Saab are officially “under review”

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The full text of GM’s submission to the US Congress leaked early (surprise surprise).

To save you all the trouble of looking, here’s the only sentence in the 27-page document that mentions Saab:

GM will also immediately undertake and expedite a strategic review of the Saab brand globally.

That’s it. One sentence. 15 words.

To make that little bit of corporate-speak clear – Saab is now up for sale.

You guys keep posting in comments. I’m going to try and make sense of it all and post a summary up here on site so keep checking in.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to scream a nice, loud SCREW YOU to all the mofos at GM have who have sucked the life out of our favourite little brand and now intend to hang it out to dry. May the hairs on your bum turn into fish hooks and rip the sh!t out of you.

——

Comment of the moment, from Troll96:

Notice how GM plans to increase its emphasis on flex-fuel cars, hybrid technology, turbocharging and 4 cylinder engines. So, of course, Saab has to get the ax. Am I missing something here?

Rignt now, in the heat of this particular moment, I hope Wagoner’s Malibu hybrid breaks down on the way to Washington.

——

Here are the bones of the GM plan for those who can’t be bothered reading through the whole thing:

GM’s plan involves the following moves:

• Slashing hourly costs in North America by $3.6 billion in an attempt to make GM competitive with foreign automakers no later than 2012. GM currently has 96,000 workers and the goal is to have 65,000 to 75,000 workers by 2012.

• Reducing or eliminating four of its eight brands and cutting the number of dealers. The plan involves exploring the sale of Saab, talking to dealers about the future of Saturn and shrinking the Pontiac brand to more of a niche offering.

• Cutting executive compensation and eliminating its corporate aircraft fleet. CEO Rick Wagoner will take a $1 salary next year, and GM is cutting the top four senior executives will see their cash compensation slashed 50 percent in 2009. Neither Wagoner nor top executives will receive bonuses this year or in 2009.

• Complying with the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which was designed to improve fuel efficiency and cut dependence on foreign oil. GM outlined its current lineup of cars and crossover vehicles and plans to shift its portfolio towards producing even more of the fuel-efficient vehicles. For 2009, GM has 18 models in the U.S. that gets 30 mpg on the highway and that push towards more fuel-efficient vehicles will continue, Henderson said.

The bill for all this?

GM is asking for $18 billion in financing, which includes a $12 billion loan and a $6 billion revolving line of credit that would be tapped if the market worsens.

The automaker would make several withdrawals of the cash in coming months. GM needs $4 billion this month to pay its bills and would draw $4 billion more in January.

GM would make a $2 billion withdrawal in February or March for a total of $10 billion. The remaining $2 billion would help ensure GM has enough cash to pay its bills through the end of next year, assuming an annualized sales rate of 12 million units.

The $6 billion line of credit could be tapped if the U.S. auto industry worsens to an annualized rate of 10.5 million units.

–

57 thoughts on “Saab are officially “under review””

  1. Okay so it’s basically official.

    Now the questions are:
    1. Who would want to buy Saab in a current market condition.
    2. How do GM intend to ‘sell’ Saab, just as a brand badge, or a wholesale with all associated technology and IEs.

  2. And I second the SCREAM, nay, LOUD SHOUT of ABUSE at GM. Screw your.

    In the 20 years of GM ownership, the mothership took away whatever they could from Saab, tubro know-how, safety design features etc, and move key personnels away from the Saab core. Without give much at all in return. Give them shit all to work with.

    This would have accounted to child abuse in a human court. Ain’t a lot of American companies great at doing this sort of thing? Buying up a viable company, strip away all it’s assets to fatten their wallets (although in this case it’s more to do with negligence and incompetence). See the many airline and manufactuering fails from 80′s.

    My only hope is now, by miracle, Saab do not fall into Chinese hands.

  3. Good riddance. My only hope now is that someone will pick our beloved little automaker and provide it with the resources it needs to be globally competitive.

    GM will meet their faith no doubt. A government bailout is only going to extend their agony by a year or two. And if Saab does not make it through this shitstorm, I won’t be going to Cadillac.

  4. I found this section somewhat informative (i think):

    o Significant asset sales completed or underway
    - GMAC (51%)
    - Allison Transmission
    - Suzuki
    - Isuzu
    - Fuji Heavy Industries
    - Electromotive Division
    - AC Delco (in process)
    - HUMMER (in process)
    - Strasbourg Powertrain Facility (in process)

    I suppose that proves Saab has more, in terms of future
    value/potential, right?

