Saturn Corporation is a division of General Motors (GM) and a brand of automobiles.
It was established on January 7, 1985 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of GM, and
is active almost exclusively in the United States and Canada. GM began manufacturing
Saturn automobiles in 1990, largely in response to the success of Japanese
small-car imports in the United States. During the first decade of the 21st
century, GM has moved the brand upmarket, to the mid-price segment that was once
occupied by Oldsmobile and has positioned it as the company's "green" brand;
touting fuel efficient hybrids and crossovers. Saturn is currently becoming the
US brand for Opel vehicles, similar to Vauxhall Motors in the UK.
Saturn
was named after the rocket that took American astronauts to the moon and
not after the planet. Saturn's motto was initially "A different kind of company,
a different kind of car," but has changed several times throughout its history.
Drawing from experiences gained through its NUMMI and CAMI Automotive joint
ventures, GM organized the Saturn Corporation differently from their existing
divisions, attempting to emulate the Japanese management techniques, which emphasize
quality control and high product reliability. At Saturn, union workers would
have more control and involvement in the plant.. |
