Ok. Now I know that Saab being sold isn’t a done deal just yet.

Jan-Ake Jonsson has come out saying that an all-out sale is lower down on the list of options they’re exploring right now. In addition to that, GM might get through their expedited “review” and decide they’re better off keeping Saab.

And in addition to that, that the current climate means that GM may not get a decent return for Saab as other companies are suffering, too, and will want to strip any purchase to the lowest amount possible.

BUT….let’s dream anyway, shall we?

The following images are taken from a slightly out-of-date automotive family tree diagram, which you can bamboozle yourself with in full over at Jalopnik if you so desire. Taking snippets like this means that you don’t get the full impression of joint ventures and other relationships, but you’ll get the gist of it.

Click on the thumbnail to see the full (slightly outdated) relationship diagram for each group.

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General Motors

As mentioned at the top, it may not be all over for Saab within General Motors. GM have put Saab under review and Fritz Henderson has come out saying that they will explore all options, including a sale of Saab to another company. Jan-Ake Jonsson says there have been a number of expressions of interest, but won’t so say who.

Despite all this, Saab may still stay with GM. Saab made a US$360m loss last year, which in automotive terms is very nearly a profit! They’ve got two all-new vehicles well into development (9-5 and 9-4x) and an alternate version of an existing vehicle (the 9-3x) due early next year.

GM may just find that the global crisis is hitting potential buyers hard enough that they won’t get a desireable purchase price. In that instance, and with revenues due to increase soon thanks to those new models, they might just try to hold on and convince the US Congress that it’s worthwhile doing so.

On the downside, GM have only recently shown the beginnings of understanding Saab. They say they’re committed to it but then they undermine that commitment by pouring heaps of funds into a doomed-from-the-start promotion of Cadillac in Europe. If they keep Saab, will they really commit to making it what it can be?

TS verdict:

Potential – Medium to High, though it could well turn out to be Low.
Probability – Quite possible
Desireability – Low

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Ford or Chrysler:

Let’s not go there, shall we. But here are their diagrams anyway.

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BMW:

BMW actually have room in their portfolio and I’m sure they’ve got plenty in the way of reserves, too. They’re no stranger to working with GM, having been part of a joint venture to develop the two-mode hybrid system that GM use in their hybrid SUV’s now.

Saab could provide an outlet for those who want a BMW-sized vehicle but with front-wheel-drive versatility, which is an option that their other two marques don’t offer. Saab could also offer further turbocharging expertise seeing as how BMW are getting into that more and more now. Much as I hate to say it, a link with BMW would also provide an instant lift to market perceptions towards Saab, as well.

Downside – BMW just don’t need it. Or they don’t think they do, even if they could benefit from it in some markets. The downside for Saab would be being associated with one of the larger companies to offend the cockometer.

TS verdict:

Potential – Medium
Probability – Low
Desireability – Hausfrau

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Honda:

This is a fascinating one on a number of levels. Honda are a well respected brand in most facets. They’re an engine company that makes cars, amongst other things, and people generally love their products. They are the Japanese brand that’s sporting, yet unpretentious, and their luxury line is – generally speaking – a genuine extension of their regular offerings rather than a pure rebadge like some others.

Honda could definitely benefit from Saab’s safety expertise and I’m sure they’d be interested in Swedish hybrid and flexfuel developments, too. They’re big in Asia and the US, but my impression is that they’re not so big in Europe, though still a player. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind enhancing their status there.

I can’t think of a downside, though I’m sure a few of you can. Personally, a Honda is one of the few Japanese cars I’d consider for my own garage.

TS verdict:

Potential – High
Probability – Unknown, probably Low
Desireability – High

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Daimler:

I’m tired of this one before I even start writing about it.

I suppose Mercedes could use a smaller, FWD brand in some sort of way, but I can’t imagine for what – and I’m sure they can’t imagine a use for it either. They believe they’re perfect as they are. And if you think Opel have stripped Saab of much of their engineering prowess, I can’t imagine what Daimler would do. There’d barely be a shred of Saab’s identity left, I wouldn’t think.

For some reason this just doesn’t sit well at all and aside from that, I just can’t imagine it happening.

