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2009 – it’s 900 backwards (with a 2 on the end)
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2009 – it’s 900 backwards (with a 2 on the end)

December 31st, 2008 · 32 Comments



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Could the ‘900 factor’ mean a good year – finally – for Saab?

It’ll be a tough year in terms of sales but hopefully the latter stages of the year will see some excitement with the new 9-5 being shown and finally offered for sale.

So, in a continuing tradition here at Trollhattan Saab, here’s 9 things I want to see in the new year.

——

1) A good owner for Saab

Is there anything more important on Saab’s horizon than this? General Motors have until March 31st to prove their sustainability and present their case for more funding from the US government. GM’s marketing maven, Mark LaNeve has already mentioned that there’s progress on the sale of Saab, so that “strategic review” they were talking about doesn’t look like ending with Saab keys in GM hands.

The one thing we all want is a responsible, believing owner for Saab. The brand has so much to offer the right owner. We just have to hope that that right owner comes along.

2) A good outcome for GM

Despite my annoyance with GM’s management over the last few years, no-one in their right mind would want the company to collapse. They haven’t grown Saab to any notable degree, and they’ve probably sucked a lot of the intelligence from Saab, but they’ve also kept the brand alive so that it can be sold.

All the Saab employees that I’ve met and enjoyed some time with are GM employees also. They’re great people and others just like them work with other GM brands. I may not like their product, but I hope they go OK.

3) No concept cars

As much as I like looking at them and imagining the future, we’ve seen enough concept cars for the time being. And I can’t imagine a concept that I’d like more than the 9-X Air, anyway, so let’s just enjoy that one for a while longer, eh?

What Saab need in 2009 is new products that people can actually buy and drive. The good news is that we’ll get it.

4) A clever Saab 9-3x

I hope that the Saab 9-3x turns out to be a strong contender, and is tested and proven to be as much by the motoring press. I hope people see it as a genuine SUV alternative. I hope Saab market it in a really clever fashion and craft it into a real niche player for the upwardly mobile thinkers that are currently heading towards Subaru dealers.

It is the most sophiticated all-wheel drive system in the world, after all. There should be something to tell in the promotion of this car.

5) A killer Saab 9-5

This is the most important all-new model release for Saab in the last five years, primarily because it’s only all-new model release from Saab in the last five years.

The importance of the new Saab 9-5 can’t be overestimated. Saab are most likely going to have a new owner some time this year and the success of the Saab 9-5 is going to be crucial to the future existence of the brand.

All those continued existence things aside, don’t we all need a new Saab to drive??

6) Plenty of buzz about Saab

Along with these new models, I’m hoping there’s plenty of buzz around Saab this year. It’ll certainly make my job here at Trollhattan Saab a lot easier :-)

Saab have become a bit of an automotive football in the press lately, kicked around by just about any journalist with a free minute where they’re not kissing up to BMW or Toyota. With a good new owner and two good new products in the pipeline, there’s plenty of reasons to believe that Saab can end 2009 in a much better position than they’re ending 2008.

I hope the press see it that way.

7) Some good times to write about – and some growth as a result

Linked to the item above, I hope that a year of hope for Saab can lead to a more positive outlook and pleasurable writing experience here at TS.

As many of you know, 2008 has been the toughest year so far for this site; personally, financially and technically. 2009 is going to see some big changes here and I hope that those changes signal a new beginning with a new site that’s ready to cover Saab’s own new beginning in 2009.

8) A good year for you and your cars

This site is nothing without two things – some great cars to write about and an audience to read it all.

I hope you all can weather the storms that the pundits say are coming and have a great 2009. I hope you discover a bunch of new reasons to enjoy driving, and driving your Saabs in particular. These are great machines and really rewarding to own and drive. I hope you get to see the best of that in the coming year.

9) ….And a good year for me and my cars!

I’ll celebrate the new year by jumping on a plane to go to Melbourne and collect my Saab 9-3 Monte Carlo. I’m sure I’ll have plenty to share about that car in the coming year. I just hope the car works out to be the pleasure that I’m anticipating.

