Automotive 1998
Saturn
The true story of Sam Foster and his remarkable calculations.
FROM THE PRINTED PAGEOriginal ad copy
OCR transcription from the archived page. Scanning and reading-order errors may remain.
The true story of Sam Foster and his remarkable calculations. Sam Foster is what you might call an avid runner. Last year he logged over a thousand miles on his feet. He’s also what you might call an avid driver, logging 14,000 miles on his Saturn. All of which got Sam to wondering, which cost more to run, Sam or his Saturn? So he dutifully sat down and calculated his annual cost for things like shoes, shorts, knee braces and socks. Then he calculated his annual cost for gas, insurance, his lease and maintenance. The results? It cost Sam thirty-four cents a mile to run, and only thirty-three cents a mile to drive. Now, Sam’s not about to give up running and start driving more, but he was rather pleased to find that Saturns are designed to be so inexpensive to own. From color-coded dipsticks for easy do-it-yourself maintenance, to the dent-resistant bodyside panels (think about it, no dents, no dings, fewer repairs), to the highly efficient Saturn engine, which runs superbly on 87 octane and therefore probably the least expensive gas you can find, everything about owning, maintaining, even buying or leasing a Saturn is meant to try and save you as much money as possible. Which is a good thing. Seriously, have you priced a good pair of running shoes lately? Whew. A DIFFERENT KIND of COMPANY. A DIFFERENT KIND of CAR. The 1999 Saturn SL2 comes with an M.S.R.P. of $13,195, including AC, retailer prep and transportation. Of course, options, tax and license extra. We’d be happy to provide more information at 1-800-522-5000, or visit us on the Internet at www.saturn.com. ©1998 Saturn Corporation. SATURN.
Commentary
Saturn makes ownership cost memorable by choosing an unexpected comparison: the driver himself. Sam Foster’s running expenses come to thirty-four cents a mile, while his Saturn costs thirty-three. The one-cent difference gives a familiar economy claim a story, a character and a result that is easy to repeat. Calling it a true story encourages the reader to approach the calculation as a customer discovery.
The layout resembles a short illustrated article. Spacious italic copy carries the narrative, and a silver sedan interrupts the text midway down the page. Sam is described rather than pictured; the vehicle is the sole substantial illustration. This makes the reader’s attention move from a person’s routine to the product features that supposedly explain his finding. The modest headline and small red brand mark sustain the conversational tone.
The arithmetic is deliberately broader than fuel economy. Shoes, shorts, braces and socks sit against gas, insurance, lease payments and maintenance. That framing draws attention to the continuing cost of ownership, though the ad does not provide an itemized calculation that would let a reader reproduce Sam’s figures. The comparison is presented as his experience, not a universal cost per mile for every buyer.
Practical details then turn the anecdote into a product argument. Color-coded dipsticks suggest approachable maintenance; dent-resistant panels suggest fewer repairs; the reference to 87-octane fuel addresses routine spending. The closing joke about running-shoe prices returns to Sam’s hobby, keeping a list of cost-saving features from becoming the final impression.
Saturn was a General Motors car brand; GM’s vehicle support directory lists its vehicles under 1991–2010. It is now discontinued, and GM’s discontinued-brands page directs existing Saturn owners to service and replacement-parts support.
The useful contemporary lesson is to explain lifetime expense through a recognizable person and concrete ownership tasks. Sam’s costs, the advertised SL2 price and the new-car offer are historical particulars. The customer need they address—understanding what a vehicle will keep costing after acquisition—outlasts the brand’s retail presence.