Saturn’s Demise Distresses Dealers

As the number of Saturn vehicles dwindles at the two dealerships operated by Galpin Motors, it is the hope of Bert Boeckmann that the loyal customers of the Saturn brand will remain his customers. Those customers as well as dealers received bad news on Oct. 1 when it was announced that a deal had fallen through for the Penske Automotive Group Inc. to take over the brand from struggling General Motors Corp. GM will stop production of Saturn cars and is giving dealers one year to fold their businesses. The reaction from the Saturn owners he heard from following the announcement ranged from disbelief to sadness, said Boeckmann, president of Galpin Motors. “We really enjoyed that line. The people were so well taken care of by Saturn,” Boeckmann said. “It was a wonderful feeling with the customers of Saturn for all the years we’ve had it. Hopefully we’ll retain the majority of them with our other car lines.” Santa Clarita Valley Automobile Dealers Association President Don Fleming said he was speechless about Saturn’s impending disappearance because he always thought it was one of the better GM franchises. There are three Saturn dealerships spread over the San Fernando, Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys. Galpin owns two, in North Hills and Santa Clarita. The third is in Palmdale. (Repeated attempts to reach Saturn of Antelope Valley President Lou Gonzales were not successful.) It is still early for Boeckmann to determine what will happen with his dealerships although one location could accommodate his growing pre-owned business. He is in better shape than dealers who solely relied on Saturn as Galpin has seven other franchises, Boeckmann said. “Bert’s a real good car man,” Fleming said. “I am sure he will find something to go in there.” When the Penske takeover was announced, Santa Clarita resident Rikki Kirchner thought she had won the Saturn lotto. She has owned two Astras since 2003 and will continue driving her current car for as long as she can. Kirchner bought her Astra at the Palmdale dealership (“they have a really good sales force,” she said) and has had service work done at the Galpin location in Santa Clarita. That her favorite brand is disappearing still hasn’t sunk in, Kirchner said. She has enjoyed meeting other Saturn owners, such as at a picnic in Santa Maria where some were on their eighth or ninth car. Since her car lacks any GM badges, the curious will ask what kind of car she drives and are surprised when told it’s a Saturn. “I still keep holding out hope that something will happen,” Kirchner said