Topic: SAAB R.I.P.

[Djetset]

Just a short note to say that this is a very sad day indeed with the passing of SAAB as the Company finally files for bankruptcy. 

It looks like all hope is now lost of SAAB being saved, not helped by those short-sighted idiots at GM that primarily caused the death of this once fine and proud car campany in the first place, and are now blocking any chances at all of SAAB's survival.

As someone that worked for SAAB for almost 15 years, and still has many good friends in Trollhatten, at the Saab dealerships and the importers, my heart and sympathies go out to them all.  It really shouldn't have ended like this. 

Three cheers for SAAB for providing the world with some of the most individual and pioneering of all cars over the past 60+ years. Hip hip, horray  

[neilshouse]

Very sad news indeed.

[woodinsight]

Just a short note to say that this is a very sad day indeed with the passing of SAAB as the Company finally files for bankruptcy. 

It looks like all hope is now lost of SAAB being saved, not helped by those short-sighted idiots at GM that primarily caused the death of this once fine and proud car campany in the first place, and are now blocking any chances at all of SAAB's survival.

As someone that worked for SAAB for almost 15 years, and still has many good friends in Trollhatten, at the Saab dealerships and the importers, my heart and sympathies go out to them all.  It really shouldn't have ended like this. 

Three cheers for SAAB for providing the world with some of the most individual and pioneering of all cars over the past 60+ years. Hip hip, horray  

I'll second that!

That's indeed sad news.
I used to run a Saab as a company car in the 1980s and enjoyed it immensely - especially the heated seats when I was living in Sussex in wintry days.

[Otto Puzzell]

If GM is guilty, it's guilty of not reviving the failing company it bought, versus taking a thriving company and wrecking it.

[Carnut]

If GM is guilty, it's guilty of not reviving the failing company it bought, versus taking a thriving company and wrecking it.

It is very sad news.  Saab at least provided an alternative to the default German premium brands.
Was Saab actually ailing when GM bought it?  They bought it because at the time it was seen as the best way to get a 'premium' brand to compete with the Germans, and Saab at the time were seen as sort of Premium (and Ford had snaffled Volvo and Jaguar already, so there wasn't much left - if my chronology is right!)

But having bought Saab, GM had no idea what to do with it and failed to invest properly in the right things.

I think they must take their share of the blame, although Saab may not have survived as an independent; we'll never know, of course.

[Otto Puzzell]

I agree.

I have a soft spot for the old US independents (AMC, Studebaker, etc.), and was saddened to see the later get swallowed by Chrysler, and then folded. But karma came back and bit Chrysler when they were bought by MB, and very nearly put out of business. Now they are FIAT's plaything, so they might yet get shuttered if/when FIAT re-establish themselves as a brand in the US.

[Carnut]

Yes - there are plenty more changes still to come..
Wait until the Chinese get the bit between their teeth..!

[DeAutogids]

Today there is the news that the Turkish government (who?) has interest in SAAB. Turkye has had quite a lot of growth over the last couple of years so they might have a bit to spare...

[faksta]

GM has indeed done it wrong. 'Their' SAAB was aimed at American market rather than European, where these cars have always been understood until the new badge engineered models came - a strange 9-2X and a nausea causing 9-7X. The new 9-5 was so great, judging by what I could have learnt from Internet and magazines. Oh well.. It will probably be back soon, don't you think so?

[Djetset]

As you say Faksta, GM screwed around with the Saab brand too much and forced horrors on it such as the 9-2X (which was actually quite a good car; but not a Saab) and the awful 9-7X.

Although GM can't be blamed solely for Saab's demise, it played a major role in its downfall (especially as Saab was profitable in the late 1980s).  I worked at Saab during the GM regime, and witnessed first hand the unforgiveable mistakes, lack of brand understanding and complete lack of funding for much-needed new products.  Rather than invest in Saab, the General always favoured its own brands first, many of which it then subsequently killed of (Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn).  I was very involved in some great stilborne Saab projects with promising new models to take the brand into lucrative new market segments (with rivals for the Audi A3, BMW Z3, Mercedes M-Klass, etc.) that were 50%+ complete, before the GM bean counters came in and pulled the plug on all the funding.

As much as I hope Saab will survive, I really fear that now it will not, as GM will not permit the sale of the marque to the Chinese due to claimed interlectual technology rights, and unless the company is sold as a going-concern, SAAB AB (the aviation division) will not allow use of the Saab name for automobiles, as it owns the rights to the Saab brand name.  A really shame.

[Otto Puzzell]

They could have invested billions, as Ford did with Jaguar, and still not make a penny. FWIW, SAAB had lost money building cars for 7 years before the the Vectra-based 900's came along.

Speaking of the Subaru-based 9-2X, I think Subaru had already ascended to the market niche SAAB once held in the US (snow-worthy cars for the self-styled 'independent thinker' types). Kudos to GM for realizing that, even if may have been an unconscious recognition.

[Otto Puzzell]

Moving this to the "General Automotive" section.

[Djetset]

Sorry Otto, I hope I haven't touched a nerve as you seem to be a GM fan.  I was always neutral about the company, until I saw how they operated, which rather put me off as it resembled politics, with too many people fighting internally, pulling in different directions, and not actually taking the time to consider what the end user wanted.  GM has invested billions in itself across all of its brands over the years, yet it still loses money and almost went under itself a couple of years back.  Let's hope GM can find its mojo and begin to make inspiring products again as it did 50-60 years ago.

[Otto Puzzell]

Sorry Otto, I hope I haven't touched a nerve as you seem to be a GM fan.  I was always neutral about the company, until I saw how they operated, which rather put me off as it resembled politics, with too many people fighting internally, pulling in different directions, and not actually taking the time to consider what the end user wanted.  GM has invested billions in itself across all of its brands over the years, yet it still loses money and almost went under itself a couple of years back.  Let's hope GM can find its mojo and begin to make inspiring products again as it did 50-60 years ago.

No, you didn't hit a nerve. I, too, would love to see the US automakers fully competitive, and making compelling and attractive cars.