Effort seems likely to close Wednesday.
Detroit businessman and booster Roger Penske is on track to close a deal to buy General Motors' Saturn division on Wednesday, the Free Press learned Monday.
The official announcement could come Thursday.
GM and Bloomfield Hills-based Penske Automotive Group, the nation's No. 2 auto retailer, have been working to finalize the sales agreement since June, when a tentative deal was first announced.
The original agreement called for GM to continue building the Saturn Aura sedan and the Vue and Outlook crossovers for two years. The sale is expected to save 350 U.S. dealerships.
Saturn dealers have said they are eager to work with Penske, chairman of his namesake automotive company. Penske is credited with Detroit's successful Super Bowl preparations, reviving Grand Prix racing on Belle Isle and turning around several companies, including Hertz Truck Leasing in the 1980s and Detroit Diesel Corp. in the 1990s.
Earlier this year, GM decided to phase out Saturn if a purchaser couldn't be found for the storied brand. In June, GM said it was talking to Penske and hoped to close a deal by the end of the third quarter, which is Wednesday.
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