General Motors has announced the beginning of the end for Saturn, since an apparent attempt by Penske Automotive Group to buy the brand fell through.

"This is very disappointing news and comes after months of hard work by hundreds of dedicated employees and Saturn retailers who tried to make the new Saturn a reality," the US automaker said.

I am disappointed as well, since I house a Saturn in my garage.  I have made attempts in the past few years to drive responsible cars, and the Saturn Vue was my first hybrid.  I also endorse Jim Ellis Audi of Atlanta and support their efforts on clean diesel, so I've talked about both cars on air.  My Mom, Millie Pete, has driven nothing but Saturns since their inception in the early '90s since their plant was down the street in Spring Hill, Tennessee. 

I will admit, however, my first impression of Saturn was not a great one.  The families of the GM workers from Ohio and Michigan that were transferred to my hometown of Columbia, Tennessee were the "Yankees" that pitted themselves against the "Rednecks."  The main issue - corporal punishment in our schools.

We got spanked.  And it never dawned on me as a kid that our elementary school principal owning an electric paddle was not commonplace.  (At least that was the rumor, and thus why I never got sent to Mr. Cecil's office - ever.)  So by the time I was getting ready to graduate high school and sensing the tension from our new neighbors I had never thought twice about punishing students in the hall like that.  But the Yankees couldn't stand our backward ways and made sure the policy was eventually eliminated.  I was honestly resentful that this new group instantly dictated policy in our town.  I was so mad I could have just spit, or spank somebody.  But we wanted to make sure Saturn felt welcome.  

But that was a long time ago, and now this space geek is sad that the one car named after a planet will be no more.  But I will keep my Vue Hybrid until it's electricity runs out, but hate to know when that day comes any new hybrid I own will be build by someone else.