![](https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/01/SATURN.jpg?w=1920)
![](https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/01/SATURN.jpg?w=1920)
The 1991 Saturn SC coupe was more than a relatively affordable car when it debuted. It was the first model year of a line of cars that was less about transportation and more of an automotive experiment. Although it was very much a General Motors brand, Saturn was something different from the beginning. It aimed for affordability and low running costs, along with a friendly dealer network that promised more than an adversarial buying experience, it was almost enjoyable.
![](https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/01/img_6.jpg?strip=all&quality=95)
![](https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/01/img_17.jpg?strip=all&quality=95)
That’s the world this 678-mile 1991 Saturn SC was born into. The coupe is now up for sale in Santa Ana, California, for $12,950 and its history is just as intriguing as its future. Although it’s a base coupe fitted with little more than a tilt steering wheel and all the air inside the cabin, it’s unclear why its previous owners insisted on preserving a base coupe—an automatic, no less—for so long. For the record, we reached out to the dealer selling the car multiple times and were either disconnected or sent to a voicemail system that didn’t accept messages. The scant information we could ascertain was that it’s been at the dealer for “about a month and a half,” although it’s unclear if it came from a trade, an estate sale, or the heavens.
![](https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/01/img_8.jpg?strip=all&quality=95)
![](https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/01/img_12.jpg?strip=all&quality=95)
Also, it’s worth pointing out that the sticker price on the coupe likely was around $11,750 when it was new, and it’s possible the buyer didn’t pay a cent over that price—Saturn kinda introduced the idea of “no-haggle pricing” when it came out more than three decades ago. An 85-horsepower, 1.9-liter four-cylinder was the standard mill, and while a five-speed manual was available it’s not how this SC rolled off the line—it’s mated to a four-speed automatic with a taller first gear than the model years that followed. That means acceleration with a tall first gear and 85 hp was leisurely at best.
![](https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/01/img_13.jpg?strip=all&quality=95)
![](https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/01/img_17-1.jpg?strip=all&quality=95)
But speed isn’t what Saturn was about and it’s clear this owner never really tapped into this beast beyond its break-in miles. We may not know where it came from, but we hope it has a brighter—and more active—future. Other GM brands are on their way back, after all. Why not Saturn? Why not you? Here’s your chance.
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