Penske Can Make Saturn Work

(NEWSER) - Saturn's hopes of a life after GM ended today when a deal to sell the brand to Penske Automotive fell through. GM said it will now begin shutting down manufacturing and dealership operations. Penske canceled the deal—which could have saved about 13,000 jobs—because it couldn't swing an agreement with an unnamed third party to supply vehicles, reports the Detroit Free Press. More»

(NEWSER) - Saturn dealerships around the country have been using the brand’s planned acquisition by Roger Penske to attract customers, the Wall Street Journal reports. "People want to buy from someone they like," said the owner of a Saturn dealership in Wichita. But dealership owners nationwide have since received letters from GM asking them to downplay the Penske association. More»

(NEWSER) - Roger Penske, the racecar driver turned business tycoon, will buy the Saturn brand and dealer network from GM. The deal will save 350-plus dealerships and some 13,000 jobs if it goes through, the bankrupt parent company said in confirming the tentative agreement. The price is between $100 million and $200 million, a source told Bloomberg. More»

Dutch luxury car maker Spyker snaps up dying brand

(NEWSER) - GM has reached a deal to sell its otherwise doomed Saab brand to Dutch luxury car maker Spyker Cars NV for $74 million in cash and $326 million in preferred stock. The deal is dependent on Sweden agreeing to guarantee a $563 million European Investment Bank loan to the Swedish Saab brand. The sale is expected to close in February, Bloomberg reports. More»

European operations won't go to Canadian outfit

(NEWSER) - General Motors backed out today on a deal to sell Opel, its European arm, to a Canadian parts supplier and its Russian banking partners. The GM board’s move reflects an uptick in the auto business, the Financial Times reports, and will also be a blow to the German government, which put great effort into the sale to Magna and its associates. More»