Comments on: Over to you….. http://www.trollhattansaab.net/archives/2008/12/over-to-you.html Saab 9-1, 9-3, 9-4x, 9-5, 9-7x News Thu, 11 Dec 2008 06:34:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Tompa http://www.trollhattansaab.net/archives/2008/12/over-to-you.html#comment-57706 Tompa Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:37:47 +0000 http://www.trollhattansaab.net/?p=10822#comment-57706 Saab will be sold. I´m not worried.. Only who will be the buyer. I´m rooting Fiat. What confuses me is: 1.What is going to happen with the 9-4X, NG9-5 and 9-3X? 2.The new Saab products are out testing although the executives must have known the outcome of todays pressrelease for some time now. Will they be released as part of the deal with a buyer and fill production? So many questions... Saab will be sold. I´m not worried.. Only who will be the buyer. I´m rooting Fiat.
What confuses me is:
1.What is going to happen with the 9-4X, NG9-5 and 9-3X?
2.The new Saab products are out testing although the executives must have known the outcome of todays pressrelease for some time now. Will they be released as part of the deal with a buyer and fill production?

So many questions…

]]> By: Patrick L(Mr_Gear) http://www.trollhattansaab.net/archives/2008/12/over-to-you.html#comment-57701 Patrick L(Mr_Gear) Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:31:12 +0000 http://www.trollhattansaab.net/?p=10822#comment-57701 Just heard it in the news here in Sweden - GM has just announced they intend to sell Saab and are now looking for buyers. Quote: “General Motors ska leta efter en köpare till Saab, uppger GM:s näst högste chef Fritz Henderson. ” Translation(or close at least): “General Motors will be looking for a buyer for Saab, said GM:s second top CEO Fritz Herderson.” Just heard it in the news here in Sweden – GM has just announced they intend to sell Saab and are now looking for buyers.

Quote: “General Motors ska leta efter en köpare till Saab, uppger GM:s näst högste chef Fritz Henderson. ”
Translation(or close at least): “General Motors will be looking for a buyer for Saab, said GM:s second top CEO Fritz Herderson.”

]]> By: Daniel http://www.trollhattansaab.net/archives/2008/12/over-to-you.html#comment-57698 Daniel Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:24:47 +0000 http://www.trollhattansaab.net/?p=10822#comment-57698 From GM: "Market and Retail Operations – In the U.S., GM will focus its product development and marketing efforts on four core brands – Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC. Pontiac will be a specialty brand with reduced product offerings within the Buick-Pontiac-GMC channel. Hummer has recently been put under strategic review, which includes the possible sale of the brand, and GM will immediately undertake a global strategic review of the Saab brand. As part of the plan, the company also will accelerate discussions with the Saturn retailers, consistent with their unique relationship, to explore alternatives for the Saturn brand." From GM: “Market and Retail Operations – In the U.S., GM will focus its product development and marketing efforts on four core brands – Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC. Pontiac will be a specialty brand with reduced product offerings within the Buick-Pontiac-GMC channel. Hummer has recently been put under strategic review, which includes the possible sale of the brand, and GM will immediately undertake a global strategic review of the Saab brand. As part of the plan, the company also will accelerate discussions with the Saturn retailers, consistent with their unique relationship, to explore alternatives for the Saturn brand.”

]]> By: Kroum http://www.trollhattansaab.net/archives/2008/12/over-to-you.html#comment-57695 Kroum Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:18:49 +0000 http://www.trollhattansaab.net/?p=10822#comment-57695 Deleted by Kroum - did not see Swade's post. Sorry! Deleted by Kroum – did not see Swade’s post. Sorry!

]]> By: Kroum http://www.trollhattansaab.net/archives/2008/12/over-to-you.html#comment-57692 Kroum Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:13:43 +0000 http://www.trollhattansaab.net/?p=10822#comment-57692 It's official now, all over the web. GM will go down to four code brands: Chevy, Cadillac, Buick and GMC. It’s official now, all over the web. GM will go down to four code brands: Chevy, Cadillac, Buick and GMC.

