Trollhattan Saab has changed!
The site you're viewing now is the original Trollhattan Saab weblog, though it's now an archive only and no new material is posted here. As of February 2009, all new material is posted at our new site - Saabs United.
Please join us at Saabs United and get your daily Saab fix from Saab sources all around the world.
I’ve just got back home from the Lang Lang test drive to find this in my inbox from Djup Strupe.
First the Euro Delivery program goes, now this……
Subject: Important Update regarding Saab Aero Academy Program
Effective July 1, 2008 Saab will discontinue offering purchasers of 2008 and subsequent model year Saabs participation in the Saab Aero Academy in Braselton, GA. Customers who purchased prior to July 1, 2008 will receive information regarding the Aero Academy in the mail and will have the option to participate by paying the $495 enrollment fee. These customers will have 1 year to enroll and participate in the Academy providing that space is available. Customers that purchase after June 30, 2008 will not receive any of the Aero Academy materials and all reference to the Aero Academy will be removed from Saabusa.com after close of business on Monday, June 30th.
Actions needed by every Saab dealer:
* Please make sure every person involved with the sales process of new Saab’s (Sales Consultants, Managers, F&I, etc) are aware of this announcement.
* Immediately remove all Aero Academy literature and point of sale materials from dealership (brochures, DVD, etc).We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
The apology was a nice touch. I hope they understand if I decline erasing all memories of the Aero Academy’s existence from this site.
The beancounters do their thing once again, eh?
16 responses so far ↓
1 eggsngrits
// Jun 29, 2008 at 11:14 am
Difficult, but it is a sign of the times.
2 Tedjs
// Jun 29, 2008 at 11:45 am
Sign of the times is right. Sad but true.
3 Wulf
// Jun 29, 2008 at 11:47 am
It seems like they’re cutting cost where they can. Difficult times for Saab USA with the weak dollar.
4 Kevin
// Jun 29, 2008 at 12:21 pm
eggsngrits, It seems you have an understanding of the situation.
Swade, Somehow you have failed to understand the financial difficulty of the parent company. Although I no big fan of GM but even I can understand this measure in these difficult economic times.
GM stock last year at this time was $43.20 USD per share and now it is $11.21 USD per share. This May saw a decline of 27.5% in unit sales compared to last year and a 15.9% decline YTD compared to 2007.
GM, Ford, and Chrysler relied too heavily on trucks and SUVs for profit and neglected all other product lines to their long term economic detriment. This is typical of American corporations that only look at the next quaterly financial statements as the way to run a company.
The of the revenues from those truck and SUVs profits earned during the profitable years should have been re-invested into the other product lines so when the inevitable happened (higher fuel cost) the company would have products that consumers would actually buy. Due to their managerial ineptitude they are struggling to cut cost anyway possible and the Aero Academy got the ax.
Even Jim Cramer said GM should file for bankruptcy. Now maybe GM will have to sell Saab. Be careful you may get you what you are asking but it may not end up the way you would like. At least we can hope for the best.
5 MitchbSC
// Jun 29, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Sad. Saab has even less differentiation in the luxury market. I guess $1495 per driver had zero market potential to keep the lights on at Road Atlanta with Skip Barber.
Aero Academy was an incredible experience. Many performance driving schools are no where as approachable for drivers of all ages and sizes and skill levels. The Skip Barber crew at Road Atlanta is outstanding.
The only other manufacturer-type program comparable to Aero Academy appears to be the BMW 2-day performance driving school in Greer SC. I wonder how BMW keeps 1-4 classes per month full and profitable (?) for this school at price of $1,095. I guess its their own facility and staff maybe … and sheer volume of cars they sell.
Now that Saab has been given the zero driving passion treatment of the rest of the GM brands, what’s next? Saabs in the rental car fleets? Saab going the way of Oldsmobile with Saab technology lifted to make the MILFs in the Cadillac CTSs even more ziggy off the line?
6 MarkS
// Jun 29, 2008 at 9:51 pm
If GM is so hard up for cash, it might do well to reconsider it’s misguided efforts with Cadillac in Europe, for instance. If some such blunders were corrected perhaps there might be some available cash for Saab programs and advertising. Has anyone seen a Saab ad lately? I haven’t seen a single ad in print or on TV, or heard anything on the radio in ages. I’ve noticed Cadillac ads everywhere, and lots of Buick ads for “the finest luxury crossover ever”, or words to that effect, and ads for the Buick LaCrosse (http://portlavacapontiacbuickgmc.com/Model.aspx?d=31). Check out the link. I don’t see the GM corporate radio in there which is being shared by Chevy and Saab in the interests of economy. Anyway, I’m not much of a fan of the “Born from Jets” campaign, but Buick’s “Drive Beautiful” slogan is just downright idiotic and perhaps not the best use of advertising funds. Sometimes I have to wonder what’s in the water coolers over at GM corporate.
