GM Lets SAAB Die
12-18-2009, 08:05 PM
#16
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Detroit, MI
Posts: 1,071
Not sure if you guys remeber the SAAB 9-2x (AKA Saabaru for its ties with the Subaru Impreza). That was a car.... I really wish Subaru would of tried to get saab, because those 2 companies together can make a turbo 4 banger with AWD quite well.
I know this pic was photoshoped but it wouldnt be too far of a posibilty if SAAB and Subaru were together
Here's their real rally car.
I know this pic was photoshoped but it wouldnt be too far of a posibilty if SAAB and Subaru were together
Here's their real rally car.
Last edited by King Moose SS; 12-18-2009 at 08:07 PM.
12-19-2009, 12:10 AM
#17
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: The Golden State
Posts: 13,711
Do you mean "a little" as in a whale is "a little" fish, or as in the planet Jupiter is "a little" big parked next to a Volkswagen Beetle. 
In all fairness, Josh wasn't the only one who missed the boat on this call.
However, the thing that absolutely and completely floors me about this is that of all the things GM was doing, or was planning, anyone who kept only a shallow passing intrest in what was going on at GM would clearly see that if GM couldn't make money by selling off Saab, GM would kill off Saab. Yet, there were still people (who I respect, by the way) who let personal feelings get in the way, and ended up off on this when it was almost impossible that they would be.
GM wanted to jettison Saab even before bankruptcy. Saab has long been seen as a mistake at GM over the years, especially in light of Ford successfully integrating Volvo by comparison.
Over the years, GM injected vehicles from other parts of it's empire to round Saab out, Subaru and Chevy's Trailblazer coming quickly to mind. In the end, outside of Sweedish pride and the barely one thousand Saabs per month GM managed to find buyers for here in the US, Saab never became a money maker.
Saturn sold more than Saab. Yet Saturn was killed when it couldn't suvccessfully be sold.
Hummer made GM money almost to the very end. Yet, Hummer was about to be killed when GM sold it off to the Chinese for barely a song let along a song and dance.
GM killed off the 2nd largest car division it had, Pontiac.
Yet, GM was going to save Saab???!!!!
This news shouldn't surprise anyone, and in fact should fall into the catagory of "Non-News" because it was plain that GM wasn't going to keep Saab around or the excess capacity of it's plants, let alone it's marketing costs.
Personally, I didn't care one way or the other if Saab survived. I was aware of Saab over the years, and knew about GM's history with them. But personally, Saab was one of those lines that wasn't for me, but I knew it had (once upon a time) a strong fan base. I sat in a few about a year ago, and was pretty unimpressed. Then I looked up the sales figures, and was shocked. When GM showed a willingness to kill Pontiac, then it was obvious that if you weren't Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, Holden, or GMC, your future was for sale.
Saab was the weakest link.
In all fairness, Josh wasn't the only one who missed the boat on this call.
However, the thing that absolutely and completely floors me about this is that of all the things GM was doing, or was planning, anyone who kept only a shallow passing intrest in what was going on at GM would clearly see that if GM couldn't make money by selling off Saab, GM would kill off Saab. Yet, there were still people (who I respect, by the way) who let personal feelings get in the way, and ended up off on this when it was almost impossible that they would be.
GM wanted to jettison Saab even before bankruptcy. Saab has long been seen as a mistake at GM over the years, especially in light of Ford successfully integrating Volvo by comparison.
Over the years, GM injected vehicles from other parts of it's empire to round Saab out, Subaru and Chevy's Trailblazer coming quickly to mind. In the end, outside of Sweedish pride and the barely one thousand Saabs per month GM managed to find buyers for here in the US, Saab never became a money maker.
Saturn sold more than Saab. Yet Saturn was killed when it couldn't suvccessfully be sold.
Hummer made GM money almost to the very end. Yet, Hummer was about to be killed when GM sold it off to the Chinese for barely a song let along a song and dance.
GM killed off the 2nd largest car division it had, Pontiac.
Yet, GM was going to save Saab???!!!!
This news shouldn't surprise anyone, and in fact should fall into the catagory of "Non-News" because it was plain that GM wasn't going to keep Saab around or the excess capacity of it's plants, let alone it's marketing costs.
Personally, I didn't care one way or the other if Saab survived. I was aware of Saab over the years, and knew about GM's history with them. But personally, Saab was one of those lines that wasn't for me, but I knew it had (once upon a time) a strong fan base. I sat in a few about a year ago, and was pretty unimpressed. Then I looked up the sales figures, and was shocked. When GM showed a willingness to kill Pontiac, then it was obvious that if you weren't Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, Holden, or GMC, your future was for sale.
Saab was the weakest link.
Last edited by guionM; 12-19-2009 at 12:12 AM.
12-19-2009, 08:51 AM
#19
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Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Chicagoland IL
Posts: 16,179
It's really a shame that Saab is gone. A shame that GM couldn't have done something good with it. Maybe I don't feel as bad as when Oldsmobile/Plymouth/Pontiac went away, but it's still sad to see it die.
12-19-2009, 11:59 AM
#20
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Sarasota FL
Posts: 3,375
My only real memory of Saab is when I had an '05 9-5 Aero that I took to the beach 3 summers ago. With the M5 and 230-ish HP, I beat the snot out of it all week and STILL got over 28 MPG for my 700 mile trip. I really, really enjoyed that car...
12-20-2009, 10:18 AM
#21
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Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Ontario
Posts: 2,712
It looks like the saga isn't over yet ... Spyker is trying to resurrect their offer:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...rticle1406814/
Dutch luxury carmarker Spyker Cars NV submitted a new offer to fast-track a buyout of Saab from General Motors, two days after last-ditch talks to rescue the Swedish manufacturer collapsed.
GM said on Friday it would start shutting down the loss-making firm after talks with Spyker ended. The move to abandon the 60-year-old Swedish auto brand would eliminate 3,400 jobs in Sweden and drop 1,100 Saab dealers.
But Spyker said on Sunday it has submitted a renewed offer including an 11-point proposal addressing each of the issues that arose during the due diligence process.
“We have made every effort to resolve the issues that were preventing the conclusion of this matter and we have asked GM and all other involved parties to seriously consider this offer,” Spyker Cars Chief Executive Victor Muller said in a statement.
GM Europe was not immediately available for comment.
Spyker Cars said the new offer eliminates the need for a European Investment Bank (EIB) loan approval prior to year end, which would allow the deal to be concluded within GM's deadline.
Mr. Muller added Spyker was confident the offer would remove the impasse and allow it to conclude the deal prior to the expiry of the deadline originally set by GM of Dec. 31.
The renewed offer is valid until 3:00 pm ET on Monday, December 21.
GM said on Friday it would start shutting down the loss-making firm after talks with Spyker ended. The move to abandon the 60-year-old Swedish auto brand would eliminate 3,400 jobs in Sweden and drop 1,100 Saab dealers.
But Spyker said on Sunday it has submitted a renewed offer including an 11-point proposal addressing each of the issues that arose during the due diligence process.
“We have made every effort to resolve the issues that were preventing the conclusion of this matter and we have asked GM and all other involved parties to seriously consider this offer,” Spyker Cars Chief Executive Victor Muller said in a statement.
GM Europe was not immediately available for comment.
Spyker Cars said the new offer eliminates the need for a European Investment Bank (EIB) loan approval prior to year end, which would allow the deal to be concluded within GM's deadline.
Mr. Muller added Spyker was confident the offer would remove the impasse and allow it to conclude the deal prior to the expiry of the deadline originally set by GM of Dec. 31.
The renewed offer is valid until 3:00 pm ET on Monday, December 21.
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