Fake Protest to Revive Saturn Fools Some Media Outlets

Published on July 28, 2021 in Buzz by Guillaume Rivard

Dozens of people gathered in front of General Motors headquarters in Detroit over the past weekend toting signs and telling anyone who would listen that the automaker should resurrect the late Saturn brand.

These protesters were seen and heard with slogans like “Plastic is fantastic” and “Saturns never rust.” Others stepped in front of the cameras to say how much they miss Saturn cars and advocate for the return of a simple, cheap, American-made automobile.

The impromptu event was all a joke, of course. It was set up by participants at the Michigan Concours d’Lemons, a unique auto show dedicated to weird and woeful vehicle designs.

However, some local media outlets took the bait including FOX2 Detroit. The video segment has since been removed from the TV station’s website, but you can still watch it on the auto show’s Facebook page. The reporter on hand seems to realize how absurd the whole thing is but never explicitly mentions it on the air.

Naturally, GM has not responded to the fake protest and certainly has no plans to bring back the maker of AURA, VUE, Outlook and more. Saturn was axed during the 2008-2009 restructuring along with Saab, Hummer and Pontiac.