Lane optimistic about Saturn deal

Saturn dealer Eric Lane says he’s excited about General Motors’ tentative deal to sell the brand to former racecar driver Roger Penske. Lane, vice president of Gerry Lane Enterprises, received an official announcement from the embattled carmaker this morning. “If you had asked me who I would have preferred GM to sell the Saturn brand to, Penske was my first choice,” Lane said. “They couldn’t have made a better choice. It’s great news for us.” Lane says Penske’s success in the auto industry—his company is the second-biggest car chain in the U.S.—as well as the racetrack speaks well for the future of the brand. “Roger Penske has been a success at everything he’s ever done,” Lane says. “I have no doubt this is just what Saturn needs to restore the brand to where it was before GM bought them out.” Penske says he expects to offer the 350 Saturn dealerships new franchise agreements and will retain all 13,000 Saturn employees for the immediate term. Initially, GM will continue to produce on a contract basis the Saturn Aura sedan as well as the Vue and Outlook SUVs. Lane plans to stick with the Saturn brand, which has been profitable for Gerry Lane since the dealership added it in 1992. The dealership sold 26 Saturns last month, Lane says, and in its heyday in the 1990s sold between 900 and 1,000 vehicles a year. “Our Saturn customers are very loyal,” Lane says. “I have customers who are on their eighth, ninth or 10th Saturn.”—Emma James