Some car buyers are simply looking for a way to stay in their comfort zone when going from dealership to dealership, and a few manufacturers are still coasting on reputations that they no longer deserve to drive sales. However, the models and manufacturers we might feel most at home with could no longer exist despite the quality vehicles they produced in the past.
What car company do you wish still built cars? My pick has to be Saturn. The now-defunct General Motors brand initially produced forward-looking cars aimed at younger customers. However, Saturn eventually became the medium for GM to distribute badge-engineered European models across the United States. The brand was culled as a part of GM’s bailout from the federal government during the Great Recession in the late 2010s. Penske Automotive Group attempted to buy Saturn, but the deal collapsed.
With the ongoing transition toward electric vehicles, General Motors could have used Saturn as the brand to push affordable EVs. Saturn’s logo and branding feel retro-futuristic today, evocative of NASA’s iconic worm logo, which is also making a comeback as America’s space program attempts to return to the Moon.
Don’t hesitate to share which car companies were around and producing new models. I promise that I won’t shame you if you suggest SEAT or Daewoo.