I think it is debatable whether Saturn ever achieved the goal set by GM 25 years ago.

GM wanted the brand to stem the rising tide of Japanese imports by appealing to younger consumers. To that end, Saturn was presented as some sort of capitalist paradise where workers and consumers were shown in sentimental ads celebrating their respective joy in producing and consuming.

Presented is the key word here, as it is so often is in the modern world where the marketing of the product seems more important than the product itself.

Saturn was initially announced by controversial GM chairman Roger Smith back in the early 1980s. But it was not until 1990 that it began producing cars and that was about the time the American consumer, encouraged by low gas prices, was turning to minivans and SUVs.

And with such vehicles returning massive profits, GM allowed Saturn to languish in the late 1990s, according to The Associated Press.

As part of its restructuring, GM announced in June a tentative agreement to sell Saturn to Penske Automotive Group. But Penske said Wednesday it was unable to find a manufacturer to make Saturn cars. Penske had been in talks with Renault but the French automaker's board voted down the proposal.

GM subsequently said it would stop making Saturns and close the brand. And while it said it did not anticipate any layoffs as it transfers production, some 13,000 jobs at 350 dealerships are in jeopardy.

Did Saturn ever appeal to a younger crowd? It seems to me that the brand never made a dent in the appeal of models from such imports such as Toyota (and Scion), Honda, Nissan, Subaru and Volkswagen. Indeed, the Detroit 3 all came out with models over the last 20 years that have held their own in the youth market.

Frankly, Saturn always seemed slightly frowsy, a result perhaps from selling the feel-good aspect of the company rather than the sexiness of the product.

But you can't market success any more than you can force love or friendship, and it seems to me that GM's attempt to "get with it" back in the 1980s was akin to an old lounge lizard seeking to better his chances by donning a toupee.

- Peter C.T. Elsworth