I need to be more specific. You cannot get SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS on a 9-5. I know the car is safe and fun to drive (which is why I own one, a 04 Aero Sportwagon) but the lack of this most basic of safety features is simply unacceptable. The rear seat passengers are left completely vulnerable in a side collision without side curtain airbags. I challenge anyone to fine another luxury car, or any car for that matter that in 2008 that does not have side curtain airbags available even as an option!!!! My reason for sharing this is to underscore just how far GM has let SAAB fall. Any new owner, and I mean ANY will be an improvement.

Well, then we are agree. You see, I met a guy a couple of months ago and he wasn’t aware of that his 9-5 had side airbags. So I thought maybe…… :/)

These could conceivably be rebranded as Chevrolet, but why loose many decades of goodwill and pay to redecorate hundreds of dealerships? Commercial truck buyers are very conservative, so GM could conceivably loose a few accounts in the process.

I still think GMC should only sell to business customers.

I need to be more specific. You cannot get SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS on a 9-5. I know the car is safe and fun to drive (which is why I own one, a 04 Aero Sportwagon) but the lack of this most basic of safety features is simply unacceptable. The rear seat passengers are left completely vulnerable in a side collision without side curtain airbags. I challenge anyone to fine another luxury car, or any car for that matter that in 2008 that does not have side curtain airbags available even as an option!!!! My reason for sharing this is to underscore just how far GM has let SAAB fall. Any new owner, and I mean ANY will be an improvement.

Maybe I am getting you wrong here, but the 9-5 has always had side airbags……. And it is still among the world’s most safe cars. Also one of the best cars to drive

So, back to the GM plan:
Johnny Aero again (quote): This is a great day for SAAB. GM has ruined our once great auto maker. New ownership could only be an improvement. Can anyone actually see a situation were a new owner could make the current lineup worse?

I think I’ll second that! SAAB needs another owner than GM. OK, GM has put some money into SAAB the last couple of years, but I really don’t think an american automaker is what SAAB needs. Just take a look at the US lack of understanding about what cars Europe wants. It’s enough just to look at Caddy BLS. US cars don’t attract europeans, and now (according to CNN ) not even the americans.

Off course, compared to nothing GM is the one that might keep SAAB alive in the long term (at least they had the money) There also might be a risk that SAAB will disappear if GM collapses, but I doubt it. I think SAAB as a brand is of such a great value out there that it hopefully will be bought by a serious buyer sooner or later, hopefully before GM collapses. The Swedish government has said it will try to protect it’s car industry and that’s a good start while we are waiting for the GOOD and SERIOUS buyer that hopefully will show up.

One of the biggest problems SAAB might be facing right now is that SAAB is too integrated in GM and therefor will be less attractive for potential buyers.

And finally, this corporate aircraft issue should have been solved a long time ago. Keeping this corporate aircraft fleet alive more or less into what might be the end of GM tells me alot about the management culture (wasn’t there a similar issue over at Chrysler just recently?):

And, of course, after the PR debacle last month, the aircraft must go.

GM is immediately ceasing all corporate aircraft operations, unfortunately impacting approximately 50 hourly and salaried employees. GM is currently exploring options for transferring the aircraft to another charter service operator and/or pursuing disposal of the aircraft. These actions are in addition to recently announced decisions to reduce the total number of corporate aircraft.

Oh well, time will show. It’s indeed changing times and the whole world is now really in bad weather after the US economical collaps, and that weather won’t change tomorrow.

Rgds
-Olav-
Still on the longest way home when out there with my SAAB. I love you, SAAB!

Remember Congress? The people who have trouble running a country, yet pontificate about errors of the American auto industry? The plan is meant to give congress the feeling that it done “something” in return for the loan.

Congress
Demand: “You have too many brands”

GM (Internal monologue: Ya we do! But who do we eliminate? Chevy and Caddy, no way! GMC is super profitable. Buick does well in China. Sell Hummer…we can’t give it away. Saturn..maybe..no new products. Saab…we have all these new product coming…but these guys don’t care, since it a foreign brand)

Answer: We’ll concentrate on ChevCadBuickGMC, and the rest are under “strategic review”

What does this really mean? Hummer is probable gone (duh), Pontiac will stop (thank god!) making the G3 and G5, Saturn will wither away… and Saab…

…well Saab… there are still working the new models..

Hopefully, “under review” is deliberately put vague so the politicians will be happy but GM don’t have to commit to anything. There’s the chance of that. BUT if GM sells Saab then GM has lost all attractives (for me) and if they do go bankrupt after that I couldn’t care less.

Saab doesn’t really fit in anyway. GM’s philosophy and Saab’s are very different. I reckon Saab needs an owner that understands Saab’s individuality, not an owner that wants to turn Saab into a mainstream throw-away car.

I’m still optimistic… And I agree that we, the Saab people, need to make our voices heard. We should try and convince the american politicians, GM, and any potential buyers of our view! As soon as my workingday is over, I’m gonna start sending emails to the states…

You’ve identified the main issue.

Saturn is not the problem, Pontiac is not the problem, and Saab is not the problem. Even the number of dealers is not the problem.

The main problem with GM in North America is that they’ve been selling junk cars year after year and seeing their market share go down, even though they are the least expensive option in almost every market segment.

GM talks about the JD Power version of “initial quality,” but not about real quality. Here is one specific example: GM’s replacement brake parts are of significantly lower quality than the stuff that gets fitted on the assembly line, often to the point of not fitting properly. What that means to the consumer is a brake job every year after the first three years, frustration, and ultimately a new Honda in their driveway. AC Delco makes huge margins on brake parts, but they do so in a short-sighted way that has driven the company to the brink of bankruptcy. I’ll bet the manager who came-up with that plan got a huge bonus and a promotion.

This is the first question I would do to GM if I am one of those political morons………Another thing.

this is a good detail………..page 6,

According to very recent market research (conducted by CNW Marketing Research), more than 30% of consumers who considered a GM vehicle and purchased a competitive product instead cited the possibility of GM bankruptcy as the top reason for not buying a GM product. This is more than double the percentage of the next highest reason.

with the uncertainty with Saab, and other brands…..but basically with Saab, because with 15 words in the whole document isn’t quite serious. When tomorrow every European TV or newspaper is going to talk about……….SAAB FOR SALE!!! this is gonna hurt a lot to Saab sales.

regards