2009 Saturn Sky Red Line

Highlights

• Believed to be 1 of only 5 Skys in England

• One of just 365 ‘Ruby Red’ edition examples

• Just three owners from new

• Low mileage - less than 25,000 on the clock

• Excellent condition throughout

Overview

In Europe, they had the Opel GT, in the US, they had the Pontiac Solstice, or if you wanted to push the boat out, the Saturn Sky. Produced exclusively for North America, the Saturn Sky was unveiled in 2005, and went into production in 2006 with its sister car the Pontiac Solstice. 

Such is the beauty of platform-sharing and having a big parent company such as GM, that you can have 3 cars all on one platform with plenty of shared DNA - making parts availability much easier than a more specialised car. That’s not to say it isn’t rare, however. Even in the states these Saturn Sky Red Lines are a rare beast, with a planned production run of 500 special edition examples being cut short due to the Saturn brand being shut down, with only 365 being built before the end of production.

Penned in Detroit by a team that also worked on the Lotus Elise and Chevrolet Camaro, the Sky (and Solstice) are based on the GM Kappa platform, which was derived from the Chevrolet Corvette architecture. 

Specifically, the Saturn Sky was marketed to be the more upmarket version of the Pontiac Solstice, featuring leather seats, a revised (and perhaps more conventionally styled) interior and a redesigned body, which is arguably far easier on the eye.

For those looking for a little more, there was the Red Line model. Developed as a faster, more performance-minded upgrade to the 2.4-litre base model, the Sky Red Line featured a 2.0-litre Ecotec turbocharged inline-four with VVT, limited-slip differential, sports suspension, 18” wheels and a plush interior with Bluetooth connectivity, a Monsoon stereo and an in-built boost gauge; and who doesn’t love a boost gauge?!

With its longitudinally mounted transmission, front-mid engine placement and rear-wheel drive, the Sky Red Line is one of the great hidden gems of the American automotive scene, with automotive journalists saying the car is “criminally underrated” and with praise from Peter Holderlith of The Drive. So good was it, in fact, it even made an appearance in Test Drive: Unlimited. Those with a keen eye will see a close resemblance to our own Vauxhall VX220 which shared the same design team as the Sky and the VX Lightning concept car.

As we never received the Saturn Sky in any form here in the UK, this is an exceptionally rare car for those looking for some GM reliability but with the ability to play ‘rare car Top Trumps’ at the pub or their local car show. And, given its roots, it will be a riot to drive too. 

History and documentation

• In current ownership since March 2021

• Originally delivered to Florida, the first owner purchased the car new and subsequently shipped it back to the UK when moving back to the UK

• Original US sales receipt present, showing a purchase price of $34,556.02 on 22 October 2008

• Saturn 360 magazine - Fall 2008 edition

• US documentation, book pack, handbook and plates

• Used sparingly for car shows and owned as part of a collection whilst in the UK

• Photographs of the car in the US

• Full document pack

• Two sets of keys

• Collection of invoices and MOT certificates

• Current MOT with no advisories expires 11 Mar 2026

• This particular example has been conservatively upgraded and modified, but the seller states that the original parts are included in the sale, should the next owner wish to revert the car to factory standard

• HPI clear

• London ULEZ compliant 

Interior

• Black leather interior in very good order throughout

• Embroidered Sky badging on both seats

• There are no signs of any rips, tears or heavy wear to either seat

• Bluetooth stereo equipped from factory, along with a premium Monsoon stereo system

• The high-traffic areas such as the steering wheel, shifter and buttons look to have stood the test of time well, with no obvious damage or heavy wear that we can see

• We note some very light scratches and abrasions on the stereo screen, and on the chrome shifter surround

• Looking closely, there appears to be some slight indentations to the steering wheel at the 9 and 2 o’clock positions

• As far as we can see, the carpets and overmats look to be in good order

• No reported faults or issues from the seller

Exterior

• Limited-edition Ruby Red paintwork in excellent condition

• Contrasting silver windscreen surround

• A light smattering of stone chips is visible to the front end and exposed edges

• Chrome-finished wheels in very good condition, wrapped in Uniroyal Tyres with only a few areas of imperfections noted on the wheels

• The nearside rear light lens is scratched on the upper half

• Quad chrome exhaust tips in excellent condition

• The upper portion of the offside headlight lens appears scratched/hazy

• We’re told there are no dents, large scratches or damage to be aware of

• Overall, a very smart example of the rare-in-the-UK Saturn Sky Red Line

Mechanical

• 2-litre DOHC inline-four turbocharged engine with VVT, producing 260bhp from the factory

• This example is reported to be running over 300bhp

• Rear-wheel drive

• Five-speed automatic gearbox

• Limited-slip differential

• Custom chrome engine cover

• Upgraded CSK exhaust system

• Saturn Sky Red Line induction kit , coolant crossover pipe, coolant charge pipe kit and cold air intake kit finished in Candy Apple Pink metallic

• LNF oil catch can

• Upgraded performance brake discs and pads with braided lines

• New starter motor fitted in 2024

• All new relays fitted as a precautionary measure

• We’re told that this Sky has been regularly serviced by Parts USA in Stockport, who are GM specialist using OE parts.

• Parts USA also carried out a recall on the car to replace an item under the seat base

• The seller tells us that the car sounds fantastic thanks to its performance and intake enhancements, and sounds ‘throaty’ on cold start before settling into a quiet idle. 

• No reported faults or issues

Summary

Rare and unusual but with the sort of everyday reliability and confidence that a big-name brand such as GM can inspire in a driver, this low-mileage and well-specified example of the Saturn Sky Red Line has clearly been cossetted and well-kept over the years, and remains in excellent condition throughout. 

Whilst this car can be your daily driver, if you’re looking for a car that you can turn up to a show, pub meet or cars ‘n’ coffee morning and be almost 100% certain that it’s the only one there (let alone the only one in the county!) then this is your ticket. Just be aware that you’ll make plenty of friends along the way, as everyone wants to know what it is…

To arrange a viewing, click the 'Book Viewing' button located under the 'Place Bid' button. Viewings can be booked up until the day before the auction ends, after which the option will change to 'Contact Seller' for further enquiries. This seller is located in Howden, Yorkshire.