The new-car business at Saturn of Fredericksburg is winding down, but owner Karen Radley has plans for the facility going forward.
The dealership on U.S. 1 near the Spotsylvania County line has about 10 new Saturn vehicles left to sell, Radley said. The facility will continue to do warranty work on Saturns, but there are no new ones to order.
Penske Automotive Group had a deal to buy General Motors Co.'s Saturn brand, but that fell apart in September. GM decided to shut down the Saturn business.
The Saturn of Fredericksburg lot is being transitioned into a used-car retail and wholesale operation that will sell vehicles traded in at other Radley Automotive Group dealerships.
Radley Automotive owns Acura dealerships in Falls Church and Woodbridge, a Volkswagen dealership in Woodbridge and a Chevrolet dealership on U.S. 1 near the Spotsylvania-Fredericksburg line.
Karen Radley said some of the trade-ins will be sold at those franchise dealerships. The rest will come to the Saturn lot, which will be called Karen Radley Certified Autos. It will sell vehicles wholesale to dealers and auctions, and retail to customers.
It might not be long before Radley resumes selling new vehicles on the Saturn lot, however. Karen Radley said she's negotiating with two auto manufacturers to start a franchise operation in the Fredericksburg area, and she may have an announcement in the coming months.
Radley didn't identify the brands she's considering, but she said one of them is not currently in the Fredericksburg market and the other one won't be here after Dec. 31.
She said her staff at Saturn of Fredericksburg will remain in place throughout the transition period.
Bill Freehling: 540/374-5405
Email: bfreehling@freelancestar.com