Normally I don't delve into auto news, but the recent closing of the local Saturn dealership made me think of this.
According to a Wall Street Journal report by John D. Stoll and Norihiko Shirouzu, the newest suitor for Saturn could the French automaker Renault. However, the Journal article questions the wisdom of that takeover when Renault already owns a large share of Nissan, a company which competes with Saturn in the small-car market.
In the local case, though, this could restore 30 jobs lost when the dealership pulled the plug on local operations. I was concerned because I used to deal with the dealership when I owned a Saturn, and I never had an issue with them with the exception of their not having a model which appealed to me when I was looking for the one I eventually bought.
So let's hope that this merger or takeover works out better than the last time Renault became involved with an American carmaker. Before Chrysler took over the former American Motors, Renault was the automaker who paired up with AMC in its final days, bringing us the not-so-memorable Alliance and Le Car. Given the relative success of Nissan, maybe Renault can be just what Saturn needs - we'll just have to see.