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My thanks to ctm for another translation, this one of a brief interview with Saab Sweden’s head honcho, Jan-Ake Jonsson.

The original article, in Swedish, is at allmotor.se

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Jan-Åke Jonsson, VP Managing Director of Saab Automobile AB, is hopeful about the negotiations with the government about financial aid to Saab. He expects results within a few months.

- “We have good negotiations, they are conducted in a constructive spirit. We have a business plan that shows how we could ultimately become a profitable company. The government is now studying the plan in detail. The analysis is not finished, but should be within a few months. It is quite urgent with a decision,”, he says in an interview with DN during the current auto show in Detroit.

Earlier in the day (Sunday), he met with Fritz Henderson, President and COO of GM. Along with Carl-Peter Forster, head of GM Europe, and Jöran Hägglund, State Secretary to the Minister for Enterprise and Energy, Jan-Åke Jonsson discussed the future of Saab and the type of aid the company needs. It is not just about Swedish government aid, the efforts must be coordinated with similar relief efforts in Germany and the US. Governments are keen to have the tax financed incentives to stay in Sweden, but that is easier said than done due the fact that the car industry is global business and activities in different countries so integrated with each other.

Jan-Åke Jonsson would not disclose how much he would like the government to decide on. It is about both rescue loan – emergency money – and government guarantees for loans in the European Investment Bank.

- “We have a detailed business plan and of course I know how much we want, but I can not go public with it,” he says.

2008 was a particularly tough year for Saab. The number of cars sold fell by about 25 percent to 94,000 cars. A forecast for 2009 is something he will not give.

- “No, no,” he says, raising his arms. – “I can not even plan for the next week or the next 14 days, who can in this market situation,” he says.

- “It is almost all about psychology, customers are scared. Hardly any cars are sold anymore,” he said, appealing for help from the media.

- “Can’t you highlight positive things as well, so people can regain confidence about the future?” he says.

- “Sure, we can talk about the new Saab 9-3x that you will show in Geneva in March,” I reply.

- “No, you can not, you must tell the customers to buy our current models. They must start buying now,” he says.

- “Jokes aside… Fritz Henderson is a true friend of Saab and has the greatest confidence in us. If only we can get help to get us out of this extreme situation, we have a good chance to succeed and grow to become a profitable manufacturer,” says Jan-Åke Jonsson.