Leslie Turk

Courtesy drops Saturn line?

by Leslie Turk

No official word has come down from General Motors on what it plans to do with its Saturn brand — although the car maker has toyed with the idea of eliminating it — but Don Hargroder has apparently decided Saturn won’t be sold in Lafayette. At least not by him.

Late last year Hargroder, who owns the fast-expanding Courtesy Automotive Group, purchased the Saturn dealership and the Ambassador Caffery Parkway real estate that houses it from Lafayette’s Mann family. But it now seems Hargroder’s decided not to sell Saturn in the Lafayette market. The inventory was moved off the Ambassador site to clear the way for relocating Mazda, which is now located at 5001 Johnston St., according to several sources in the local automotive industry. It’s unclear where the Saturn automobiles were moved to or if Hargroder has found buyers for the inventory.

Courtesy's main dealership - where GMC trucks, Cadillac, Buick and Pontiac are sold - is at 4750 Johnston St. in the old Service Merchandise building. Hargroder also has dealerships in New Iberia, Abbeville, Franklin and Morgan City.

Neither Hargroder nor his general manager, Paul Stroderd, returned calls seeking comment this morning.