CARBONDALE - Like on its celestial namesake, there soon won't be much life at the Saturn of Carbondale car dealership as the company prepares to shut down later this month.

At its peak, the auto dealer would have about 150 vehicles for sale on its lot. On Wednesday there were three.

Owner Sam Shemwell said the dealership at 1425 E. Main St has been open since 1999, and since last fall sales have dropped by 50 percent, and he's cut his staff from 25 to four.

Instead of selling vehicles, lately Shemwell is selling tables, chairs, sofas, signage and other décor that once helped make his place of business welcoming to customers. Now, nearly fully stripped, footsteps echo off the walls and voices carry in the carless showroom.

As vacuums hummed outside his office, Shemwell sat and noted how this month's bankruptcy filing by General Motors has left him in the financial lurch, including $80,000 in parts, $120,000 in specialty tools and thousands of dollars in signage for which he said he'll take a loss.

"I'll tell you this, and please quote me, I will never buy another G.M. (product)," he said. "It's because of what they've done to the American people. They want another $30 billion in taxpayer money and they can't buy us (dealerships) out."

According to U.S. World News Report, G.M. last turned a profit in 2004 and has borrowed $19.4 billion in taxpayer dollars. The federal government is set to float the company another $30 billion, giving taxpayers a 60 percent stake in the company. As part of its agreement with the government G.M. has agreed to close 17 factories, eliminate brands including Pontiac and sever its manufacturing agreement with Saturn.

Auto parts magnate Roger Penske is in talks to purchase the Saturn brand but, even if he does, Shemwell said he wants no part of the resurrected company.

"I bought a franchise for a company that made cars in Spring Hill, Tenn.," he said. "If he (Penske) buys Saturn there is no way the company will be American. Ford is not going to buy it. G.M. doesn't want it. Chrysler's bankrupt, too. There's no one left."

Shemwell added, "I didn't buy a foreign car franchise. I bought an American one."

Saturn of Carbondale is one of 150 out of a total of about 460 Saturn dealerships to close, including one in Cape Girardeau, Shemwell said before adding that he might reopen at the location as a used car outlet.

In the meantime, he said, he feels for those employees he was forced to cut.

"That's been the hardest part of it," he said. "We had a family here. We didn't have much turnover. People made a good living here. I'll be fine. I've made it through worse. But I worry about them."