With sales of new cars down in 1990 by over 5%, the time seemed totally wrong for General Motors to introduce Saturn, its first new brand name in over 60 years. Saturn wasn’t just another American car though; designed specifically to lure younger buyers back from Honda, Toyota and other Japanese brands, Saturn combined the quality construction of its foreign counterparts with a customer-friendly approach.
Ford’s Taurus became the top-selling American car of 1992, moving over 397,000 units. Sales would rise even higher over the following two years.
Meanwhile, Dodge’s new Viper – a voluptuously styled sports car that could do 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds – was all about sex and speed. Though it was priced at $50,000, demand for the car far out-stripped the supply.
