Saturn began as a division of General Motors in the mid 1980s. It was created to compete with smaller, more affordable import cars from Japan and Germany. Branded as a “different kind of car company” Saturn offered no-haggle car buying with an emphasis on customer service.

The first Saturns debuted in 1990. The S Series was available as a sedan, coupe and wagon. These vehicles featured original platforms and flexible plastic exteriors that resisted scratches and dents. The S Series Saturns weren’t known for performance, but they were heralded for their fuel efficiency.

The early offerings from Saturn remained relatively unchanged for the first decade of production. They were redesigned somewhat in the mid-‘90s, however. While the brand met with some success initially, its failure to evolve and offer new cars to the market proved detrimental. By the end of the ‘90s car buyers were over Saturn’s no-haggle gimmick and sales declined dramatically.

In an effort to reinvigorate the brand, GM introduced the L Series, a large mid-size sedan and station wagon. A few years later it debuted its first SUV, the crossover Vue, and replaced the S Series with the Ion. The Relay minivan was launched in 2005. Model year 2007 saw the introduction of the Sky roadster, mid-size Aura sedan and the full-size Outlook SUV. The hatchback Astra was released in 2008, but it was discontinued in the same year. Currently, there are only three Saturn Vehicles still in production, the Vue, the Aura and the Outlook. The brand was sold in June 2009 to Penske Automotive Group, and its future remains unclear.