I think it will – and I can’t wait to get my hands on it :-)

——

Happy new year to you all. Thanks for your continued presence here through the ups and downs of 2008.

To all the people at Saab in Sweden and elsewhere around the world – thanks for another year. I hope the light at the end of the tunnel gets brighter by the month.

See you all in 900-2.

Oops. I mean 2009.

–

Tags: Uncategorized

32 responses so far ↓

  • 1 MarkacNo Gravatar // Dec 31, 2008 at 6:51 pm

    Whoever buys Saab is going to be reliant on GM parts for at least some time to come. A total collapse of GM could be deadly for Saab so let’s hope GM survives. That being said, I don’t think GM can ever go back to operating the way it used to. That just has to be a good thing.

    Let’s hope the new 9-5 can make it back to Trollhattan even if that causes a short delay, it’ll put the new owner in a better position.

    I agree no more concept cars! Let’s see some pre-production prototypes for a change. ie: 9-1 and new 9-3. Hell, we have even seen a pre-production 9-5!

    Good luck with the Monte Swade and have a great year with it. I hope I can do something with mine in 2009! (That wasn’t meant to rythme)

  • 2 ctmNo Gravatar // Dec 31, 2008 at 8:35 pm

    Markac,

    Whoever buys Saab is going to be reliant on GM parts for at least some time to come.

    True, but the only two cars they have are old and could/should be replaced ASAP. :) Compare with Volvo who has a full lineup of cars of different age and in that way much more dependent on Ford for some more years. The 9-4X and 9-5 seems to exist, but since they are not even in production for another year (?) or so I’m sure a buyer would just scrap those projects and move them to another platform. If the buyer is another car company, that is. My bet is still that an pure investor gonna take control of Saab but that it will continue to share technologies with GM. The reason is simple: no car company will invest in new brands in times like these. But before an investor steps in, they have to be sure that GM survive. If GM goes south, I’ll doubt anyone would want to pick up one of their brands until the situation is stabilised.

    Anyway…

    About 12 more hours to go here in Sweden until year 900-2 – the second coming of the 900 spirit! Happy New Year to all you sorry TS addicts! :) And with a hope of much better times to all the good people at Saab!

  • 3 Robin MNo Gravatar // Dec 31, 2008 at 8:50 pm

    Swade, I would like to take this chance in wishing you and your Family a great New Year. Also to wish everyone who travels to this site each and everyday a very Happy New Year too. Keep Saabing. :-)
    Heres to 2009.

  • 4 TompaNo Gravatar // Dec 31, 2008 at 9:30 pm

    Swade, Eggs and all. Happy New 2009!!!

    New owner for Saab.. The Russians maybe? Tons of money and in dire need of a premium brand. In dire need of tech assistance R&D etc…
    As long as they care and give Saab free hands in making Saabs Saaby.. I believe this to be something for Saabs future.
    Well, realy I don´t care as long as the new owner looks out for Saab and cares.

    Cheers every one!

  • 5 TompaNo Gravatar // Dec 31, 2008 at 9:41 pm

    Marc. Would GM´s demise realy be that leathal for Saab? Most stuff come from other supplyers anyway. But.. I stil hope GM pull through.

    Cheers!

  • 6 MarkacNo Gravatar // Dec 31, 2008 at 10:46 pm

    Tompa: I’m not sure that the whole of GM would need to survive, but I think Opel needs to. If Opel was gone many of the suppliers might go too. Hopefully a new owner for Saab can quickly stem Saab’s dependance on GM parts, but that will still take some time.

  • 7 BernardNo Gravatar // Dec 31, 2008 at 10:57 pm

    I think that GM will get to keep Saab, provided that Saab North America is cashflow-neutral by March 31st.

    I really don’t think that anyone out there can put together a reasonable offer for the brand, especially not the Chinese. Their internal market is collapsing as fast as the American market, and they have too many brands for their own good already.

  • 8 SwadeNo Gravatar // Dec 31, 2008 at 11:38 pm

    It’s 2009 here!!!