TS verdict:
Potential – Low
Probability – Lower
Desireability – Ocean depths

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Proton:

This one is a favourite of 1985Gripen and I can see why, though I can’t necessarily see it happening. Proton was started by order of the Malaysian government and is now publicly traded, but the Malaysians want to be more of a player in the Asian marketplace. Protons themselves are nothing to get charged about, but the company also owns a majority stake in Lotus, which is where it gets really interesting.

Proton have let Lotus stay in England and Lotus are still regarded as a highly desireable sports car, as well as a sought-after engineering firm. The fact that Lotus are still regarded worldwide as essentially an English company is testament to Proton’s ability to let a company get on with doing what they do.

On the downside, Lotus are a smaller company to swallow than Saab, and Proton aren’t that big themselves. Additionally, they’ve suffered sales slumps in recent years so in the current climate would be even less likely to be interested.

TS verdict:
Potential: Definitely
Probability: Low-ish
Desireability: Olsen twins. Clear and present danger for tragedy, but you can’t help but look anyway.

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Porsche/VW:

Oh my, I think I just dribbled on my keyboard.

Sweet salivation!

Contrary to popular belief, Porsche do not currently own Volkswagen. They own the single largest stake, at just over 45% and they have the definite and stated intention of increasing that to 75%, but only when the prices of VAG shares come back down.

Therein lies the tragedy for Saab lovers. Porsche, on their own, would make the perfect parent for Saab and Saab could compliment their vehicle lineup like a glove. Imagine sporting-plus-luxurious sedans and hatches leading a path to what many consider to be some of the best sportscars in the world today. No more need for a wierd looking Panamera or the brand-diluting Cayenne.

And for Saab, their engineers could work with some of the fussiest and finnicky engineers in the world to extend a good range of cars into a fantastic range of cars.

Sadly, Porsche will take over Volkswagen in the medium term and have no need for Saab in those circumstances, but it would be so good.

TS Verdict:

Potential: Massive, for Saab at least
Probability: Sadly, very low
Desireability: Schwinnnnngggg!!!

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Toyota:

They don’t scare me like Mercedes Benz do, but they scare me nonetheless. Toyota remind me of a Japanese version of the Borg collective, a characterisation I used to use for GM.

The upside is that they’re cashed up and could probably see a genuine European label as something of value. They might also benefit from Saab’s safety expertise and I’m sure they’d like to get one over the General.

I just don’t think they’d be interested, though. And I fear that Saab would become uninteresting as a result of Toyota being in charge, too. I’ve rarely seen an interesting Toyota. When considering all the cars I’d like to own before my driving life ends, I discovered that I could just barely place an MR2 on the list, but only if a decent Honda CRX wasn’t available.

TS Verdict:

Potential: Probably high
Probability: Low
Desireability: Zzzzzzzz

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Renault and/or Nissan

This is another fascinating one on a number of levels. Just how many frequent flier miles can Carlos Ghosn chalk up and should they get into airlines, too?

Renault and Nissan own stakes in one another, and as you can see, there’s other operations in the mix. Curiously, they’ve both managed to retain their identities whilst building some white hot cars (the new Z) and some very…..quirky (eek!) cars as well.

Somehow this alliance works despite the fact Renault doesn’t have a US presence. An acquisition of Saab could be a small foot in the door in that regard. With France having a growing interest in biofuels, Saab would be appealing from that front as well. Saab would also provide a more upscale presence that Renault lack to a degree.

The downsides: I’m no European but I’ve heard enough stories about French labour unions to scare me witless. Though Renault and Nissan retain their own identities as partners in an alliance, I’d imagine a Renault transaction with Saab would be a buyout, not an alliance (though it’s an attractive option if there were another willing party) and Saab’s Swedish identity could be hijacked at the insistence of French unions.

It should be noted here that Renault have been asked about their level of interest by the media and promptly smacked the reporter on the head with a baguette before riding off on a bicycle. I believe “Non” was the answer.

TS Verdict:

Potential: definitely
Probability: Medium
Desireability: Medium

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Hyundai

Hyundai are building some good vehicles nowadays. Their new Genesis thingy has people genuinely buzzing. They have a very strong corporate culture, a wide industrial base and like other Asian manufacturers, they could probably see some value in having a genuine European brand under their wing.

