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The rings of Saturn
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March 10, 1998: 7:13 p.m. ET
Key dates in the history of the GM division
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - The following are key dates in the history of General Motors Corp.'s Saturn subsidiary.
November 3, 1983 - Saturn project announced publicly by GM Chairman Roger B. Smith as a bold experiment to recapture lost car sales to Japanese imports.
July 5, 1984 - President Reagan visits the Saturn project at GM's Technical Center in Warren, Mich. and congratulates the automaker on its effort to keep the U.S. auto industry competitive.
January 7, 1985 - GM announces addition of new operating unit -- Saturn Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary.
June 1985 - Saturn marketing begins to study consumer requirements for new vehicle line.
July 26, 1985 - Historic new labor agreement for Saturn reached between GM and UAW.
July 30, 1985 - Selection of Spring Hill, Tenn., as the site for Saturn's manufacturing facility.
July 1987 - First Saturn concept vehicle built with all thermoplastic panels, excluding steel roof and hood.
December 7, 1987 - GM board approves $1.9 billion for plant construction, equipment and tooling.
February 1988 - Saturn begins recruiting the first of 3,000 workers for its Spring Hill plant.
January 29, 1989 - Saturn announces first franchise agreements with 26 automobile retailers.
March 1989 - First 4-door pre-production vehicle completed
July 30, 1990 - GM Chairman Roger B. Smith and UAW President Owen Bieber drive a metallic red 4-door sedan off the final assembly line in Spring Hill.
October 25, 1990 - First saleable vehicles at Saturn retailers.
May 10, 1991 - Saturn voluntarily replaces 1,836 cars due to improperly formulated coolant. The move, uncommon in the auto industry, draws high marks from automotive writers and helps establish Saturn's reputation for customer-friendly service.
March 1992 - Saturn ranked as No. 1 in new car sales per facility in 1991, averaging 776 units, the first time in 15 years a domestic nameplate tops the list. Saturn sells its 100,000th car.
August 1992 - Saturn sells 200,000th car.
April 28, 1992 - First shipment of Saturn vehicles leaves California port bound for Taiwan.
March 1993 - According to an industry survey, Saturn averaged 1,072 new car sales per retailer in 1992. Honda was second with 654.
June 10, 1993 - Saturn Corp. announces an operating profit for the month of May 1993 -- the first profitable operating month since it began manufacturing cars in July 1990.
June 14, 1993 - Implementation of a flexible 2 shift/3 crew/6-day production schedule begins at the Spring Hill complex.
August 6, 1993 - Saturn recalls every car it ever sold, 352,767 vehicles, to replace a wiring harness under the hood following reports that the defective harness could cause a fire.
September 16, 1993 - Saturn produces its 500,000th car.
September 1994 - Saturn announces it realized an operating profit (before taxes and interest) for calendar 1993.
June 23-24, 1994 - 44,000 Saturn owners and their families attend the Saturn homecoming in Spring Hill.
July 1994 -Saturn's 300th retail facility opens.
January 4, 1994 - Saturn announces record sales were established in 11 of 12 sales months during 1994. In addition, total 1994 calendar year sales were 286,003 vehicles, a 25 percent increase over calendar 1993.
June 1995 - Saturn produces its one millionth car.
August 6, 1996 - GM, Saturn and the United Auto Workers Union announce plans to build a new mid-sized Saturn at GM's Wilmington, Del. factory.
April 5, 1997 - Saturn begins selling right-hand drive cars in Japan through eight retailers.
November 21, 1997 - Saturn starts selling GM's electric vehicle the EV1 in California.
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Saturn
General Motors
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