SAAB Center Frankfurt: Goodbye and… hello!

At the end of the month, a Saab tradition ends in Frankfurt. The Saab Zentrum Frankfurt, as the last Saab factory in Germany, closes its doors. Although a restart is taking place in the same building with a well-proven team, the Saab drivers in the Frankfurt area do not have to do without service, but there is no longer a dealership.

Years ago it had looked much better. In the 90 years of the last millennium, there were still several branches in the banking metropolis. I remember the Berner Straße and the Gutleutstraße in Frankfurt, but I'm not sure if there were not more bases.

Over the years, the branches were sold or closed, which from today's perspective was symbolic of the decline of the brand. In the end, there were still three factories in Europe. London, Paris and just the branch in Frankfurt.

In Frankfurt, the Saab press vehicles and the company cars of Saab Germany were serviced and looked after. In addition, the branch was Saab Competence Center for Germany.

I was happy to be a guest in the Saab center in Carl-Benz-Strasse. Which was not only due to the friendly tone of the longtime Saab employees. At the second visit you were not just a customer, you were a member of a family. The atmosphere was wonderfully unpretentious and a counterpoint to the glass palaces, which today every manufacturer must have meant.

Sure, in the end everything was a little bit dusty, and the building was never really beautiful either. But it was a piece of Trollhättan in the middle of Hesse. The service worked wonderfully, and solutions were sought and found in the last few months, which were very difficult for employees and the brand. Some longtime Saab drivers traditionally stopped by the dealership on Saturdays, drank their coffee, talked Saab and said goodbye. Until next Saturday….

We will miss the veteran car dealership crew, we will all be missing something. The Saab spirit that blew through the halls, the Saab stories from decades of service, everything is over ... lost, past!

First it was said that the buildings should be demolished, a Korean manufacturer wanted to build a branch. The rumor disappeared again. The showrooms are to be used by the owner in a new way, there are no new Saabs either way. Boats should move there instead of Swedish engineering.

The employees of Saab Germany will use the office space for a short time before they will move to another building.

The workshop remains open in the back of the area. Some jobs have been saved, many years Saab experience dare to start into a new future. That's the good news and more details will follow on Monday! Nevertheless, sadness remains. Saab history in Germany is coming to an end, there will probably never be a new factory branch.

Time to say thank you! To all Saab employees on Carl-Benz-Straße. Thank you for more than 30 years of good service, love for the brand and for good conversation and of course the coffee. You were wonderful!

Text: tom@saabblog.net