    Come on in. The water’s fine :-)

  • 9 fuzziNo Gravatar // Dec 31, 2008 at 11:58 pm

    lol, for me the best solution would be :
    put Saab with Opel and do the same than VW and Audi
    A3 + GOLF
    A4 + PASSAT
    Q5 + TIGUAN

    9-1 + ASTRA
    9-3 + ?
    9-4X + ANTARA
    9-5 + INSIGNIA

  • 10 Nate 9-3No Gravatar // Jan 1, 2009 at 12:34 am

    We all agree that SAAB should be bought by another company and that it will be an asset to whichever company purchases it. However, all that I have seen is that the patents and manufacturing abilities in Trollhattan is what will be purchased. Who is going to engineer these SAABs if in fact GM keeps all of the engineers as they claim that they want to do? How SAABy will SAAB be if all of the SAAB designers and engineers stay with GM? Who will be engineering SAABs?

  • 11 MarkacNo Gravatar // Jan 1, 2009 at 12:37 am

    Happy New Year everyone!!!. And good luck to Saab’s new owners whoever they might be? I sure hope they will take the bridle off and give the brand it’s head. After all the years of strangulation and stagnation by GM, it sure as hell needs it!

    I must admit I’ve always hated the term “brand”. It sounds like something you attach to a can of soup or baked beans just like Heinz or Campbells. I hope Saab’s new owners can truly make SAAB a “marque” again.

  • 12 zippyNo Gravatar // Jan 1, 2009 at 12:42 am

    Thanks for a great year Swade and making me realise that all the talk of a BMW in my parking stall downstairs would have been a mistake.

    Im with fuzzi, let Saab become an ‘upmarket’ Opel akin to Audi.

    Long live Saab — long live TS! Happy New Year everyone!! :)

  • 13 Etienne SaabhuyNo Gravatar // Jan 1, 2009 at 12:42 am

    Happy new year Steven !!!

  • 14 fuzziNo Gravatar // Jan 1, 2009 at 12:56 am

    thanks zippy and happy new year to all , but here in Europe it’s only 3.56 pm lol

  • 15 fuzziNo Gravatar // Jan 1, 2009 at 1:00 am

    “marque” is French

  • 16 MarkacNo Gravatar // Jan 1, 2009 at 1:28 am

    fuzzi: Marque might be French but it is often used to descibe the make of a car. BMW is a marque and Saab was once, but since the beginning of this decade, it has only been a brand.

    I agree with you and zippy to some extent about Saab going in with Opel and in a perfect world that might work. Unfortunately with GM’s track record, it’s never going to give Saab the necessary resources to properly differentiate Saab from Opel, especially not now. The only chance that that could work is if Opel attains at least some degree of separation from GM NA and that probably won’t happen quickly, if at all? Otherwise all I can see happening is Saab slowly becoming Opel’s Riley or Wolseley. A prestigious name applied to a lesser car. I’m afraid that’s something I’d rather not see happen.

  • 17 fuzziNo Gravatar // Jan 1, 2009 at 1:44 am

    Opel and Saab must only be splitted from GM USA and do the same thing than VW and Audi
    Saab “premium marque” and Opel only “marque” lol

  • 18 Ron57RCNo Gravatar // Jan 1, 2009 at 1:58 am

    I do like 900-2.

    At Adrian Smith Aberdeen, my nearest SAAB dealer, one of the sales team instigated a pricing system whereby the screen price for a car in the 9-5 or 9-3 range ends with those digits e.g. £21,995 or £19,593 respectively.

    Eight hours to go here in the Northeast of Scotland. Here’s to you all. May you and yours have a very happy and safe New Year.

    SAAB will soar again.

  • 19 fuzziNo Gravatar // Jan 1, 2009 at 2:29 am

    19.593 £ , that’s 20.372 €
    is this for the 9-3 1.8i Basic

  • 20 SaabKenNo Gravatar // Jan 1, 2009 at 3:07 am

    HAPPY NEW YEAR to you and yours, Swade. 2008 was certainly highlighted by your (return) visit to Vancouver and our tri-club meet/run in Washington state.

