Haven’t been to this site for about 8 months but good to see you’re all still kickin’.

I have to say that my sentiments at the news were similar to swades. But, you know SAAB may end up coming out of this better than GM. SAAB learns, GM doesn’t.

At least you can say that SAAB have moved with the times or been a force for it. GM on the other hand? Call me crazy but i think SAAB will look more the winner long term.

Cheers,

This sounds like GM eating the cake and but still having it, or how does that old proverb go.

“Our sources have said that if and when a sale of the Saab division occurs, it would include the Trollhattan, Sweden assembly plant that currently builds the Saab 9-3 and Cadillac BLS (a European-only model). Although details such as this could change depending on the situation, GM does not intend on selling off Saab’s engineering side, which has been responsible for several safety advancements and turbocharged engine development for all of GM.”

My interpetation; vsl (austrian engine developer who run old GM powertrain), TWR, pininfarina, or any other skilled high-tech Development companies. There are quite as few big players in europe who makes important stuff cars even if they are not as car brand.
And that keeping Saab as a brand.

A Car analyst at a university had the idea that Saab & Opel could build a new Company together with support from the two governments.

However, lost opportunity has never been a factor in decisions concerning Saab in the past so why should it be any different this time.

Sure, Saab is costing GM money, but it’s a mere trickle in the green flood that’s pouring of GM’s arteries each day…

I think it’s the costs of the UAW healthcare and pensions that are killing GM, because the money that should have gone to that have probably been speculated with and lost in the “money market”.

The american government should probably need to take that cost off GM’s shoulders, then they might survive longer than 2012.

Weird world indeed…

The other day, JAJ said that despite the lack of sale Saab in the US were basically a profitable business. That means that it can’t be far from being profitable in the Europe. So from where does the billions of dollar GM bleed come from? Saab?

Why sell it now when they have a brand new model in final testing, and are ready to release pictures of another brand new model? And all this work have been done together with other brands as an integrated part of GM after 15 years of not being that integrated to GM?

Sell the brand and keep Trollhättan plant? For what? Building Opel models? Why? Opel needs to be built in low cost countries to compete. They don’t need the Swedish mojo. And without Saab manufacturing in Germany, I don’t think Opel or the unions like the idea of closing down capacity in Germany to save Trollhättan. Not gonna happen. Also, no need for a 100,000+ factory to build 10,000 Opels for the Swedish market.

Sell the brand and keep the R&D in Trollhättan? Do they really think they can have all those engineers working for other GM products when there is no Saab? Forget it. They will move on to Volvo or just do something else. Major brain-drain for GM here. And if I remember correctly, there were global centers for R&D in safety, infotainment/telemetry, production processes, turbo charging, manual gearboxes… Sounds like something GM really really need if they wanna sell cars to outside the trail trash and hillbilly segment.

Keep the brand, sell the Trollhättan assets, and move everything to Germany? Risky. Again, they will lose a lot of engineers, Saab will definitely not be Swedish anymore, and hence there is no point having the brand.

From time to time, I wondered what was going on inside GM HQ. No I really wonder if there are any true business people and visionaries at all in command, or it’s just 100% bean counters thinking they can run an auto industry with an Excel sheet…

Rick Wagoner had two cars to show, and then spoke about ethanol (a “Saab-thing”, for sure). One of those two cars was the 9-4X Concept. Less than 12 months ago, and now they want sell Saab? Does not make sense in my world … They will keep Saab!

Cheers!