  6. Let’s not jump to conclusions, there’s been too much of that already.

    Saab is under strategic review, that’s it for now. The optimist in me says that maybe GM will properly look at what Saab stands for and give is some due consideration for once rather than treat it as an afterthought.

    Personally I am quite happy with the forward direction, just not the pace. 9-4x built at Cadillac quality level, 9-5 built at higher than Opel quality. Ideally, the future 9-3 and 9-1 built in Trollhattan again with improved quality. Building the various models in geographically appropriate locations based on their size and proximity to target markets makes great sense for once. Bad time to be chucking Saab out the window.

  7. Indeed, now that the love (what love?) has already been split, let me say:
    I hope you die a horrible miserable death GM, and by the look of your incompetence, you will do, sooner than later.

    P.S> also – ‘under review’ could also mean a complete close of shop, if there are no viable buyers.

  8. I read that as possibly pulling out of certain markets.

    And to third that SCREAM at those tossers within GM who cant see past Cadillac

  9. I’d also like to take this opportunity to scream a nice, loud SCREW YOU to all the mofos at GM have who have sucked the life out of our favourite little brand and now intend to hang it out to dry. May the hairs on your bum turn into fish hooks and rip the sh!t out of you.

    Wow, not the kind of language you expect on a world-class site like TS. I expected a little more class than calling people these kind of names… I hope Swade comes to his senses soon and removes that paragraph.

    Sorry Wulf, not today. I think I’m allowed to vent a little once every four years and the explicit parts are covered up, kinda. – SW

    There is nothing wrong with venting but I think it is not a good choice to use words like mofos. Why not use the complete word? Just my opinion..

  11. Highly skilled engineers and technicians might leave the “sinking” ship. If SAAB looses key players that could be a major issue. People at SAAB needs not to have to worry about having a job, therefor the swedish government must go in and support as owners or providers of “cheap” capital!

  12. Good riddance GM. Not sure if you really “get it” still with this plan. We’ll pray for ya.

    Pontiac shrunken to a niche specialty brand ? It ALREADY is with mixed identity, low sales volumes that overlap performance of Chevy’s “Sport” models, and models like the G5. Sounds like (hopefully) they may pare Pontiac down to just the G8 and the Solstice. I suggest ditching the G6 coupe/convertible (FWD) and slot in a mid-sized RWD coupe.

    “The number of GM nameplates would drop from 63 today to about 40 by 2012, Henderson added.” ………. SO 40 nameplates will all sell successfully ?!?!?

    Still hanging on to GMC ?!? I guess there’s one born every minute …..

    Shutter Saturn. Develope good Chevy models to go against the Hyundais, Hondas and Toyotas of the world. Malibu is a great start.

    Bury Hummer. World doesn’t need it. Use GMC name to add more trucks.

  13. Class has nothing to do with it, and to be honest I’d loved to see a bit more passion like this when it comes to stuff we held close at heart, and less of the PC crap.

    Besides it is a special day, so a little vent is allowed surely. Could well be the day we will remember in 30 years time driving our classic 9-3SS and 9-5 to classic car conventions, as the day Saab died.

  14. I’ve been reading every post here at TS for the last couple of weeks about this whole mess, and I just don’t know what to say.. But if they kill Saab, or just sell the badge, I don’t know whether I should cry or get furious…

  15. For that they win a lot of millions?? that’s it?? that’s the added value for the group for they earn all that money?? pfffffff I am not agree with all that people that now they are agree with a control of the executives earnings, but I am not agree also with all of them that win all of that money when they are responsible of all of that mess. If the owner of the company agrees with the salary of the executives because its a good executive and give added value to the company, then ok, but if that executive its responsible of all the mess, why I should give all that money???

    the worst thing is the word “expedite”, that means they are gonna do the things fast fast fast and that means, mistakes, badly done and the worst for Saab.

    regards

  18. I am gonna take a flight to Detroit(from Spain), buy one of those cadillacs and burn it in front of the f****** Renaissance Center.

    Allusions to blue language are OK today, but let’s keep the explicit print of Carlin’s seven magic words on the backburner – SW

    Or a better one………the BLS, trip to Detroit.

    checking the news from Autonews.com

    Reducing the number of GM brands and nameplates, a step GM critics have demanded for years.