    Peace.
    Ken

  • 21 Ron57RCNo Gravatar // Jan 1, 2009 at 4:58 am

    fuzzi – “19.593 £ , that’s 20.372 € is this for the 9-3 1.8i Basic”

    Apologies if I misled anyone. I pulled the price examples from a Saab Approved Used Cars list dated 11 July 2008 which I picked up the week before I purchased my Sept ‘05 9-3 1.9 TiD Vector (150 bhp).
    The price examples were for a Mar ‘08 9-5 Aero 2.3 Hot (260 bhp) saloon – £21,995 and a Mar ‘08 9-3 Linear SE 1.9 TiD (150 bhp) saloon – £19,593. Both with less than 150 mls on the clock.

  • 22 Troll96No Gravatar // Jan 1, 2009 at 5:11 am

    Still only 11 AM here in California, but the New Year spirit is building.

    Saab’s #1 asset is the belief, which we all seem to share, that it’s capable of great things, if only allowed to be itself. The company has been prevented from marketing some of its best ideas. In a perverse sort of way, that makes the company seem more interesting that its current lineup of cars. Let’s hope that others see the hidden value as well.

    Happy New Year and long live Saab.

  • 23 Dan S. @ Racing ReadyNo Gravatar // Jan 1, 2009 at 6:11 am

    Swade, all the best to you & your blog, as well! Cheers…

  • 24 MarkSNo Gravatar // Jan 1, 2009 at 6:43 am

    How they with dignity may stand; or fall,
    If fall they must. Now, whither doth it tend?
    And what to him and his shall be the end?
    That thought is one which neither can appal
    Nor cheer him; for the illustrious Swede hath done
    The thing which ought to be; is raised ‘above’
    All consequences: work he hath begun
    Of fortitude, and piety, and love,
    Which all his glorious ancestors approve:
    The heroes bless him, him their rightful son.

    -William Wordsworth

  • 25 Dan9-1No Gravatar // Jan 1, 2009 at 7:14 am

    happy saab thousand and nine all!!!

  • 26 ctmNo Gravatar // Jan 1, 2009 at 8:28 am

    Ring-klocka ring!

    Hjaha Iäm drunk :)

    30 minutes to go

  • 27 TompaNo Gravatar // Jan 1, 2009 at 9:36 am

    It´s 2009 in Sweden!

    I´m not drunk.. Only woozy.. ;-)

    Cheers all fellow Saabers! May your 2009 be a great year. Mine starts with a brand new Scania Garbage Truck. Cheers

  • 28 TompaNo Gravatar // Jan 1, 2009 at 9:38 am

    Oh.. Scania and Saab again.. But that wont work since VW has aquired Scania .. Hmmm. But it would be sweeeeet!!!!

    Cheers

  • 29 Dan9-1No Gravatar // Jan 1, 2009 at 10:03 am

    wooo Saab-thousand and nine is here in the UK

    catching on yet?

  • 30 KarenNo Gravatar // Jan 1, 2009 at 10:32 am

    Saab-thousand and nine as Year of the 900, may its spirit energize all Saabs and all of us who love them. Thanks Swade and all who come here.

    @Nate 9-3: true Saab designers and engineers will follow.

    (I think GM is reading our comments because I saw a thoughtful commercial for Saturn today WITHOUT ‘Made by GM – Surprised’ tag.)

    great fireworks in Sydney Harbor!

  • 31 eggsngritsNo Gravatar // Jan 2, 2009 at 6:16 am

    Ha! 2009 backwards is also 9000 + 2. Perhaps that hints towards an Italian owner given the history of the 9000?

  • 32 wilfriedNo Gravatar // Jan 5, 2009 at 11:59 pm

    Happy New Year Swade & all you Trollhattan-readers/commenters.
    (I’m a bit late with this, but a few days without any digital instruments around me was just great to start the year).
    As always with Swade & Eggs, this was a good reading and I hope you ‘ll both find the strenght and energy to continue this saabblog.