ealerships for Toyota, which is GM's counterpart in Japan as largest auto manufacturer in the country, were specifically not included as part of the initial Saturn dealer roster.
Saturn's success in the Japanese marketplace since the opening of 14 sales outlets there in 1997 can be described as uneven. On the positive side, there was the fact that Saturn had taken the trouble to create RHD models before entering the Japanese market, an action that other major American car makers had been slow to undertake. This appears to have facilitated some sales success. In 1999, J.D. Power gave Saturn its "Best Nameplate in Japan" award, the first such designation for an American car (Saturn, 2000). However, Saturn's accommodation to the tastes of the Japanese marketplace and its pat
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