Trollhattan Saab has changed!
The site you're viewing now is the original Trollhattan Saab weblog, though it's now an archive only and no new material is posted here. As of February 2009, all new material is posted at our new site - Saabs United.
Please join us at Saabs United and get your daily Saab fix from Saab sources all around the world.
Love Saabs? Ever wanted to share your story, your thoughts?
My ability to write here for the next few weeks is going to be hampered by the fact that I’m starting an entirely new blog. It’s very time consuming exercise, but one that will be well worth it when it’s ready. The new site will overcome some of the organisational problems built up in ignorance in this site’s infancy and will replace TS, which will eventually become an archive only.
So, if you’ve got something Saaby on your mind, I’ve got space. The pay’s non-existant, but it’s a fun undertaking.
Please note: whilst all will be gratefully received, not all submission will necessarily be selected for publication.
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Memo to the good people at Saab Belgium (exceptionally good, I’m told).
Please buy your spokesmodels at the Brussels show a coffee.
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AlexM sent though Russian sales data for Saab in 2008.
Russia was one of the few countries in the world where Saab recorded a sales rise in 2008. The total number of Saabs sold in Russia in 2008 was 1,269 vehicles, which compared favourbaly to the 757 sold in 2007 (+68%).
There was even a small sales increase of 15% in December, when numbers almost everywhere were going through the floor.
Alex does say, however, that the situation in Russia is deteriorating as it is elsewhere, and that people are losing jobs. There is little chance that they’ll hit 08 sales numbers again in 2009.
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Spotted on Flickr (as was the Brussels Saab girl but sorry, no links)
Because it should be seen….
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10 responses so far ↓
1 ctm
// Jan 20, 2009 at 12:18 am
Here we go again… I want my TS! *feeling grumpy*
2 Sensonic
// Jan 20, 2009 at 12:30 am
Hopefully the new blog will also be called Trollhättan Saab since it’s already almost an institution
I think you just couldn’t come up with a better name, or could you???
3 Etienne Saabhuy
// Jan 20, 2009 at 2:31 am
If you want to see some more shots of the 9-4x girl in brussels, have a look at saabhuy.net
4 Jeff
// Jan 20, 2009 at 4:08 am
Swade, time to wake up! GM is splitting SAAB into their own division…it’s official!!!!
Thank goodness. Now the real excitement begins. Also, I have lots of Saaby designs that I’m working on in 3dstudiomax and cinema4d and would really love to give a more focused and concentrated idea of what Saab branding, marketing, and design should push towards. This is so great!
” New York – The loss-plagued Swedish car manufacturer Saab is to be split off as a separate business by owner General Motors to make it more attractive for a purchaser, the US trade magazine Automotive News reported Monday.
GM has been searching for months in vain for a purchaser for its Saab branch.
The newly organized entity would allow the Swedish producer to have control of its decisions and finances, the magazine reported, citing unnamed employee representatives. Product development and production would no longer be overseen by General Motors Europe, whose main core is centred on Opel.
GM is currently being kept afloat by government credits and to continue to receive such support must prove to the government that it has a credible survival plan by March. “
5 Karen
// Jan 20, 2009 at 5:11 am
@Jeff – this is the report I found. http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/19/report-gm-getting-saab-ready-to-stand-alone/
Makes total sense, and a fine start on the path to Saabfreedom.
Thanks for the good news on Russia. I disagree about future sales. If ever there was a market for Saab to grow, it is Russia. One would think Saab could be the car of choice for Russian government fleet purchase.
6 WooDz
// Jan 20, 2009 at 5:45 am
Wouldn’t be ironic if the only brand to generate a profit for GM in 2009 would be SAAB…
7 wilfried
// Jan 21, 2009 at 1:40 am
I hoped to see the 9-X BioHybrid & the 9-X Air prototype in the actual Brussels show. Unfortunnally Brussels being not that important as Detroit, all we got was a nice 9-3 XWD & an open model of the haldex system, a nice TTiD convertible, a 9-3 and a 9-5 Griffin labeled estate … and the 9-4X prototype. That last one didn’t hit me like Maurers 9-X a few years ago. I wonder who will buy this 9-4X, once in production ? On the other hand at the Audi presentation, visitors crowded around the new production Q5, the car just wasn’t visible anymore, same situation at Volvo’s XC60 a bit less people compared with Audi but both in great contrast with Saab, where I seemed to be the only person looking at the thing. And this seemed not to be related to the fact that it was a mere protoype instead of a production car as the Citroen Hypnos attracted lots of spectators.
When I arrived at the Saab presentation, the girl was gone. Apperently Etienne had more luck. Best looking car presentation of the complete fair in Brussels (but I wished they presented the 9-X Air)
8 Etienne Saabhuy
// Jan 21, 2009 at 1:56 am
Yes I was lucky enough to be there on the press day, it’s the same in Paris and Geneva after the press days…nice girls around the car are gone ..
It’s true the only concept in brussels is more than one year old !
See you in geneva for the 9-3X
9 wilfried
// Jan 21, 2009 at 2:08 am
Only girls I saw were some devilish red ones at dodge. I’m not suggesting those should have been sended to the us-senate for teasing …
10 Etienne Saabhuy
// Jan 21, 2009 at 2:52 am
You can seen these red ones here : http://racingphoto.skynetblogs.be/