Saab bankruptcy: the day after…
The caste of politicians is the same everywhere in Europe. The two Swedish ministers, Annie Lööf and Hillevi Engström, visited Saab today to gain some insight. In your speech to people who hope for support, unfortunately nothing came to light, but nothing useful at all.
Saab employees describe the appearance as “disaster” or “chaos”. No help for the carmaker, no immediate help for employees who are empty before Christmas. A trip from Stockholm to Trollhättan at the expense of the Swedish taxpayer. Bravo!
More interesting than the speech of the two ladies should be the question of how it goes with Trollhättan. Saab is in bankruptcy, unemployment should now be between 20 and 25%. There are interested people for Saab, the number 5 seems to be real. My friend in Stockholm has identified as possible buyers two companies from the Far East, one from Central Europe (!), A prospective customer from Scandinavia and the aforementioned company from Turkey. He can not and does not say more, and I know nothing more than what he told me. However, I could imagine that more than five possible buyers appear.
To have a chance of getting Saab back on the market, the odds are so low, buyers would have to be quick now. Saab's structures in Sweden and around the world are now decaying at a rapid rate, leaving the company as such behind. So, please pace, because Saab is a special offer.
If I were on the board of a Western European car brand, I would buy Saab from a purely strategic point of view. Because with the acquisition of the car manufacturer from Trollhättan the Chinese would have for the first time a strategic bridgehead in the middle of Europe. A functioning, highly productive factory and the best engineers in Scandinavia.
But the eager readers from the car companies do not ask me, so we have to wait.
Saab fan and loyal reader Alexandros posted an interesting link on who "killed" Saab. Definitely worth reading, so here's Christmas reading again, even if I would have liked a different topic. Thanks to Alexandros to southern Bavaria!
In the last 24 hours, many emails were received, which I will answer over the Christmas holidays. It was often about how we can help Saab and also what will happen to the blog in the future, was an issue.
For the future of the blog, I'm a bit baffled, I admit. He will not disappear in the next few days, that's clear. But whether he will remain a medium for the Saab community and the remaining service companies, if Saab does not make the way back, that's not sure yet.
The coming Christmas holidays will certainly bring more clarity to me. Ideas and opinions from readers are welcome in every way!
Text: tom@saabblog.net
you have to say it:
who expected something different from the responsible politicians?
since april they have been doing nothing in no time - and are now allowed to shell out lost wages at the taxpayer's expense.
whether it would not only have made more sense, but also cheaper, to support from the beginning on, I can not reasonably judge.
No one talks about the social impact anyway.
The whole thing reminds me very much of borgward.
I find it strange (even as a SAAB driver) if you indiscriminately hit politicians with terms like “politician caste”. Such terms are mostly used by radicals who simply pull on everything that doesn't suit them. What is the author trying to tell us? At least for me it leaves a bad impression of the author and his political stance. As nice as this blog may be.
The term was chosen very consciously and is appropriate in this case too. The behavior of the ministers aroused so much displeasure on the ground that no other descriptions are possible. The reactions on site are firsthand, my words well thought out.
The national press found similar words, which in Sweden led to reactions in Stockholm. Today a new “Trolhättan Package” is being presented by both women, partly under pressure from the public.
SO IT IS RIGHT !
Again, it is not about the direct attack on a politician but about the “all-round blow” on everyone. The quote I am referring to is “The political caste is the same everywhere in Europe”. If the admin is targeting the “behavior” of a certain minister, I wonder why he is using this rather undifferentiated attack and not arguing more clearly and specifically? Thats all.
Did he exactly set out in the following sentence and name his name! Even politicians?
Hello Marcus,
noted in advance: I would also like to have the new 9-5 (as a station wagon) - but I also feel very comfortable in my “old” 9-5 station wagon. A “hibernation period” of 2 years (if necessary at all) my car and I would survive in a flash!