Ah, who am I kidding?

Hyundai are like the brussel sprouts of the car business. Apparently they’re good for you but it’s a rare person that really likes them.

They might have money (they might not, too) but they’ve got no soul when it comes to the car business. They need to go out and do something extraordinary. Until then, I’m just not interested.

TS Verdict:

Potential: Medium
Probability: Unknown, could be anything
Desireability: What?

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FIAT

This is a scenario that I just can’t help being attracted to.

I own an Italian car. I’m sure they screw them together better nowadays, but my Italian car falls apart just a little bit more with every pebble I drive over. The build quality is just shocking. The interior materials and design are both horrendous (again, definitely not so in a modern Alfa) and rumour has it that you can only tell if your Italian is working by the rate of oil leakage (surprisingly, not a problem for me).

Despite all these drawbacks, I absolutely adore my Italian car and I’ll cry like a baby when I eventually give it up. I may even wet my pants. It’s incredibly engaging to drive, with an engine that’s as mad as a barrel full of bats.

This is what Italians do. They wave their arms, talk a mile-a-minute at fighter-jet volumes and yet somehow, you can’t help but love them. Has there ever been a more lovable evil person than Vito Corleone? I rest my case.

Somehow, Saab managed to work with Fiat in the past, and work with them very well, too. The thought of them getting together with a vastly more organised Fiat is tantalising indeed, though one can’t help but feel that Fiat are always just one bad period away from complete collapse.

Fiat are looking to try the American market once again and Saab’s presence there could be an attractive, albeit small, foot in the door.

It’d also have the added benefit of me not having to be occasionally shamed in Saab circles by my Alfa.

TS Verdict:

Potential: High
Probability: Unknown, but possibly moderate
Desireablity: Medium-High

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Peugeot / Citroen:

This is another fascinating one, though probably less so than the Renault version.

It has the same benefits in being able to manage and even encourage things that are considered to be non-mainstream.

The same concerns arise with regard to Saab’s identity being preserved, as well as their Swedish base.

The same opportunities arise with Saab’s US connections if Citroen want to try a venture into the US market (and of the two, I think Citroen would be the most likely to try).

Despite all this, the thought of Saab being taken over by PSA just doesn’t register whatsoever on my emotional radar.

TS Verdict:

Potential: Unknown
Probability: Unknown
Desireability: Unknown

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Fuji Heavy Industries

They’re 20% owned by Toyota these days, but that’s no reason to eliminate the possibility of the Saaburu arising again. Did that sentence make you wince?

Actually, many people consider Subaru to be the closest thing to Saab in character. Subaru build reliable AWD cars with no small amount of character, though personally I’m not into them (even after spending four months in a WRX earlier this year).

Both are familiar with turbocharging. Both have strong safety credentials. Both have rallying success in their past.

Too similar?

TS Verdict:

Potential: Medium
Probability: Unknown, Low
Desireability: Meh

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Prodrive/Virgin

Here’s one out of left field, suggested by Turbin via email and in comments. It’s an interesting proposition:

Branson has been paying more than lip service to ethanol, has an emotional stake in the brand and could even be looking for a chance to play in the auto sandpit.

Dave Richards has been called the ‘Branson of Motorsport’. Through his interest in Prodrive and more importantly Aston Martin there is serious potential.

How about Saab as the green Aston Martin solution??

* AM logo has wings. Saab needs a new one.
* Virgin is into jets and ethanol.
* AM platfrom would make for a wicked Aero-X
* These guys have guts and vision.
* AM and Saab are both incredibly style driven backed with real performance.
* Prodrive could make some wicked Saab rally cars.
* Use AM to help lift Saab to the premium player it pretends to be.
* Branson/Richards, performance and adventure.

TS Verdict:

Potential: Huge
Probability: Miniscule
Desireability: Schwinnngiddy-ding!!

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Various car companies from Russia and China

No.

In every way, no.

I don’t know why, but something seems….dirty…..about the thought of Saab being an emerging market’s plaything. again, like the Hyundai argument, I’d like Saab to go to someone with a track record, someone who understands and values a carmaker’s heritage.

