Saturn Corporation was begun in 1985 by General Motors as a “New Kind of Car Company”. The first product arrived in 1990, the S-Series, and they were built and sold differently than those in the typical GM (or industry) mold. Sadly, the company became a victim of the Great Recession and folded in 2010 after a transfer in ownership failed to take place. The seller’s 1996 sedan is a one-owner car that has been well taken care of with 136,000 miles on the clock. Located in Reno, Nevada, this daily driver can be had for the Cheap Wheels price of $3,000, here on craigslist.
Saturns used plastic body panels instead of metal ones, so rust could only attack the undercarriage of these cars. Saturns were sold with no-haggle pricing, something consumers were unaccustomed to with a GM dealer. During the early years of the company, a special kind of culture developed between the employees and customers, which included annual rallies with hot dogs and soda pop. We owned two of the S-Series and two of the Vues (SUVs) over the years. They weren’t fancy, by any means, but were reliable and got the job done.
This little sedan has been a member of the seller’s family for 30 years. So, if it could talk, it would probably have some interesting stories to tell. Nothing over the top here with an inline-4 and a 5-speed manual transmission. But it should be good on gas, which would be important today if you need a third car. We’re told it runs and drives well and recently passed a smog test. The tires are new, as are the battery and the clutch. No other repairs are mentioned, done, or needed.
In nearly 20 years, about two million Saturns left the factory in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Yet, you don’t see many of these on the road or in the Walmart parking lot today. This is not a car to buy if you’re interested in impressing the masses at Cars & Coffee. It’s a simple machine that should get you from points A and B with reasonable confidence. A thumbs up to Rocco B. for the tip!
I bought two Saturns and they were the best new car buying experiences I’ve had. None of the usual nonsense. They were very reliable cars. Too bad GM could not make this division work.
That car is the cheaper “S1” model with gray bumpers and the SOHC mill. The one to really have is the “S2” with the DOHC engine and fancier trim. The double-cammer gave much better performance.