Saab future: All roads lead to Detroit (again ...)

Let's see it positively. A few days ago the daily headline on the blog started with “Saab bankruptcy….”
Until a friendly reader said in his email that I shouldn't do that. In the meantime we have become the “Saab Future….” worked up, but have to swallow the bitter American pill again.

We can not get past Detroit. Or rather, the potential buyers. They are looking for contact with the corporate headquarters of GM. There have already been contacts, negotiations have not been made so far, the GM press spokesman James Cain confirmed yesterday. And immediately he made it clear: GM will not negotiate with any interested parties.

I see the matter with both a laughing and a crying eye. The new Saab 9-4x and the Saab 9-5 sports station wagon are fantastic cars. It is the new models that Saab urgently needs. In fact, they are too good to let die. So I'm happy that the two new Saabs aren't dead yet. That's the page.

The other, these are the tiresome GM licenses. Once again, GM is the institution that will decide on the Saab fate. I do not like that and give me an uncomfortable feeling. No matter who buys Saab, he has to arrange with GM. The Saab 9-3, designed by Youngman as a gap filler to the production of its own products, is contaminated to a small extent by GM. The Saab PhoeniX platform as well.

Even worse. The production in Trollhättan is partly dependent on GM and runs with American licensed software. So the benevolence of the GM bosses is urgently needed. That will be interesting. The fact that you do not like Chinese, you have repeatedly and very undiplomatic proclaimed. But do you like Turks, Indians or Central Europeans? How tolerant is Detroit? That could be exciting and informative.

GM selected, the bankruptcy trustees do the same. I am not sure whether you should take the Swedish press reports seriously or whether I should press the “Ingnore” button.

Just as you don't want to talk to everyone in Detroit, you don't want to in Trollhättan or Stockholm either. Allegedly, the bankruptcy trustee duo sorted out Indian investor Mahindra & Mahindra. Granted, Mahinrda got off to a bad start. With the former Antonov lawyer Carlström (my Swedish friends were horrified) they had made a very bad choice. But is that enough to weed out a serious prospect?

Let's wait ! About three weeks ago we arrived almost at the end of the journey. The bankruptcy petition was filed and our automotive love was almost dead. Today we write again about a possible future.

That's one, I think, very good development. In any case, the bankruptcy trustees have taken the right path; perhaps one or the other decision has to be corrected a little bit. But the direction is right!

They leave no doubt that Saab should be sold as a complete package. So Saab Automobile, Saab Tools, Saab Powertrain and Saab Parts. Of course, also our beloved company museum. That's the message they gave to the press. They will have to be measured by their success.

Text: tom@saabblog.net

17 thoughts on "Saab future: All roads lead to Detroit (again ...)"

  • That's not what it is about. Accepting links or not is within the discretion of the admin team. Depending on the linked content. If you want more information, then by mail.

    • Without wandering around on the topic or the negligible link, I do not want to remain ignorant now.
      E-mail address is known.

      With greetings GALLIX

  • An interesting article!

    • Deleted link?

      Are there any legal objections or “just” collegial ones?

      • More factual ...

        • Simply delete it - it's not a factual argument either.
          Are information, opinions and views of others, certainly also honorable SAAB friends, not discussed here?

  • What about Magna? They should actually have close contacts with GM (from Opel history). Magna has invested millions in Opel history, then they should actually have enough money for Saab marketing, so a new branding. They have R&D and production knowledge anyway. In my opinion the most promising bidder.

  • Hello and good evening. I fully agree with the previous speakers. When I think that GM was not too long ago on the edge and without help even in the history books with the note "GM is broke and buried" would be received, just makes me their behavior angry.

    Rescued with billions in support (GM), these rescued people now sit at the big lever and decide whether our beloved brand will continue to exist or finally go down. This fact fills me with a good portion of defiance and…. Under no circumstances will I order a vehicle from GM as an alternative if necessary. That's for sure!!

    Which nationality as a buyer is now preferred by the great patrons, we can certainly not guess. I just hope that the gentlemen are willing to agree at all and the previously loyal workforce does not have to endure this unbearable situation.

    In any case, I don't really want to drive any other vehicle and would like to order a new Saab!!!!!

    Allen Saab-lern still a nice weekend

  • Man, when is Detroit's Death Star going to be blown up? Of course I only mean figuratively speaking ...

  • But do you like Turks, Indians or Central Europeans? Who do you like ???????

    • For these Bangbüchsen (which means something like fearful rabbits) it is primarily important that the buyer - similar to Spyker - should not be too big (otherwise there is somehow competition) and above all there should be no ambitions with regard to the China market his.

      The nationality is of secondary importance here - Martians would be very advantageous (so far it has been even harder to make friends with GM products than anywhere else - as a result, you hardly order GM vehicles there)!

      Greetings from SH
      Julie

  • For the Swedes and SAAB it is actually regrettable that GM was rescued by the American state with billions in support - if this had not happened, one would not have to deal with the GM people. But at least the American administration, in contrast to the Swedish government, has shown social responsibility)!

    The behavior of the Swedish administration towards SAAB is at least as irresponsible as the ugly appearance of GM - if only a little support came here, the possibilities would improve significantly - the whole process in Sweden is completely illogical and somehow sick!

    It is still illogical to reject the Mahindra Group from the outset (if it is true at all) - background information is urgently desired! To reject this group just because the contact person in Sweden does not have a good reputation cannot actually be - if it were the reason, the management team would unfortunately have to be given a straight 6.

    Hopefully there will be no more inconsistencies in connection with the other interested parties ...

  • One thing you have to leave to the GM people, you have sent the sale of Saab to VM very much
    At least you have your hand on Saab without owning the company.

    • You could also say that they learned their lessons from Bernie Ecclestone - he also keeps selling Formula 1 without giving up ownership.

  • I would appreciate it if the General Motors Group would buy back its former “baby” and appear on the market together with its bigger sister in Germany. But that's a very big wishful thinking …….

    • ... so that Saab is still in the throats of this unsympathetic monster ?! You have to try with all means to break away from GM in order to realize your own ideas again. If GM continues to get involved, they will soon be full owners of the Phenix platform too!

      • Even Henry Ford (the old man) once said: the most important utensil in his office was the Winchester rifle.
        There's no such thing anymore, but the methods of the really great ones are certainly no less dramatic these days. Love and nice string-pullers from big industry are a rarity, regardless of brands and countries.

Comments are closed.