A Russian buyer would probably be much more palatable than a Chinese buyer, but I can’t help but think that it’d just be temporary and heartbreaking (Russian ownership of TVR comes to mind).

It’s always possible, too, that a Chinese acquisition could take the form of the Malaysian acquisition of Proton, with the company financed and allowed to do its thing. I guess that for that reason alone I’d probably try and accept it, at least until evidence to the contrary arose.

No diagrams for this one. I don’t want to encourage anyone.

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Well, that’s it for me.

I’m sure you’ve all got your thoughts to contribute (again).

Let fly!

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I ran across this little gem of a documentary on Saab automobiles in the Spanish language (the narrator sounds Spanish rather than Latin American). Great to watch even in Spanish. Maybe it makes about as much sense to me (who understands about every fourth word) as what’s being said in Washington right now!

Part One

Part Two:

Part Three:

If you’ve been hunting down Saab info on the web for event just a little while, there’s a chance you’ll know which car I’m referring to when I say “that Saab art car”. I’m referring, of course, to the Saab 9-3 living somewhere in North America (Boston, as it turns out) with a whole heap of toy figures, paint and other paraphernalia glued all over it.

Photo: Boston Globe, whose budget for cameras limits it to an old Kodak Box Brownie

I can’t find where, but I’ve featured this car here on TS before and probably more than once. At that time it was just passing curiosity that we could look at. The Boston Globe has managed to track down the owner, however, and have written an article on the car.

Rebecca Perlo’s toy collection is simply overwhelming: Nemo, Simba, Fantastic Man, and “Evil” Homer Simpson action figures; Barney, Bugs Bunny, and Princess Leia Pez dispensers; Playskool people, Lego people, Rock’Em Sock’Em Robots, and Mr. Potato Head.

Throw in some yo-yos, a miniature slot machine and a rubber ducky or two, and lots of other stuff, and the number of toys in Perlo’s menagerie hits 1,000, maybe even 1,500. Where does she keep them all? Glued to the hood, roof, doors and fenders of her 1999 Saab…..Actually, the craziest thing about Perlo’s car might be that it’s completely street-legal. According to state law, you can glue pretty much whatever you want to your ride – toys, pots and pans, living grass – and still pass inspection.

And in case you were wondering about the legality of the whole exercise….

“As long as she doesn’t obstruct the lighting and her visibility, there’s no violation,” said Lieutenant Jack Albert, head of the Cambridge Police Department’s traffic division, who’s seen Perlo driving around town.

The article goes on to talk about art cars in general before getting back to the surprising story of how this car came to be.

They did this to their Saab 9-3 when it was brand new!!

A few years later, she and her husband moved to Arlington and bought a new 1999 Saab. They sanded off the clear coat, splattered it with a rainbow of paint, recoated it, and, when it had dried, went insane with the silicone gun, gluing on hundreds of tiny toys and magnets.

“I deliberately got this kind of car because I thought that if I’m going to spend this much time and energy on it, I want it to last,” Rebecca says. “Some people have the opposite view – I wouldn’t do that to a car until it’s on death’s door. I’m like, why bother then?”

I can’t fathom that line of thinking, but whatever makes them happy makes me happy, I guess. It seems to run in the family, too….

Friends, neighbors, and the Perlos’ sons, Noah and Zach, have all added to the mix. “My kids are like, ‘Mommy, I’m done with this toy. Can I glue it to the car now?” Perlo says.

Which is a good thing, because the ornaments don’t last forever. Some, like an old Mickey Mouse, are weathered gray. Though they say nothing’s fallen off on the highway yet, vandalism is a constant problem – a recent nighttime trip to Central Square saw the demise of a giant Charlie Brown Pez dispenser, as well as Doug Perlo’s favorite decoration, a 1920s French radiator cap shaped like a silver goddess.

I’d just like to say, as a big fan of the Seinfeld episode where Jerry put the Pez dispenser on Elaine’s leg in the theatre, that anyone who violates a Pez dispenser has committed a low, low act. Not to mention the violation of one very unique Saab.

To the Perlos: As a Saab fan, I don’t get it, but as a person reading a story about a family that loves their Saab and is proud of it…….congratulations. More power to ya.

