging Mitsubishi's will just be seen as a cynical attempt to keep the division going. It won't work. Besides the higher ups at Mitsubishi know nothing of this deal. This maybe nothing more than a wild ass rumor. Saturn is done and it is time to move on.