    Henderson said GM will seek a buyer for Saab. Pontiac will be shrunk to a “specialty, niche” brand, Henderson said. GM already has put Hummer up for sale.

    Under its franchise agreement with Saturn dealers, GM will seek a new course for that brand, Henderson said. Asked whether GM would sell or fold Saturn, he said he would not eliminate any options.

    The brand “is just not successful,” Henderson said.

    bunch of morons, Pontiac as a niche brand?????!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF!!!!!!!!!

    regards

  19. could be for the best…we’ll all have classics now!

    Kind a fed up with the gm influence anyway… it’s a strong brand with a great image and a lot of people loving it for life…if that kind of brand can’t survive these times, what can…

    i’m sure i am going to a festival next spring, not a funeral !

  20. Wow, lets see! I hope its not the ultimate death of SAAB. Hopefully someone can find value in aquiring SAAB even in these conditions. I think SAAB has a lot of potential. Especially as of late that they are moving forward with some really nice models. GM should stay and always should have been GMC – Chevrolet – Cadillac – Pontiac.

  22. Ok, Saab enthusiasts, its time to stand up and make our voices heard. Maybe not as exacting as Swade, but we need to plaster GM’s and Barak Obam’s info email with our opinions. Oh and if you know of any possible automakers or other large conglomerates, plaster them with the idea of buying Saab. The power of the pen is mighty!!

  23. Has SAAB set the date for the SAAB Festival yet?
    Now is the time to unite!
    A big crowd and a massive turnout might show the world and “good” investors the real value of the users, owners, collectors deep spirit for the brand SAAB and for what it stands.

    Individuality – Free thinking – New ideas – Safety – Performance

    It is so strange: SAAB makes the safest cars on the market “Top Pick” in the US for 3? consecutive years. Have developed the 1,4l “Right-sized” engine GM so much in need for. I do not get it! Uncle Rick do You?

  24. Aren’t we missing the Opel part of the equation here? As Saab and Opel shares much technology today, what GM intends to do with Opel will probably affect Saab significantly (and I think the Swedish goverment has said it’s working together with the German on support for Opel and Saab).

  26. I think all of us are taking these announcements with mixed feelings: good riddance to GM, and where to now Saab? Is it technology that GM intends to rip out of Saab before letting it go, or will Saab remain intact after this all blows over.

    On a personal note, this puts my next Saab purchase into question: do I hold out for a possible 9-3X, or try and scoop up a 9-3SC sometime late next year before production all but dries up. Interesting, frightening, exciting times indeed.

    Swade, you should have some interesting site stats to review at the end of this month. :-)

  27. This is why I’m a Ford guy through and through, they never pull this kind of shit the way GM does

    Look at Volvo’s products and lineup before Ford ownership and look at them today, and tell me with a straight face that the Volvo of 2008 isn’t a better company than the Volvo of 1998. Their range has been expanded with quality products that are far more competitive than anything Volvo built in the 90′s save for the 850. Whoever ends up with Volvo will get one hell of a deal, all that brand needs is a revamped ad campaign and maybe a facelift on the S80.

    Look at Jaguar too, in the 1980′s they were building terrible, unreliable cars that could trace their chassis designs back to the time of the Beatles. At the time of the Tata deal, Jaguar had some of the highest reliability ratings in it’s class, the best platforms in it’s class (the lightweight aluminum XJ and the Aston-derived XK) and the stunning XF. The only blight was the X-type but Ford learned their lesson and I’ll look past that because Ford also gave them the AJ-V8 and the all-aluminum XJ.

    Finally, look at Land Rover and tell me their lineup at the time of sale wasn’t 100x better than it was in the 90′s with the Honda-based Freelander, the “cherokee with pretensions” series 1 disco, and the rust-o-matic range rover.

    Ford left all of it’s European brands far, far better off than they were before the blue oval got involved. Ford also left their reputations intact, so intact that despite their improvements they had some trouble overcoming their old reputations so that their sales haven’t reflected the improvements in their product lineups.

    What did GM do to Saab? They took away all their powertrain development money so that in 2008 Saab is still stuck selling cars with the 30 year old H-engine in them. They forced them to try and make BMW-fighters out of old Opel platforms and in the process destroyed Saab’s once sporting reputation. Their products have gotten less and less competitive relative to the competition, while the brand image has subsequently suffered. To make things worse for Saab, GM has strip-mined them of all of their technological know-how to the point where the Cobalt SS now has a more advanced engine and braking system than the pathetic, “halo car” Turbo X.

