Saturn Dealers, Owners Shocked Over End Of Brand

GM had a midday conference call with dealers to discuss the closures. Dealers said executives expressed shock and disappointment that the Penske deal fell through, but didn't provide much detail on the specifics.

The mood was grim Thursday at dealerships, where owners said they were blindsided by the news.

"This is nothing short of the bride running away at the altar," said Lou Gonzales, president and owner of the Saturn of Antelope Valley dealership in Palmdale, about 60 miles north of Los Angeles. "The millions of Saturn customers across the United States, I'm sure are disappointed. But they will not be left out in the lurch."

At Day Automotive, owner Bill Numrich said he planned to keep selling Saturns as long as he could.

"We still have a Saturn customer base that we have to service," said Numrich.

GM spokesman John M. McDonald said GM estimates it will take 4 months to sell the existing inventory of 12,000 Saturns. Dealers believe it could take longer, worried they will have difficulty selling a lame-duck brand to customers