GM to shut Saab down

Quite sad news really. Saab has always found it difficult to compete with BMW and Mercedes but generally have produced decent cars.

I think they made a big mistake by selling up to GM a decade back personally as GM bosses in the US would have never understood Saab's niche market.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8421007.stm

Quite sad news really. Saab has always found it difficult to compete with BMW and Mercedes but generally have produced decent cars.

 

I think they made a big mistake by selling up to GM a decade back personally as GM bosses in the US would have never understood Saab's niche market.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8421007.stm

I agree that is sad news as they are one of those manufacturers whose quirkiness gave buyers an option from the ubiqutous German offerings. Problem they had though was that their cars were simply to expensive to compete and they should never have sold to GM as you rightly state as they lost that niche feeling they previously enjoyed.

Still for any brave souls out there looking for a new car be it second hand or brand new there will undoubtedly be some great deals on Saab cars now but I won't be rushing to grab myself a bargain because I'm sure GM's offer that they will honour warranties etc is genuine I suspect it may be somewhat different in reality. Saab customers won't have quite the same after care sales service at a Vauxhall Dealership where i assume they will be asked to go.

Anyone out there own a Saab? It's just moved into first place in the depreciation stakes unless it's a yellow convertible then rarity alone should see it hold its value. (Sorry Hamster!)

A crazy decision imho, the niche brand is worth more than they realise imho.

I hope a far eastern knight rides into town and takes the brand over, as people have pointed out GM have stifled a well respected brand.

A crazy decision imho, the niche brand is worth more than they realise imho.

 

I hope a far eastern knight rides into town and takes the brand over, as people have pointed out GM have stifled a well respected brand.

It might be better if the Swedish government jumped in for a few years to get the company going again so it remains a quality brand. With some financial assurance I think Saab can be a viable alternative in the upper end executive car market as 19C says.

the thing is SAAB was a big player, but GM messed up big time because they are mass production set up. What SAAB need is a set up that knows their customer base. I would venture that this is not the end of SAAB, not by a long chalk.

A prestige matque requires a prestige team to manage it. The 900 series is a decent set of wheels IN SPITE of GM, not because of GM.

As an employee in the motor industry I find it sad news. As 19C rightly says, SAAB had that 'quirkiness' about their style and to me their vehicles always looked like they were in an evolutional stage of development. Never quite 'getting there' but nonetheless having a decent level of style and functionality.

I sincerely hope that Big John is right as his summation of GM is bang on the money. Similarly, look how Ford improved things, generally, for AM etc but ended up selling the brand on.

Up until September I'd driven Saabs for the last decade.

Well built, sturdy, safe and reliable.

It would be a great pity to see them go.

When looking for a car, if you decide on the level or size of car you are looking at, there really isn't that much choice. With the demise of Saab, there is even less choice in the market. I have never had a Saab, but it seemed to be a decent alternative to the BMW offerings and had an edge to it.

The association with the Saab Viggen (Sp) meant that Saab drivers had the satisfaction of thinking that somehow their cars' innovations were driven by fighter jet technology. I seem to remember the aircraft featuring in Saab TV adverts.

I hope someone resurrects the brand as there is definately a place in the market for this marque.

19C, dont presume the parts and care will be diminished. I know its slightly different because they were (sort of) a UK brand, but we had a Rover when they went under. We had a letter guaranteeing parts for something silly like 15 years and the previous Rover garage at the bottom of the A34 became Renault, but still offered the same mechanics to work on Rovers, for the same price. Up until I sold the Rover a couple of years ago, I personally saw no difference in care.

However, like I said, that was a UK brand so possibly easier to carry out here.

A crazy decision imho, the niche brand is worth more than they realise imho.

 

I hope a far eastern knight rides into town and takes the brand over, as people have pointed out GM have stifled a well respected brand.

I expect the problem anyone would have now taking them over would require a massive investment due to Saab being built round the Vauxhall platform such as Vectra chassis and components.

You could imagine the money that would be needed to just get one new model off the ground.You only have to look at Jaguar so far the new XF is a stunning car but it was still designed by Ford before they sold out,now the new people have fazed out the X-type with no replacement model.

Well fwiw I am actually in love with my little yellow one and it is not for sale, hence depreciaton is now a word in my vocabulary.

Long live SAAB

the thing is SAAB was a big player, but GM messed up big time because they are mass production set up. What SAAB need is a set up that knows their customer base. I would venture that this is not the end of SAAB, not by a long chalk.

 

A prestige marque requires a prestige team to manage it. The 900 series is a decent set of wheels IN SPITE of GM, not because of GM.

I think you call it perfectly. Also, what people call quirkiness, in SAAB's case I would call ingenuity.

Some of you sound really hopeful about Saab's future but reading the Swedish newspapers and what the politicians here are saying it looks like this will truly be the end of Saab. GM doesn't want to pump money into it after the first quarter of next year and a sale of the company would take longer then that, this is also why Spyker (who are a bunch of frauds anyway) couldn't make a deal. The only way Saab can be saved is if the Swedish government jumps in big time and they already refused a bigger loan to Koenigsegg when they tried to buy Saab. I would be very surprised if Saab will continue to exist.

It is sad, but give it 6 months or so and I'll happily snap up a fully Saab as a work/commuting wagon!!

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/246314/

Yay, good old Bernie.

Yep, more here

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/engineering/article6980377.ece

Good luck with that then, Saab fans. Before you know it, you'll only be able to refuel once a journey, you will have to carry two different sets of tyres and you'll be be banned from leaving any cigarette paraphernalia in plain view. You might get a nice shiny medal for getting home before your neighbour though.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is part of consortium tabling a late bid to save Saab.

The billionaire is backing the bid led by the Luxembourg-based investment group Genii Capital, which recently bought 75 per cent of the Renault F1 team.

I raised this same point before when Bernie bought into QPR alongside Flav; but how the hell can the "head" of a sport be allowed to go into partnership with someone else involved in the sport in an external venture?

How can the other F1 teams be happy with this? Would you be happy if Mawhinney suddenly started a business selling good with the Chairman of, say, Leeds or Plymouth?

I raised this same point before when Bernie bought into QPR alongside Flav; but how the hell can the "head" of a sport be allowed to go into partnership with someone else involved in the sport in an external venture?

 

How can the other F1 teams be happy with this? Would you be happy if Mawhinney suddenly started a business selling good with the Chairman of, say, Leeds or Plymouth?

TBF, Bernie is only a figurehead for the business side of the sport. He has no influence over rule-making, either sporting or technical, or cost-cutting, etc.

Breaking News :

http://www.autocar.co.uk/

Saab saved !

Breaking News :

 

http://www.autocar.co.uk/

 

Saab saved !

That is good news.

Excellent news.