O'ahu Saturn dealership sold

By Andrew Gomes
Advertiser Staff Writer

Saturn Corp. has sold its sole Hawai'i dealership to longtime Saturn of Honolulu general manager Michael Johnson and an investor who owns three automobile dealerships in San Francisco.

The deal closed on April 30 for an undisclosed price. The new owners are retaining all 66 dealership employees and will seek to expand Saturn's business in the state.

Johnson said he and his partner soon will begin exploring opportunities to expand to the Neighbor Islands and would like to add a second O'ahu dealership in about five years.

Saturn of Honolulu sells about 1,000 new cars and 500 to 600 used vehicles a year, Johnson said.

The dealership was established in Hawai'i in 1992 by Don Lucas, a San Francisco auto dealer who then owned Honda Windward. In 1998, Lucas retired and sold Saturn of Honolulu back to Saturn Corp., a division of General Motors.

Johnson is the general partner of the new company, Hawaii Automotive Retailing Group Inc., which is doing business as Saturn of Honolulu.

Johnson's partner is Inder Dosanjh, the owner of two Saturn dealerships and one Hummer dealership in the Bay Area.

Dosanjh is the principal partner and owner of Saturn of Honolulu.

Reach Andrew Gomes at agomes@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8065.