Saturn Of Elk Grove Closes

Oh, this is a catastrophe! This is where I bought my Saturn Sports Coupe in 2002, and this is where I get it serviced for major repairs! At one time there were three Saturn dealers in the Sacramento area, but now there is just one (Saturn of Roseville, where I bought my first Saturn in 1992).

Getting auto service through a dealer is expensive, but I rest assured that there was at least someone in the city who understood my vehicle, no matter how obscure the mechanism, and could fix it if need be. As an example, they did obscure transmission work on my car as recently as last spring! Plus, the accomodations for customers at a dealership are often better than at other shops.

I used to place my left hand on my car and wave my right hand in the general direction of Elk Grove, secure in the knowledge that there were good people down there who were my allies in keeping my car running. I suppose they needed more than my goos wishes, however; my patronage, for example. Nevertheless, for common matters like oil changes, I use Jiffy Lube instead, because they are more conveniently-located than Saturn of Elk Grove's far suburban location.

Now, I am doomed. Doomed, doomed, doomed!:

Another Sacramento-area auto dealership has abruptly closed its doors, the latest apparent victim of an economic downturn that has battered the auto industry nationwide.

Saturn of Elk Grove in the Elk Grove Auto Mall closed Friday afternoon, adding to the list of about a dozen area dealerships that have gone away this year alone.

The National Automobile Dealers Association recently said 590 U.S. car dealerships have closed in 2008, and the number is expected to reach 700 by year's end, up from 430 last year.

Louis Solis, general sales manager of the Saturn dealership at 8480 Laguna Grove Drive, said 32 employees were given a severance package that included six weeks' pay and vacation pay.

"Unfortunately, we just let our employees know that we're shutting the store down," Solis said. "We all went to lunch. … It was hard to see all those who have been working for us for years. It was very difficult."

Word of the closing started spreading to local media by midafternoon Friday. By 3 p.m., the store's glass doors were closed and a sheet of paper taped to the inside read: "No longer open for business."

At about the same time, a new voice message greeted callers to the Saturn store's main number. The message said: "We are sorry to say that we are now closed for business. We thank you for your years of patronage with our company, and we will sadly miss our Saturn family."

A year ago, Texas native Wil Dean was named the new president and general manager of the dealership, but attempts to talk with him Friday were rebuffed.

An employee inside the dealership said, "Mr. Dean is not seeing anyone. We are not answering any questions. … We have gone through a lot today, and a lot of people have lost their jobs."