]]> By: Tompa http://www.trollhattansaab.net/archives/2008/12/over-to-you.html#comment-57690 Tompa Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:04:44 +0000 http://www.trollhattansaab.net/?p=10822#comment-57690 from GM.com http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet?target=http://image.emerald.gm.com/gmnews/viewmonthlyreleasedetail.do?domain=74&docid=50755 from GM.com

http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet?target=http://image.emerald.gm.com/gmnews/viewmonthlyreleasedetail.do?domain=74&docid=50755

]]> By: wilfried http://www.trollhattansaab.net/archives/2008/12/over-to-you.html#comment-57689 wilfried Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:02:54 +0000 http://www.trollhattansaab.net/?p=10822#comment-57689 OK, back years ago the 9000 was a nice example as an outcome of fiat-lancia-saab-coöperation. The 9000 succeeded, while the Lancia Thema and the Fiat version (what was the name again ?) did not. Recent 1,9 TiD is great. Not what I expected from Milan or Torino, and much more build quality compared with my ill Illy espresso machine.But why synergies between company's that get each other in the way in the market ? Isn't that just another start for future badge engineering ? A lot of (European) potential Saab-buyers might be potential Alfa-buyers. Mainly because these buyers do not like the German Triumvirate, the French stuff which is to soft or to Germanised (C4 lately?) and British brands were killed of decades ago. And because the image of a ovlov doesn't fit, nor the image of a Vauxhall, an Opel or a Ford. OK, back years ago the 9000 was a nice example as an outcome of fiat-lancia-saab-coöperation. The 9000 succeeded, while the Lancia Thema and the Fiat version (what was the name again ?) did not.
Recent 1,9 TiD is great. Not what I expected from Milan or Torino, and much more build quality compared with my ill Illy espresso machine.But why synergies between company’s that get each other in the way in the market ? Isn’t that just another start for future badge engineering ?
A lot of (European) potential Saab-buyers might be potential Alfa-buyers.
Mainly because these buyers do not like the German Triumvirate, the French stuff which is to soft or to Germanised (C4 lately?) and British brands were killed of decades ago. And because the image of a ovlov doesn’t fit, nor the image of a Vauxhall, an Opel or a Ford.

]]> By: Tompa http://www.trollhattansaab.net/archives/2008/12/over-to-you.html#comment-57686 Tompa Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:59:26 +0000 http://www.trollhattansaab.net/?p=10822#comment-57686 Well it seams like a sell is a go... Hopefully at the right price and that GM launch the newly developed cars prehand. When it comes to GM holding on to technicians i Sweden that would not be a problem for the future Saab products. I can say that to 90% Saab people remain Saab people and would follow the new Saab owner.. Which ever that is. Hopefully not a company that would totaly starve Sweden and Trollhattan from production. Bernard.. My dream is also the Fiat group. And you are right, Lancia is a very limited brand. Saab would fit the Fiat group like a glove. Cheers/Tom Well it seams like a sell is a go… Hopefully at the right price and that GM launch the newly developed cars prehand. When it comes to GM holding on to technicians i Sweden that would not be a problem for the future Saab products. I can say that to 90% Saab people remain Saab people and would follow the new Saab owner.. Which ever that is. Hopefully not a company that would totaly starve Sweden and Trollhattan from production.

Bernard.. My dream is also the Fiat group. And you are right, Lancia is a very limited brand. Saab would fit the Fiat group like a glove.

Cheers/Tom

]]> By: Bernard http://www.trollhattansaab.net/archives/2008/12/over-to-you.html#comment-57679 Bernard Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:39:43 +0000 http://www.trollhattansaab.net/?p=10822#comment-57679 Wilfried, Lancia doesn't sell in any significant numbers outside of Italy. They are endearing, but largely irrelevant. Alfa and Saab could get some great synergies going. Alfa needs Saab's turbo and platform knowhow, and Saab needs Alfa's diesel knowhow. As mentioned earlier, Alfa is already using Saab platforms (the same ones that Saab would be using if GM wasn't so gun-shy about launching new models). On top of that, Saab is established in North America, which Alfa isn't. Say what you want about the current state of the US market, the fact remains that the US is a very rich country and there is no reason to believe that the US economy will not recover within the next few years, as they have from previous cyclical downturns (every 8 years on average since WWII). Wilfried,

Lancia doesn’t sell in any significant numbers outside of Italy. They are endearing, but largely irrelevant.

Alfa and Saab could get some great synergies going. Alfa needs Saab’s turbo and platform knowhow, and Saab needs Alfa’s diesel knowhow. As mentioned earlier, Alfa is already using Saab platforms (the same ones that Saab would be using if GM wasn’t so gun-shy about launching new models).

On top of that, Saab is established in North America, which Alfa isn’t. Say what you want about the current state of the US market, the fact remains that the US is a very rich country and there is no reason to believe that the US economy will not recover within the next few years, as they have from previous cyclical downturns (every 8 years on average since WWII).

]]> By: Per http://www.trollhattansaab.net/archives/2008/12/over-to-you.html#comment-57674 Per Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:29:46 +0000 http://www.trollhattansaab.net/?p=10822#comment-57674 GM releases plan to Congress after market closes. http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage GM releases plan to Congress after market closes.
http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage

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