IMPORTANT DATES IN SATURN HISTORY

Saturn Corporation was formed as a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Motors in January 1985. The Saturn concept began as a response to increasing import competition and a traditional, adversarial relationship between union and management. Throughout its history, Saturn’s mission, philosophy and values have been directed toward capturing new customers and achieving world-class levels of customer enthusiasm.

Here are some key dates from the history of Saturn.

June 15, 1982

Alex C. Mair, then vice president of what is now GM's Advanced Engineering Staff, summons engineers Joe Joseph and Tom Ankeny to his office. They discuss a new, innovative, "small car project."

July 1982

"Saturn" is selected code name for the project. Phil Garcia, chief designer - Advanced Studio -- GM Design Studio is credited with the selection of the "Saturn" name, which referred to the Saturn rocket that carried Americans to the moon during the space race with the USSR. The Saturn small car project's goal is to design an American vehicle that can beat the Japanese in the small-car race.

October 1983

Donald F. Ephlin, vice president and director of the United Auto Workers' General Motors Department, and Alfred A. Warren, Jr., vice president of GM's Industrial Relations staff, agree to pursue the concept of a GM-UAW Study Center to explore new approaches to building small cars in the United States.

November 3, 1983

Saturn project is announced publicly by General Motors Chairman Roger B. Smith and General Motors President F. James McDonald.

September 15, 1984

First Saturn demonstration vehicle is completed for evaluation.

January 7, 1985

GM announces addition of new automotive operating unit -- Saturn Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary --- to its passenger car divisions.

May 27, 1987

Saturn announces innovative distribution system and retail strategy (Market Area Approach).

December 15, 1987

Saturn unveils its new corporate signature -- a stylized version of the ringed planet (bright red field with a neutral gray Saturn script).

June 1988

First four-door demonstration car is completed.

January 13, 1990

First Saturn retail location site is dedicated in Santa Ana, California.

January 29, 1989

Saturn announces first franchise agreements with 26 automobile retailers. Retailers will operate multiple facilities in the major marketing areas of California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Florida, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Delaware and Missouri.

February 14, 1990

Saturn and General Motors of Canada announce that Saturn vehicles will be sold in Canada through GM of Canada's stand-alone Passport (now Saturn, Saab, Isuzu Truck) retail network beginning in mid-1992.

July 30, 1990

At 10:57 a.m. CDT, General Motors Chairman Roger B. Smith and UAW President Owen Bieber drove a red metallic four-door sedan off the final assembly line in Spring Hill.

October 25, 1990

First vehicles available at Saturn retailers. All vehicles are sold using the brand’s revolutionary “No Hassle, No Haggle” strategy.

May 10, 1991

Saturn voluntarily replaces 1,836 cars due to improperly formulated coolant (antifreeze). Due to Saturn's commitment to providing a superior level of customer satisfaction, the company chose to replace rather than repair these vehicles.

January 3, 1992

Saturn unveils a sporty new wagon that will highlight the automaker's 1993 fall lineup at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

March 1992

Saturn sells its 100,000th car.

March 1993

According to an industry survey, Saturn averages 1,072 new-car sales per retailer in 1992. Honda was second with 654 per dealer.

June 10, 1993

Saturn Corporation announces an operating profit for the month of May 1993 -- the first profitable operating month since it began manufacturing cars in July 1990.

January 1994

Saturn announces that it realized an operating profit (before taxes and interest) for calendar year 1993. Operating profits had been reported for the months of May through December, with the exception of July.

June 1, 1995

Saturn’s one-millionth vehicle (a Dark Green 1995 SC2 coupe) is produced at the Spring Hill, Tenn., manufacturing and assembly complex.

January 4, 1996

General Motors announces at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show that it will produce the EV1 electric vehicle. GM also reveals that the car will be distributed and marketed by Saturn beginning in the fall of 1996. Initial availability will be in the Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Tucson markets.

February 14, 1998

Saturn, along with its UAW and retail partners, holds the first-annual Saturn National Donor Day, a one-day event aimed at raising awareness and encouraging blood, marrow and blood stem cell, organ and tissue donations.

November 4, 1998

Production of the "world’s first" 3-Door Coupe, the 1999 SC, rolls off the Spring Hill assembly line.

December 22, 1998

The Saturn SL sedan earns the maximum 5-Star ratings for both driver and passenger protection in frontal collision tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA). The SL is the first light passenger car to earn double 5-Star ratings in NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program.

January 2, 1999

Saturn’s two-millionth vehicle (a red 1999 three-door SC2 coupe) is produced at the Spring Hill, Tenn., manufacturing and assembly complex.

March 31, 1999

The Saturn L-Series sedan and wagon are unveiled to the media at the 1999 New York auto show.

September 26, 2000

Saturn announces that head curtain air bags are available as an option on 2001 model year L-Series sedan and wagon and S-Series sedan, wagon and coupe. The new air bag technology is designed to decrease the severity of head and neck injuries in side-impact collisions.

October 6, 2000

Saturn unveils the 2002 Saturn VUE sports utility vehicle at the South Florida International Auto Show in Miami.

March 27, 2002

Saturn unveils the ION sedan and coupe at the New York Auto Show. It replaces the Saturn S-Series beginning in summer 2002.

August 15, 2002

J.D. Power and Associates rates Saturn #1 in their 2002 Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study. Saturn also holds the top spot in J.D. Power’s 2002 Customer Service Index (CSI) Study, marking the first time a non-luxury automaker held the top spot in both CSI and SSI in the same year.

April 8, 2003

Saturn announced that a new series of performance-tuned vehicles will carry the designation of "Red Line." The first two vehicles in the series are the 2004 VUE Red Line, a sporty version of Saturn’s compact SUV; and the 2004 ION Red Line, a specially modified ION quad coupe.

December 4, 2003

Saturn unveils the Relay, a crossover sport van that will join the lineup in 2004. It is Saturn’s first vehicle that will seat more than five passengers, and blends the styling cues of an SUV with the functionality of a mid-van.

December 29, 2003

Gary Cowger announces expansion plans for Saturn in remarks at the Los Angeles Auto Show. He states, “Drawing from four different global architectures, Saturn will double its portfolio from three to six products by 2007, including a small sports car and a big brother to the VUE. This shows how serious we are about the future of this brand.”

March 1, 2004

General Motors announced that Saturn would add a sports car to its vehicle line-up in early 2006. The product will be built at its Wilmington, Del., manufacturing facility, which had been the production site of the Saturn L-Series.

August 26, 2004

General Motors announced plans to invest $200 million into its Fairfax, Kan. manufacturing site for production of an all-new Saturn midsize car, scheduled to begin production in the second half of 2006 as a 2007 model.

January 9, 2005

At the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Saturn unveils the SKY, a small, rear-wheel-drive roadster that signals the new design direction of the division’s future portfolio. The brand also shows the AURA concept, which indicates how Saturn’s future styling character could be translated to a midsize sedan.