2 Saturn Dealerships Closing In Central Fla.

ORLANDO, Fla.,None — Two more car dealerships in Central Florida are closing and both are Saturn dealerships. One is on Orange Blossom Trail and the other is in Casselberry; they'll shut their doors Saturday.

Saturn of Orlando on OBT is owned by the same group that owns Saturn of Orlando North in Casselberry. It has operated in Central Florida for about 15 years. But, with no more Saturns to sell, the dealership found itself out of options.

"It's a sad situation," employee David Hernandez said. "I've been with Saturn for years. What can I say, I'm going to miss the company."

Hernandez and about 80 other Saturn of Central Florida employees now have to find new work.

Since September 2009, when a deal for Penske Automotive to buy Saturn fell apart, Saturn of Central Florida worked to try to open under a new brand. WFTV learned, recently, it became clear that wouldn't be possible.

"Our outstanding employees have done such a great job holding the company together since the news from Penske," the company's executive manager told WFTV Friday.

Now, the doors will close this Saturday at 6:00pm. The last new vehicle at the dealership is long gone and the used inventory is headed off the lot. The executive manager for Saturn of Central Florida said the company began notifying service customers earlier this week the doors would be closing this weekend. Any cars still there that can't be finished in time will be towed at the dealerships' expense and fixed at other service departments.

Even with Saturn of Orlando North and South closed, dealerships on the Space Coast, in Daytona Beach and in Lake County remain open for the time being.

The Saturn dealerships are the latest in a series of car dealerships to close in Central Florida over the past year. Chrysler closed 800 dealerships nationwide, including seven in Central Florida in 2009. GM closed 1,100 dealerships, but only a handful were in the Central Florida area.

WFTV