    I like my Saab, I like it alot. I also like the idea that Saab might just might end up with Renault, Fiat, PSA, or maybe even Tata now that it’s up for sale. But realistically, unless GM is willing to give up everything it’s taken from Saab, the likelyhood of the company existing as more than a brand name seems pretty slim right now.

    Here’s to hoping that the GM bailout gets nixed, I want to see their fantastically inept management have to answer for their actions once the whole thing goes Chapter 7. You reap what you sow.

    (Ford and Chrysler on the other hand do deserve those bailouts, because Ford isn’t managed by complete retards and Chrysler’s uncompetitive products are largely the result of the DaimlerChrysler years)

  28. Tomorrow morning I´ll go in our garage and take a good look at my 900 T16S. It´s one h*ck of a special car. And I think it just turned even more special. Thank goodness we still have our Saabs, no matter what will happen to GM. If they thrash Saab brand away completely, I will never forgive it to them. No matter who´s to blame.

    GMC – what´s that? Pontiac anyone??

    Saab is Dead, long live Saab.. eh..?

  29. I took a look at Fastlane, no sensible thing to read, Bob Lutz is hiding behind some Volts.
    In ‘Speculation and Facts’ (dated november 19th) Carl-Peter Forster is dreaming about a bright future. http://drivingconversations.gmblogs.com/carl-peter-forster/
    Saabdotcom global site doesn’t load in my browser, is this a sign of ‘review’ already ?

    Time for a small Pollhattan ?

    i.e.
    pessi-ying
    or
    opti-turbin

  30. Porsche and Saab shared dealers and showrooms in Paris -Madrid – Marseille during the 90′s…
    Could work…

  31. I don’t know if anyone out there would be interested in Saab if GM doesn’t plan on parting with the engineers. That’s what makes a Saab a Saab, frankly is the technology advancements. Regardless if they have been put into real world applications or not(insert the many concept vehicles >here<). I think any established automotive corporation out there with enough cash would be willing to pick up Saab for cheap if they can aquire and tap into the genious and ingenuity that is Saab.

  32. Cadillac sales are down almost 50% from last year. Saab sales are down just over 50% from last year.

    The difference is Cadillac has a brand new CTS and a hybrid Escalade, along with an entire lineup newer than anything Saab has to offer.

    And *Saab* isn’t successful!

    Oh, and remember dear Mr Wagoner that hybrid Malibu you’re driving was, in the most basic form, created by the Swedes.

    And for anyone thinking this could be a good thing for Saab, forget it. GM will keep as many of the engineers as they can, GM will keep the rights to the cars being produced in Trollhattan now and those which were planned for the future, and GM will make sure the company who buys Saab cannot produce anything like the 9-3, 9-5, 9-3X, 9-4X, or new 9-5 – mark my words.

    I’m not one for cursing, but resisting is painful right now.

  33. So “no 9-3, 9-5, 9-3X, 9-4X, or new 9-5″ (bmw 3-5-6-7)

    What’s wrong with 900 ? Porsche didn’t mind…

  34. Who knows maybe GM will only want sell the controlling interest in Saab so that whoever does come in with the cash enough to invest into the malnourished and neglected brand . That GM would be there to reap the rewards as well if and when Saab bounces back from these dire straits. To me , to much product development went into the look and feel of the new Saab line-up to just throw it all away. Tata didn’t do that with JAG and I’m sure whoever the new suitor may be will do likewise.

  36. Swade,

    I have been a fan of GM for a while now. But I have to say that your comments are extremely appropriate for this situation.

    I just hope that Rick and Fritz (now OFFICIALLY the dumbest men alive) realize what a gem they plan on throwing out!!!

    I mean seriously, Saab makes TURBO’d 4cyls…. peppy AND efficient. Saab builds RELIABLE TURBOs…. even more of a feat! Saab builds RELIABLE TURBOs while ALSO building HIGH-QUALITY cars INSIDE and OUT!

    what else could GM want right now?!
    and thats without mentioning Saabs diesels……

    bornfromjets03

  37. Note they have not mentioned other European brands of GM. Most of us like Saab for many reasons, turbocharging, safety, etc. But one key reason to like is the ‘European drive’ to the car. I have driven the other GM brands, no comparison and would never switch to them. My point is, why not create a ‘GM Europe brand’ and sell in Europe, worldwide, and as a new opportunity in the US. Why rebadge into a Saturn Astra, sell the original under the GM Europe brand.

