The largest Saab dealer in the world?
Time for a new column. Saab on Sunday will accompany us into the new week with some small talk. The largest Saab dealer in the world was ANA in Trollhättan until 2011. The company was part of a larger chain that could be found in several Swedish cities and was historically very closely linked to Saab.
The largest Saab dealer in the world
ANA and Saab are now history, and now you have the feeling that the Swedes' love for the brand with the Griffin has hit rock bottom. You can be mistaken, but maybe things are at a turning point.
There is a car dealer in Vallentuna that is committed to Saab. The very fact that this is worth reporting from the Swedish press shows the current state of the brand at home. Dealers Carson now has around 30 Saab in stock, all carefully selected and prepared. 18 of the vehicles are presented online. Very professional and appealing, because the eye also buys. Saab shopping can be fun in the future too.
A global check carried out by the company showed that Carson could be the largest Saab dealer in the world in terms of offering.
Compared to the magazine Klassiker, they reported great interest and saw Saab on the way to cult. In Sweden. After all.
But, one can have doubts about the story with the largest Saab dealer. There are at least one or two dealers in Germany who have more Saab in their inventory, although not necessarily on the web.
No electric car
No, the Saab EV-1 is not an electric car. It stands for Experimental Vehicle and is the first concept car that Saab has ever put on wheels. It is remarkable because Björn Envall was already working with solar cells on the roof and exotic materials such as carbon fiber as early as 1985.
Unfortunately, EV-1 has somewhat disappeared from the public consciousness and thus shares the fate of many concepts that were still born in the age of analog press kits. And since Saab no longer exists, no one digitally processes the story and idea behind EV-1.
Saab made a film for EV-1 that Motortrend has now fished out of the clothes box. It is worth looking at and brings some new insights.
Preview of the next week
The last week was probably the most turbulent the blog project has ever had. The switch to paid content was not without its challenges on both sides. Sometimes nerves were on the nerves and not everyone liked what was developing here.
It wasn't just about the readers and bloggers. The faction that makes their money with Saab is also watching what is happening. The project seems to have some relevance, and upheavals bring new, positive ideas. There is a lot in development, let's see what this year brings.
The readers who a Subscription have completed, can look forward to new contributions.
Among other things, it deals with the following interesting topics:
Mysterious: A Saab that was never built. Research in confidential documents.
- The big X - Saab 9-5X XWD sports suit model year 2014
Faith question: can the 9000 be better than the 9-5? I dare to tackle a hot topic.
- The better Saab? 9-5 Aero vs. Saab 9000
And of course a lot more is waiting.
The week will be fine. At least from Saab's point of view.
In the Netherlands there are some dealers with very large stocks, including SAAB Supply.
Among the German SAAB dealers, according to my last experience, Lafrentz in Kiel, Borghardt in Paderborn, the Autogalerie Oberkassel, Heim in Tübingen, Taubenberger in Bad Tölz and the active Rostockers at H&B Automobile Rostock (in my opinion also all active dealers when SAAB was still has usually been active; mostly on site for decades) still the most active SAAB stock. Lobmüller in Talheim near Heilbronn does not advertise as actively, some others certainly still have a decent customer base, but not a great active Internet offer - which does not mean that SAAB are not actively passed on.
The EV-1 also has a very short appearance in Hollywood ... who saw it? 🙂
https://pics.imcdb.org/0is26/0011506kg.5839.jpg
@ Gosh,
that's the way it is. Whereby one also has to be careful with a large & experienced dealer - with the self-proclaimed “largest Saab dealer in the world” for sure.
In order to hide long idle times and an oversupply, cars in the inventory are often subject to relocations.
In other words, you swap 9-5 SC online against each other, creating the impression of brisk demand. This increases the pressure on prospective buyers, apparently having to strike faster and at higher prices, if they place a certain value on color, rims or whatever features.
The artificial or faked shortage of offers has been common knowledge in marketing for half a century.
In short: your criteria are valid.
It will be difficult, however, because to get an honest picture from a professional (Carson), to which one could apply this without further question marks.
I think the truth will emerge in the next few weeks. If a market for used Saab has developed, which is to be hoped for, then some vehicles from Carson's inventory should have been sold. If nothing is sold, the market does not (yet) exist.
@ Tom (according to press reports),
I don't see any compelling contradiction to my thesis. According to press reports, according to Carson. There are no other sources.
“Buying” can be a euphemism for “trade-in”.
If I work at Carson and suspect that I might have already taken too many Saab and unspecifically trade-in, I would turn that positive.
