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Penske Saturn
With all of the speculation and rumors of the Penske Saturn deal floating around it will be interesting to see what really unfolds when the deal is scheduled to close in October. If you haven't heard yet, racing legend and automotive tycoon Roger Penkse has been in negotiation with GM concerning the purchase of the Saturn brand of automobiles for the past month or so. It has been said that Penske's new Saturn will totally revolutionize the way automobiles are built and sold across the world. Whether it will be for the best or for the worst.... we'll have to wait and see.
Penske has a unique plan put in place where the production function of the automobiles will be outsourced. This means global sources would be called upon to make Saturn vehicles to specification. The main focus and benefit of this type of approach will be cost savings and quicker cycle times to produce cars. However, the downfall in this type of situation will be trying to keep a quality level that is uniform across the board. With multipe sources creating these cars such as India, China, Mexico or even the U.S. this will be a tough process to regulate. For example you may see one car from "supplier A" that runs great and has no problems while you can buy the same type of car made by "supplier B" that ends up to be total junk.
The plan is also creating mixed feelings in the fact that Saturn will now be a true global company. It won't be a foriegn car company because engineering will most likely be done in the U.S. and it won't be an American car company because they will most likely be built outside of the U.S. This type of setup would end up hurting the United Auto Workers union here in the U.S. though on the other hand it would help keep dealerships and engineering jobs in place. Penske has said that eventually he may bring production inside the U.S. but we will have to wait and see.
Comments
Hey Roger, how would you like it if you were outsourced you big twitt?
Make American Cars in America, and feed hungry Americans.
Who do you think is watching your race cars, and supporting your sponsors? American racing fans.
this plan to outsource to other countries is a definite deal breaker.
If Obama approves of this he should be sent to work for $55./week, like a foriegn autoworker.
Now if you can keep it American, Americans will have jobs, and be able to stimulate the economy the way it is intended to be stimulated. Jobs = spending .
It really isn't rocket science you rich boy Dudd!
I hate that your dominating Motorsports and you don't even give a damn about American workers. You owe everything to them , but won't consider them in any way. "Bad Form " Roger!
Nice of Roger to shove the US deeper into the hole...just what we need, more low quality products built in India or China.
I am always amazed at the idiotism that is showing in answer to news articles such the one here on Roger Penske and his purchase of Saturn. Let me set the record straight, Roger is saving American jobs, MINE! You see I work for one of the 350 dealerships and I am one of the 13,000 (did I say 13,000 mmmm I think so) Saturn employees. If you follow Rogers logic you would understand that we now live in a Global economy and that this economy requires thinking smarter not dumber as GM and Chrysler have demonstrated. Penske will continue to source for the next two years product from GM all the while will be searching for car manufacturing that can take the engineering blueprints created by the Saturn designers to those who create a fine product. Names mentioned are Opel, Samsung and Peugeot not any 3rd rate country was ever mentioned. Now pay attention you knuckle heads, at some point time he stated that his goal is produce cars here in the US. Understand?
Roger as I said before you use to care about your employees at PTL LEASING. WHAT HAPPEN I HAVE BEEN A LOYAL EMPLOYEE FOR 23 YRS AND KNOW YOU COMPANY IS BEING RUNED INTO THE GROUND WITH THE IDIOTS YOU HAVE IN CHARGE WHY DON'T YOU DO US A FAVOR AND BUY US OUT LIKE WITH THE PACKAGE DEAL YOU ARE GIVING YOUR LOGISTICS TEAM.KNOW I KNOW WHY YOU TRUCKS ARE UNSAFE BECAUSE YOU DO NOT WANT TO SPEND ANY MONEY REPAIRING THEM. WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IS USDOT NEEDS TO COME INSPECT THESE UNSAFE VEHICLE TO TEACH YOU A LESSON
Being a former Saturn employee and working one on one with it’s customers I have seen this company change a lot along with its customers. Saturn owners were proud owners of American built cars that were built in America. They loved their cars and would not part with them to save their lives. But as Saturn changed so did its customers. No longer were they the happy owners of American built cars.
Saturn became another out of the box retagged vehicle. The 2008 Saturn Vue is a rebadged Opel Antara, the Opel Astra is imported from Antwerp, Belgium as the Saturn Astra.
Yes we all understand this is now a global economy, but the simple question is who really benefits the most by having cars, etc built and manufactured in other countries?
Well I’m sure Roger Penske will make the best “business decision.” This will save a few sales consultants jobs and a couple of dealership, but in the long run it will just be another business looking to make a dollar to two from a dwindling resource c
just be another business looking to make a dollar to two from a dwindling resource called the American worker.
Don't blame Penske for American consumers buying foreign-built products, blame American consumers. If consumers are willing to pay more for American products, they would. The reality is that the average American consumers don't care where anything is made. Go to California and ask a new car buyer if they care where a product is made - I can guarantee they don't! Penske is just a smart businessman looking for a once in a lifetime opportunity. Wal-Mart did not become the #1 retailer in the country by selling American-made products.
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