  39. GM has quite literally raped Saab by sending Saab designers and executives to other GM divisons. They have dragged their feet coinstantly wasting precious money on concepts and not enough money on something that we can actually drive. The 9-5 should have been replaced in 2005 by a new model so what did GM do? Cancel it! Without a 9-5 Saab is unsaleable and GM will turn Saab into a technological centre for GM and close down the car production completely. I wanted to replace my 9-3SS in about seven years time with a new model 9-5 albeit a secondhand four year old example but at this rate it looks like she will be replaced by a BMW or a turbocharged ovloV. If GM shutter Saab car production my wish, selfishly, will be that GM dies completely.

  40. Francoism,

    Of course your Turbo X will be covered by warranty. On top of that, you have a great car that can last you more than 20 years, so you don’t really need to worry.

    Worse case scenario, you will need to buy spare parts over the internet in 2028 instead of getting them from your local GM dealership.

  41. Such hatred and hostility. As an American I think it is important to remember GM going under will mean not only a lot of folks unemployed, but GM is also the largest provider of health benefits in the US after the Federal Government. SAAB being for sale is good for SAAB. If GM where to say they are keeping SAAB and they then go under (which is likely with or without a bailout) what do you think would happen to SAAB? They would cease to exist, at least now SAAB has a chance of survival.

  42. On the bright side, Ford supposedly pulled out all the stops on the 2010 S60 as part of sweetening the Volvo sell. It’s supposed to be to Volvo what the XF was to Jaguar, and it’s supposed to be going in a surprisingly sporty, BMW/Infiniti-hunting direction. Oh and it sounds like it will actually be designed and built in Sweden.

  43. I lost my career in 2001, but this is far worse. I survived my first Saab, the 1976 99GL named Sven, and despite an astonishing number of breakdowns, including my clutch exploding on the Cross Bronx Expressway in 1983, there was no turning back. I still miss my 1987 900 (Pablo – don’t ask). BEST Saab/car ever. Beat the blizzard of 1995 when every Jeep and SUV got stuck on the Garden State Parkway ( aTV commercial that would have sold a million Saabs).

    In 2000, 260,000+ miles later, gave Pablo to a young man whose dream had been to love a Saab. Wary of GM, I still stayed loyal and my 1999 9-3 (20% off due to being a promotional leftover) is now approaching 105,000 miles. Not happy when I discovered it has an Opel platform, but, except for the broken heat control knob that requires a totally new dashboard, this nameless 9-3 has been reliable, though not as good in freezing rain as my beloved 900.

    Three cars since 1976, three Saabs, NEVER a single accident or problem in winter. One bad dealer, but what did I expect from a Chevy dealer in Yonkers? Worth the 50 mile drive back to Reinertsen in NJ.

    And now GM is screwing with the only part of my life I can still rely on? I cannot even drive another car anymore.

    Where do I sign up to save Saab? Even better, to restore Saab to it’s treasured place in automotive innovation, safety, and FUN.

  44. The GM establishment likes Saab, has always done, thats why they have kept the brand,
    invested in new concepts and products to be launched soon.
    The for sale sign is pure manipulation to congress, as it is to please patriotic congressmen.
    What GM could do is to sell a 49% stake in saab to the Government
    (we’re talking about whats left in sweden,
    in terms of production facilities and crashtest dummies), and signal that they have made
    most of increasing cashflow. Saab still fits in nicely into the portfolio, as the only european
    brand that has international recognition, (Sorry Opel/Holden/vauxhall).

    The real worry is that the turbo – renewable fuel engines developed in sweden would have to
    be moved to america, to support a “green deal” by the new administration. So at this point,
    the best scenario is; saab still being part of GM enjoying their nuts, bolts and technical strength,
    while securing production in sweden by the ownership stake of the swedish government.

    At this point saab only makes abt 100 000 cars in a good year, im not sure GM europe is happy to
    give this to is arch rival AUDI.

    By the way, what does this GM report say abt OPEL. That should be an interesting read!