Ebasil correctly stated that the 9-3 shines in the Carsons online offer with absence. Ergo no convertible, no 9-3X, no TurboX ...
Maybe you've seen 100 Saabs and only bought the 30 best. But there is a lot to suggest that 100 people wanted to trade in their old workhorses. It's a monoculture that Carson has collected and with which the “largest Saab dealer” has turned to the public in a positive twist.
Maybe the truth is somewhere in between? But Carson's (self-) presentation seems to me unsuitable for general conclusions.
Cars from all over the world
Carson is a nice name for a Swedish used car dealer ...
You obviously understand your business. And that's why I would not overestimate the statements (press work) of this dealer.
A disproportionate number of Saabs in the total stock can also be interpreted in such a way that many Swedes are currently parting with their Saabs and trading them in for younger vehicles from other brands.
This would threaten oversupply, long downtimes and falling prices. Carson would be forced to take proactive countermeasures. Maybe that's exactly what they tried.
Then one would have to read the opposite in the positive statements about Carson's business with Saab, sad as it is. The Saab 9-5 SC - THE deposit! ! !
@Volvaab I wouldn't want to leave it like this. According to press reports, Carson bought the 100 most attractive out of 30 Saab that you looked at and built up a portfolio for some money. That is positive, not negative.
Carson doesn’t have a 9-3 on offer, at least not online, not even a convertible, although they are usually popular). What might that be?
Among the “freaks” with many Saabs (offered and “standing around”), I naturally think of Lafrentz in Kiel and Jost in Switzerland, although I don't know the latter personally. Perhaps the latter and the freak have even more “standing around” in the Allgäu than here in the far north. But the difference is that in Kiel you almost exclusively sell Saabs (besides some “souvenirs” from the US Saab shopping tours) and as a workshop you only make Saab, but you are not also a new car dealer for any other brand. I think all three (besides Carson) would be worth a report.
Maybe there is also a specialist in Holland? I would also be very interested in a report about the Dutch Saab leasing provider, where you can put together your Saab according to your wishes. As far as I know, they are used as company cars - an apparently more sensible tax policy (?) In Holland, which, unlike in Germany, also promotes older and therefore more sustainable cars, makes it possible.
aero50 - Mileage in Sweden
The Swedes put the information in “Miltal”, which means x10. 20.000 Miltal, for example, is 200.000 km. At the time I was looking for something in Sweden, too.
Happy Saab Sunday everyone! 🙂
Great vehicles at Carson! In the displays, the Mätare means meters, do you mean kilometers? Are these original KM? So all vehicles under 20000km, can that be? Does anyone have an explanation?
Thank you and have a nice Sunday.
@ freising86, the last time I was there, there were certainly well over 100 vehicles, more like 200! And as I said, a couple of great 9-5 I, would have liked to have taken 1-2 with me, but unfortunately my stable is full ...
Carlson is definitely worth a visit when in Stockholm. Thanks for the article. By the way, here is the shortened version of the article from Klassiker magazine: https://www.klassiker.nu/reportage/svenska-bilhandlaren-som-ar-storst-i-varlden-pa-saab
It's impressive what vehicles Carson has on his side. I especially like the pepper-green 95 SC. Reminds me of my pepper green 93 SC. Back then everyone advised me not to buy the car online without a test drive from a Saab dealer in Extertal as a half-year car. And drove for 11 years :-).
As for Saab and the Swedes, I'm already amazed at the new interest. Sounded a lot more dramatic a few weeks ago. Of course I am happy if it is. Saab probably benefits from the fact that they have a timeless design, coupled with reliable technology.
The freak is Heuschmid. He easily has 50 cars (or more). Would be great @tom if you wanted to do a report - plan in 😉
@ Freising86 Heuschmid was on my list in 2020, along with a few other companies I wanted to visit. Then came Corona, the planning was history. For 2021, the first thing is to wait and see. External appointments are only made with a vaccine and vaccinated. Heuschmid could be there.
There is this Saab freak in the Allgäu, there are Saab without end, partly as a wreck, but partly also really good (and expensive). At the moment a couple of good 9-5s from Swedish stock. I've seen them myself, really good vehicles.
@ aero50 Exactly, that's one of the candidates. He has halls full of Saab.
I think it's good that it continues. I would miss my Saab reading, the € is worth the subscription to me. Even if I have to drive electrically soon (employer), the Saab will stay in the family forever.
Without it, honestly, it is not possible. Every kilometer is pure joy!