In Jan. 7, 1985, Saturn was born when Roger Smith, the President of General Motors, announced the decision to create a whole new car company from the ground up. There were 99 people chosen to create a vision of what GM needed to do in order to prosper in the small car business into the 21st century.
GM designed a whole new car with an all new drivetrain that was surrounded by a space frame structure and covered with a combination of plastic and metal body panels. It negotiated an innovative labor contract that revolved around teamwork and involved the UAW in the decision making process from day one. And, it created a whole new dealer body that treated the customer with respect. It was truly "A Different Kind of Car" and "A Different Kind of Company," just like the ads said. Roger Smith