  45. I think that many of you are jumping to conclusions right now. look at Turbins and J’s comments.

    First, i have to say that 15 words is not that much for a brand that has lost money almost every year. If they would not have said anything it would have been simply stupid. Remember GM are going to congress (as well as the swedish government) to ask for money. For congress they have to show that they are looking at every possible item (incl corporate salaries and every brand), and telling the swedish government that saab is safe would not make that case better either.

    Secondly, like the GM bosses have said, selling saab now when they have invested all the money in development would be too late.

    No, this is what i think. I think pontiac will die slowly as it only sells in NA. Buick is safe as its popular in china, and saturn will be the rebranded opel / vauxhall, higher than chevy, lower than saab. Cadillac will move towards MB and saab will be tailored towards infiniti, audi, high end VW and bmw to some extent.

    GMC will probably also faide away.

    However, scrapping brands is very expensive and the only way of doing that may be to sell the brands (some states also have complicated franschise regulations that makes it even more costly) so maybe pontiac and gmc will be sold to make the pain less. Especially pontiac do not have any new products out there (vibe and a rebadged holden) so their is probably not that much investment to be lost.

    CJ

  46. With my lease up on my 2006 93 SC in January, not four weeks ago I put in an order to purchase an 09 93 SC. Not sure what I should be doing now, I am reviewing canceling my order and going with a VW Passat wagon.

    I am really in a quandry, not sure what the future would hold if I were to actually get the car. Dealer network? Parts? Even greater depreciation than normal?

    I am buying my next car with the intent of owning it longer than 3 years as I did with my current 93, so I see even greater risk with the SAAB now.

  47. Okey guys, lets paint the future in bright colours and forget abt the past.
    The German and Swedish government should team up to save OSV
    (opel-volvo-saab), it would be an interesting alliance, similar to
    vw-audi-porche and fiat-alfaromeo-?. There would be huge savings in sweden
    and germany to combine the technical departments of trollhättan and volvo.
    Opel would get a decent size partner in Volvo to develop european products
    and international sales distribution.
    The obvious strategy would be to make opel your solid mainstream brand like VW,
    and develop volvo as your AUDI equivelant, and finally saab move up to become
    a porche brand. Saab will never survive playing solo, even if its attached to Opel.
    To create a stable relationship volvo needs to balance the influence of the germans.
    Remember that FIAT left GM, Landrover was kicked out of BMW and Toyota adopted
    Subaru. As any divorce, there will joint custody for a while, complicating things, but
    its amazing how adaptable the car industry has become.
    Any to think of Germany and Sweden being quite radical on the green agenda and life
    style, with European legislation shrinking cars, I have all the trust that a union will
    benefit saab, to reach its full potential. Saabs time in GM has had some negative
    aspects, but the full benefits of tapping into GMs load of designers, was only a few
    months away from being unveiled. Saab is not what it was in the 80s, its a new
    type of animal, that through adaptation will succed and be the brand we all know,
    it can become, when the financial winter turns to spring. The future is bright!

  48. Boys!Boys!Boys!…while most of your rage is understandable, my “crystal ball” says Saab, Opel and Vauxhall are not nearly as bad off as GMs “real” North American problems of which Saab is maybe the last 1%. The way too many number of GMNA dealerships(6000?) and their overhead and unsold inventory(some 862 THOUSAND units last I heard), the inability to obtain financing for themselves and potential sales, stand in stark contrast to the lean-and-mean US Saab dealers(maybe 100? now)(especially the remaining stand-alones) that are basically out of ’08 models, waiting for ’09s. Better to be way low on inventory and down to skeleton crew in this horrible market than the other way. Saab dealers know how to endure this, cuz this has been their MO basically forever. This bloodbath will continue to hit most of the others hard(ie fatally) but I foresee most of the Saabers as already having taken the hit.

    GMNA is going to have to go C11 if they have any chance of breaking franchise and labor agreements that are killing their products, competitiveness and profitability. Ditto FordNA and Chrysler. That will end up being thrown in the lap of the US gummint and taxpayers and maybe a bit to the Canadians. If GM is forced to divest GMEurope, I believe that between the Swedes, Germans and Brits(and other EUers), GMeurope will live to fight another day. Cheers!