With the guys from GM, hardly anyone will plan - the better solution in my opinion: Just leave it aside and act from the ground up without these failures (is now much easier to manage).
A European car company would probably not be a good solution because they all want to cope themselves and may not want to buy any competition - then more financially strong Indians, Chinese or any other company that has not yet been involved in car production within the group. Well-filled coffers would of course be a prerequisite - but there should be quite a few large corporations here that fulfill this. With “deep pockets” a lot can be moved - above all at the required speed!
Regards
DR
Dear Tom, as a Saab dealer I submit the proposal
that we set up a leasing return exchange. There Saab dealers could announce their often 3 year old returns with price and features. Saab fans would then have the first access to the cars. Thank you for your daily information and encouraging words.
Hello Stefan, the idea is very good and would help both sides. I think we will do that. 🙂
Good idea!
tom's blog is really excellent - thanks for that tom!
Nevertheless, I find that we have something driven by our assumptions and the vast majority of such things have not occurred anyway.
I still don't see the whole thing in the Chinese - I hope for a European solution and for someone who dares to mess with GM when it comes to rights.
a halt of two years, I consider practical.
I will miss, now you can attack me, a victor muller, who fought for saab to the last minute. even if he has undoubtedly made mistakes, looking for such a standing unparalleled.
i hope for a solution for everyone - meanwhile i drive the rarest mass-produced product in the world and i am very happy to have a 9-5 of the new generation.
At the time there were other interested parties than Koenigsegg and Spyker!
Could it be that Gerard Lopez (owner of the Lotus Renault F1 team) and Bernie Ecclestone are again among the investors?
Wouldn't be a bad idea then as now ...
2 years overwintering would be ok, but what will happen to the employees - is there anything like employment companies in sweden to keep the staff at saab?
but it would be a pity about the 9-4x and the 9-5II! well maybe gm thinks even to when you realize that there is also a car life without them!
... the museum, too, would be a shame. but that might really be a case for “rescue saab” or a saab foundation.
So head up!
I can only agree with that. Even MINI-COOPER in the UK has been missing 5 years and made it back to the car market. And Vikings will not give up that fast anyway. Bankruptcy proceedings can bring about a new beginning.
Even Tom Knecht's statements on the subject seem a bit too negative to us - what more does SAAB want in the current situation than 5 interested parties who seem to want to approach it with seriousness and “deep pockets” despite the difficult situation? At Opel in a comparable situation (probably still to come) that would definitely not have happened in the short time.
We don't share the view that structures disintegrate quickly - all over the world there are SAAB dealers with an attached service department who have a permanent customer base and these customers' vehicles do not disintegrate within 1 - 2 years (the time that is expected to take to develop new vehicles ready for production).
We think it's great that various investors are already showing interest and are approaching the matter with a positive view - we should continue to motivate them and not just any articles such as "who killed SAAB?" play in the foreground. On the other hand, when there are references to deceased people, there is also the well-known saying “those who are said to be dead live longer” - please continue with this in mind.
Greetings from Schleswig-Holstein
Julie and family
I can only agree with that… .. you do the blog really great ……………………… .and I read it every day to always be up to date. I'm curious which Central European investor is interested in Saab ...
Hi Tom
If SAAB disappears as a manufacturer, or no longer appear, there is a large community.
This would deserve to continue to have a mouthpiece, a point of contact.
Especially in the “diaspora”, friends of our brand should know a central place where everything comes together and can be discussed.
As a community of interests, your blog could (should) continue to exist.
Who could imagine (Attention Schmalz) a better than you and your blog.
Christmas greeting
Gallix
Hi Tom,
we appreciate your blog and please don't give up now, that would be a sad signal. Even if SAAB disappears as a manufacturer, the spirit of SAAB should still be alive and you could make a great contribution. In this sense: move your mind!
Continue, please 😉
Or one would consider it useful until it is really clear what will happen to SAAB in the end ...