7 David Tortora
// Jun 29, 2008 at 10:26 pm
This is very unfortunate. I have been to the Academy and it was an exciting expierence. The instructors were very professional and didn’t even laugh at some of the crazy driving they observed made by the students. By taking the course, I found out many defensive driving tactics and by the time the course was over, I felt that I was a (much) improved driver. Lastly, the Academy was a heck of a lot of fun. I, for one, am sad to see it go.
8 Racing Ready - Dan S.
// Jun 30, 2008 at 6:10 am
Damn, that’s about the last straw! When I started reading this blog pretty much daily over a year ago, having the European Delivery Program & the Aero Academy were awesome incentives to save up for a 9-3 purchase. Although the car is still great, those HUGE incentive are now gone & my purchase desire greatly diminished!
Do you hear that big sucking sound?
That’s the sound of the continuing negative spiral of future Saab sales here in the US…
Boo-hiss, GM ! ! !
I still like the vehicle, but I am now working on alternative methods to become ‘Racing Ready’ with my blog. Road Atlanta is one of many excellent road racing schools here is the US; there are other good alternatives to aspire attendance to & participate in.
[Sorry about the broken blog image links - it broke & I'm restoring the database - more administrative fixin' fun...]
9 GWC
// Jun 30, 2008 at 11:42 am
I attended the Aero Academy and I can say it being offered had nothing to do with my decision to purchase a SAAB.
That being said, I imagine many a SAAB have been “sold” by Aero Academy visitors telling telling their stories to friends and family (or anyone else that would listen).
10 Ying
// Jun 30, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Damn! I was saving up to pay for myself to go to that! As a 2nd hand buyer I didn’t qualify for the cheap price, but I still wanted to go.
Now it looks like it’s an impossible dream.
Can anyone recommend a similar program to develop advanced driving technique for safety driving on public roads?
11 Steven
// Jun 30, 2008 at 11:49 pm
So does anyone know what percentage of Saab Aero purchasers actually go to Aero Academy?
12 KWK
// Jul 1, 2008 at 3:29 am
I am lucky that I attended just before Labor Day – it was a fantastic and memorable two days in which drivers learned substantively how to handle cars in panic situations to avoid disaster. The instructors were all as professional and encouraging as one could find – a true joy. I wonder where this leaves the Turbo X Academy?
Although we are seeing a bump in the road for now, I think that Saab is in a unique position at GM to come out smelling like a rose with its turbocharging technology – as for those stupid “jet inspired” ads in the US, instead of that B.S. which has absolutely no substance, the ad men should be pushing Saab’s long held responsibility in performance with gas sipping technology in a luxury brand. They could show old footage of 99 and 900 Ts or have them running along side of the Turbo X or even a 9-5 for that matter and have that pull away (why is that car so forgotten? I think mine is terrific). I believe that kind of campaign would bring customers in the door now with existing product until the new product comes along.
13 MitchbSC
// Jul 1, 2008 at 8:18 am
My continued interest in Aero models was predicated on some form of Aero Academy being around. Alas, I might lose (some) interest.
Yes, a very low percentage (single digits?) of owners ever took advantage of Aero Academy.
Ying, check out the BMW Performance Driving School in Greer SC.
I was at the dealership today. They hadn’t received the news about Aero Academy. This was the Sales Manager too. He was handling the paperwork to replace our Lemon Law-ed 9-7x Aero with a GMC Acadia. I’m finally out of that mess, eagerly awaiting the 9-4 to get the Mrs. MitchbSC back into a Saab.
Oh yeah, the Mrs. went to Aero Academy in June. She wants to come back to Saab when Saab has a crossover sized vehicle.
14 turbin
// Jul 1, 2008 at 9:20 am
“replace our Lemon Law-ed 9-7x Aero”
That’s a shame MitchbSC, are you at liberty to share what happened there? Good to see Mrs. is still interested in the 9-4.
15 MitchbSC
// Jul 1, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Curtains. The damn thing decided it needed curtains. The side airbags deployed for no reason. While being driven. With my wife in the drivers seat.
I don’t know the whole story from a technical standpoint. So, I will not speculate further.
The car hit the 30 day out-of-service South Carolina Lemon Law by the time all the wheels in GM started turning. The was a phone-based grilling done by GM to my wife. There was a teardown of the vehicle at the dealership by an independent investigator. GM told the dealership to repair the vehicle. Since the 9-7x Aero is a limited run, they still can’t find stupid things like seatbelts. Yes. Seatbelts.
Time expired on the Lemon Law clock. GM exchanged the vehicles under the same lease with a bit of money back due to differences in vehicle cost. GM treated us “OK”. Jim Hudson GMC-Pontiac-Buick-Saab in Columbia, SC. OUT-FRIGGING-STANDING service through the entire mess. I’d buy a damn Yugo from them if that’s all they offer in Dec. 2009 when my 2007 9-5 Aero Sedan lease comes up.
16 turbin
// Jul 1, 2008 at 1:31 pm
That’s right I remember the curtain thing now. Good to hear the dealer looked after you.