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Posted: 8:37 PM Oct 1, 2009
End of the Line for Saturn Outlook
Final Outlook rolls of assembly line at Delta Township plant.
Reporter: News 10 & AP |
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A Saturn Outlook was the first official vehicle to roll off the Assembly line at GM's Lansing Delta Township Assembly line. Thursday, the final Outlook rolled off the line.
The Delta plant made just over 83,000 Outlooks. GM says the end of the model won't effect employment at the plant. The GMAC Acadia and the Buick Enclave will continue to be made at the Delta plant. And the Chevy Traverse will be moved there early next year.
Production ended on the Outlook just one day after General Motors announced it was putting a stop to the Saturn car line. The end came a deal to to sell Saturn to the Penske Automotive Group.
Although GM and Roger Penske reached a tentative agreement to sell the brand in June, the deal collapsed Wednesday after Penske was told by an unidentified manufacturer that its board had rejected a deal to make cars for the new Saturn.
"It was a stunning turn of events," said GM spokesman Tom Pyden, who added that most of the details between GM and Penske had been worked out and both sides expected to announce this week that the deal had been closed.
GM had agreed to keep building three Saturn models even beyond 2011, but after that, Penske had to come up with its own products made by another manufacturer.
Penske spokesman Anthony Pordon said there is little if any chance that the talks could be reopened. Without another supplier in place before the deal was signed, Penske couldn't run the risk of taking on Saturn, Pordon said.