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Here are a few more pictures I found after a quickle Google image search.

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I know many real life companies have a presence Second Life, the online escapism project that allows people to be what I guess they’d like to be in real life. The companies concerned see it as a cost-effective way to market their products to people. I’ve even read in the news about companies doing Second Life product launches, complete with speeches, press releases and the whole shebang.

I don’t know if Saab have taken up an officially backed presence in Second Life, but these screenshots would tend to suggest that someone has taken the trouble to set up a Saab-ish presence there.

Personally, I’ve got enough on my plate with real life and have never explored the Second Life world, but I remember it being huge a few years ago. It seems to have quietened a little since then.

Even Santa’s paying a visit, probably wondering which Saab he should park under my tree

Beware, there’s every chance that this attractive young Second Life woman is actually a fat, hairy old man with eleven fingers and a drooling problem.

A question for all our Saab dealers tuning in – how often do you have this many people in your showroom at one time?

If you’d like to see more, there’s a set of 32 screenshots at Flickr.

And if you’re a Second Lifer, have you come across any Saaby presence there? Any other companies of note? And are you a fat, hairy old man with eleven fingers and a drooling problem???

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Some of you might know that I’ve got an Alfa Romeo 33 in addition to my 1985 Saab 900 16V. Whilst I’ll always keep a Saab in the garage, I’m now cycling through a number of cars on a list of vehicles that I’d like to own some time during my driving life.

The Alfa was the first of those and I’m currently saving up for the car that will replace the Alfa. My problem is that the car I’m looking at came in both a turbocharged and a non-turbo form over it’s lifetime. There are variants of each that deliver similar power and torque. The only things I’ve decided on are a maximum age and a few exterior/interior color preferences. The turbo/non-turbo issue has me completely lost. But being who I am I’m inevitably drawn to the Turbo.

It was whilst I was considering this that I started thinking about the fact that to me, the one quintessential element that sums up Saab for me is Turbo. Just as I cant imagine not having a Saab in my driveway at all tmes, I can’t imagine not having a turbocharged car.

I know that plenty of manufacturers use them now. in fact, there’s barely a manufacturer nowadays that doesn’t do a turbocharged model but I con honestly say that I’m not drawn to any of them. To me, Saab is Turbo and Turbo is Saab.

It was the incredible comfort and the turbo performance of the Saab 9000 I took my first Saab-ride in, way back in the early 1990s, that really got me interested in the brand and it’s been turbocharged performance that’s kept me interested ever since.

The favourites amongst my own Saab vehicles over the years have been my Viggen (again, comfort and turbo performance) and my old 1979 Saab 99 Turbo (turbo performance, yes. comfort – not so much).

I’ve only owned one non-turbocharged Saab and that was the first one I ever bought, before I really understood the brand. That one I loved for it’s individuality, the fact that it was so unlike any other car I’d ever seen or even considered owning.

Now, with six or seven turbocharged Saabs having passed through my hands, I could rarely consider not having a turbocharged car in the driveway.

There’s a lot of other characteristics that Saab are really stong in. Safety, for sure. Design, definitely. Comfort, absolutely. And let’s not forget that Saab have their own brand pillars like responsible performance, etc.

But for me, Saab is Turbo.

You?

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And by the way, the most distinctive Saab, in my opinon, were the 99T and the C900. Both had turbo badges stuck proudly on their flanks and rear end.

I don’t know why Saab don’t do that today. They should own the turbo identity arena, a point we’ve discussed at length here before.

Bring back the turbo badge!!!

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Summer’s approaching here in Oz (though you wouldn’t know it right now) which means that all you suckers up there in the crowded hemisphere have winter coming up.

WooDz sent me through some pics of his Viggen today, and apparently it’s feeling right at home with a big dump of the white stuff on the roof.

He says the car is feeling plenty stable now that he’s got his winter treads on:

I think people don’t give winter tyres much thought but trust me if your climate drops below 8ºC then invest in a set. Traction improves ten fold… and as the saying goes, a Viggen on the road is worth more than one in the bush.

I guess that’s as good a reminder as any that you folks in the colder parts ought to prepare your cars for the coming months.

TS has got you covered with Saab’s own A to Z of winter driving tips.

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