As everyone interested in cars is aware by now, Saturn has vanished from the auto-universe. Roger Penske had hoped to keep the marque alive but even the king of racing and rental trucks was unable to find a supplier willing to provide product suitable for re-branding. Perhaps it's just as well. When Saturn was born it was totally original; the company, the dealers, the car, the marketing philosophy, an American-designed compact car that could compete with the best in class from Europe and Japan. But was Saturn as good as it could have been or did GM executive committees cut it off at the knees? When Saturn was still in the development stage I had a peek, quite by accident, at the original prototype. While writing/producing a video about the then-new GM10s (Grand Prix, Regal, Cutlass) I was, with my crew, inside a building designed for testing noise levels. Off to the side was a stunning compact 4-door that we weren't supposed to see and the public never did see.

Not that the "real" Saturn was unappealing in sedan and station wagon variations, the latter being especially attractive. And the offering of two engine performance levels was welcome to enthusiasts looking for more than just economy. But how do you top a winner? Saturn never did find the answer to that one as it tried to heap innovation onto innovation. A 3-door coupe with the third door on the traffic side rather than the sidewalk side? No thanks. The ugly Ion? Yech! Perhaps saddest of all was Saturn being forced to produce an SUV and a hybrid based on other GM platforms, a clear indication that the marque was losing its way, becoming an also-ran in niches where it never belonged. The final step for Saturn, the integration of Opel-designed cars from Europe, may have been a good one but it came too late and was never fully supported with marketing and advertising efforts. Saturn's Astra and Aura were fine automobiles but few potential buyers knew they existed. Better that the short-lived marque rest in peace than re-appear as a Chinese offspring.