  49. I have NEVER believed in GM’s so-called “commitment” to Saab. GM executives have been blowing smoke about it since the unveiling of the 9-X concept in 2001 and look where we’ve ended up! Saab stepped up to the plate from a design and engineering standpoint time after time, but invariably GM withheld the resources needed to bring these concepts to fruition and opted to follow the path of least resistance with “badge-engineering”. In my opinion, GM was sitting on a gold mine with Saab but squandered it in the pursuit of a quick profit. I don’t know what the solution is for Saab at this point, but I have an intense desire to give GM’s management a collective dope slap!! GM (as if you’re listening), I must say that Saab’s corporate philosophy was always well beyond the boundaries of your intelligence. I’d also like to suggest something physically impossible involving your backsides and a Cadillac Escalade.

  52. Personally I think after reading that sentence over and over again, GM will pull Saab out of the US. I think Saab will remain part of GME (in the four brand that GM states will be concentrated on in the US, means just that, in the US, not GME brand. Remember Saab is GM’s only truly global brand) will possibly/hopefully some input from the Swedish Government.

  55. Yes Mike – it was Beck. Ripped me off for two years (I am a woman). Final straw was when I took my 1987 900 in when the fuel lines got gunked from Mobil gas. Beck said I needed a new engine for $9000+ (this was in 1999). Towed the car to a guy in The Bronx on Post Road who fixed it for $5.

    Beck Chevrolet probably singlehandedly killed the Saab brand in lower Westchester/Bronx. Case study of how GM damaged Saab.

    I started driving 50 miles back to Reinertsen in Denville NJ after that. THE BEST. Solely Saab.
    I like Pioneer in South Deerfield, MA too, even though they skew to Volvo.

  56. Karen: Did you ever try Arrow Way Saab in Katonah? I used to only deal with Westchester Saab in Braircliff Manor (on North State Road off of 9A) LOVED THEM, THEY HAD THE BEST SERVICE. Unfortunately, they saw the handwriting on the wall last year. They dumped Saab, closed the small showroom that they had and moved to a state of the art, new building where they sell (you guessed it) BMW… The good thing is that the owner did not fire the Staff. They all went to BMW school.
    EVEN THE TECHNICIANS. I have kept in contact with my old Saab sales guy and he could not be happier. The entire Saab Staff was sad at first but they are very happy now. New products and great owner support by BMW. HOW SAD IS THIS FOR SAAB. When it was time for me to sell my
    02 9-3 convertible, I found a great 2004 9-3 at Roberti Saab. They were just as good. A little higher north that I liked but it was worth it. UNFORTUNATLEY, THEY HAVE JUST CLOSED THEIR DOORS.
    That leaves me with Arrow Way and Beck. (for going local) If you were me, would you get out of the Saab for the BMW? Arrowway doesn’t even give loaners but the Tek is very good.(Peter Doyle) (Master Level Tek.) I used to use Beck about 10 year ago. They were just o.k.
    I NEVER HAD TO THINK ABOUT GIVING UP A CAR THAT I LOVE. If I go to BMW, no convertible for me. I will have to get the coupe all wheel drive. Nothing else comes close to a Saab for the winter roads. Sorry for the long post, I am just pissed off being a Saab owner that is now left in the dark.

  57. A global brand that only sells about 100,000 units is hardly going to set any manufacturers heart on fire. When you add to that that the brand has had no new models in 6 years and its sales figures are dropping every year what is the point in buying the risk??

    If Saab were to close next year sadly people would just buy another marque-
    As a “true Saab fan ” writes – “I wanted to replace my 9-3SS in about seven years time (well that’s relevant to Saab/GM and bank lenders now then!!) with a new model 9-5 albeit a secondhand four year old example but at this rate it looks like she will be replaced by a BMW or a turbocharged ovloV”

    If the very low lease prices were not available to the big UK companies today the sales figures would be truly embarrassing . On the back of that GMAC is loosing millions and millions of pounds a month disposing of these cars when it comes to selling them on when they come to the end of their lease.

    As a brand (and that is all it is nowadays) there really is very little to differentiate between Saab and the other GM mainstream vehicles in Europe.

    In such an economic downturn ,as we are seeing now, it was always going to be a fact that not everyone who makes cars would survive.
    There are too may car makers selling too many models ….to not enough customers . In the real world Saab is by far the weakest brand in the US and is the easiest for them to close.

    I fear that production will stop shortly while they try and “sell” Saab and when that’s fails they will close it down .