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I don’t think writing this is going to make me any more popular in Detroit, but I do want to acknowledge something I saw – and was really happy about – this morning over at Autoblog.
AB have a post there titled Saab responds to oblivion comment for the 9-4x. In that post, they cover a response from SaabUSA’s Jan-Willem Vester to an earlier post they wrote on the 9-3x and 9-5, where they opined that due to the 9-4x not being mentioned as a 2009 release, they thought that Saab might slowly slide off into oblivion.
Jan-Willem responded as follows:
The word ‘oblivion’ is certainly not in Saab’s vocabulary anytime soon, especially since the Swedish government has proven be to be very supportive of the brand as one of its best known products around the world and a main source of jobs for the region.
I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank Jan-Willem for responding in support of the Saab brand.
I firmly believe that this is a by-product of recent moves to make Saab more independent from GM. For the last couple of years, SaabUSA have been pretty silent in responding to the various comments made by the media. It’s been up to sites like this one and others like it on the web to carry the torch in this regard and Saab have been increasingly mocked by the automotive pundits as a result.
Saab don’t need huge shows of bravado or posturing, but they do need to grow a pair, stand up for themselves and demand the respect they deserve as a brand. This was a decided step in that direction and I think the comments section of that post at Autoblog bears this out.
Saab make some really fantastic cars and I’m convinced the ones we’re going to see later this year are going to extend that tradition. More than any other year, 2009 needs to be a year where Saab stand up for themselves.
I hope the Saab people in a few more jurisdictions follow this lead. A letter from the Saab people here in Australia to that joker from The Australian newspaper wouldn’t go astray, for starters.
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9 responses so far ↓
1 Kevin
// Jan 23, 2009 at 10:01 am
On the subject of the 9-4x, I had emailed Saab USA a few months back and asked if the 9-4x concept vehicle will be at the Chicago Auto Show (I live in Chicago) and I was told yes. I went to purchase my tickets for the show online and didn’t see any mention of the 9-4x or any other concepts from Saab. I emailed Saab USA again this last week and they confirmed it is not at the show if it isnt on the auto show website. Very dissappointing as this vehicle was one of the top reasons for going to the show this year. Saabs going to have one poor showing with the current lineup.
2 SaabKen
// Jan 23, 2009 at 10:32 am
Swade,
Is it possible that the 9-4X isn’t mentioned as a 2009 release is because there may be more complexities with Saab transitioning to become a more independent entity from GM ? Which could make the 9-4X manufacturing contract in Mexico a bit more complex, from the accounting and financing standpoint ?
Just wondering …..
3 Swade
// Jan 23, 2009 at 10:42 am
Ken,
I think it wasn’t mentioned because we likely won’t see it in 2009. As far as I know, the 9-3x and 9-5 will come in 2009 as per the GM press release that Autoblog were talking about at the time. The 9-4x, which I believe will be made, will probably debut early 2010 and therefore wasn’t mentioned as a 2009 vehicle in that GM release.
As I mentioned in my extended entry on the 9-3x and 9-5 piece yesterday, many of these automotive sites covered the 9-3 and 9-5 info because they got an email from Saab pointing it out to them. The email didn’t mention anything about the 9-4x so AB tried to think for themselves. They didn’t do the required reading, though, and just assumed.
4 Beren Erchamion
// Jan 23, 2009 at 10:44 am
I agree. what happened to those horns and the broad sword? I’ll be a Saab owner as long they are sold in the US. I hope that’s for a long time
5 sumitkn
// Jan 23, 2009 at 11:36 am
hear hear
saab needs to now run like the wind
not squander the chance it has been given to become what it could be
not sit on the sidelines gasping for breath or enjoy the oxygen for too long
its time to run run run and deliver and ship INNOVATIVE PRODUCT
and differentiate itself in the market like it deserves to
it must remember that it is one hair breath away from oblivion at all times
and needs to over perform
- ship a commercial version of the aero-x
- ship a 9-5 that isn’t a “me too” product
- ship electric
- ship all of these ASAP
- and evolve them to perfection
- while growing the rest of the product line
superior execution right now is all that will help prevent oblivion if not now then soon
all that matters is results
6 zippy
// Jan 23, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Swade, I thought you were gonna tell us that SaabUSA fixed that bloody awful “Build Your Car” facility on the website.
7 Kroum
// Jan 23, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Sumitkn, you sounds like a GM exec.
Build build build
Ship ship ship
Perform perform perform
Grow grow grow
Run run run
Sell sell sell
Execute execute execute
It’s true that all that matters is results – they don’t usually grow on vines, though.
Y’know, the automotive business – any business for that matter – is not just boardroom high talk about tis and dat.
Invest a billion or two in Saab now, I bet you they will:
Build build build
Ship ship ship
Perform perform perform
…
Ah, well, you get the idea.
8 Jeff
// Jan 23, 2009 at 2:00 pm
ha. yes. i wrote comment 29 over on autoblog about that little oblivion content. they need to up their game. nice work with the inside line correction with the mexico/sweden correction. you’re completely right. makes no sense to move to trollhattan. UNLESSSS there’s some stipulation by the swedish gov’t reps who need to see all production in sweden for some dumb reason.
9 sumitkn
// Jan 23, 2009 at 4:33 pm
wish GM execs actually did what i sound like – saab would be stellar
instead they choked it to near death – and sucked all the innovation from it into random brands. i am sure that there was/is plenty to fix within saab culture as well to cause it to execute, but you get my point
never what i would have done