SeriousSAAB
For SAAB cars made
after 1992
| Spyker buy SAAB: new dawn or false dawn? |
Early this evening, the author was informed that GM had announced that SAAB had been sold to Dutch specialist car maker Spyker for an undisclosed sum. An article posted by Reuters suggested that their sources believed that the amount involved was US $400m. The deal has yet to be underwritten by a Swedish government loan guarantee to the European Investment Bank for more than $560m. Following the abortive Koenigsegg deal, prudence rules out premature celebration but for every doubting Thomas eager to point to out that SAAB have not operated at a profit in two decades, there is another supporter equally keen to point out that things at SAAB could have been so different. One dealer principal, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that although sales globally are poor, it has to be appreciated that SAAB has been in bankruptcy protection for almost a year and this alone was bound to have a negative impact upon demand. Even so, with an exciting new model just around the corner and the sharp suited 9-3 winning over sales from buyers not normally associated with buying SAABs, things look promising. It doesn't seem that long ago since it was announced that the 9-3 cabriolet had achieved record sales figures – would it be over optimistic to expect the same from the new 9-5? Update 30th January, 2010 A little about Spyker Cars N.V Spyker, Holland. C.E.O Victor Muller ( a trained lawyer) Copyright © www.serioussaab.co.uk January 2010. All rights reserved. |
Earlier today when the author should have been hard at work, an article was being prepared that lamented the current state of play, likening events to the ‘phoney war’ at the outset of the second world war. The phrase was coined to refer to that uneasy period between the declaration of war and the subsequent attack on Poland in September 1939 and the onset of the battle for France in April 1940 in which nothing much seemed to be happening. With SAAB, GM had talked in earnest of closure but deadlines came and went and the outlook was gloomy. If a week is a long time in politics, then the same can be said for the motor industry, for, only days ago rumours abounded that offers by consortia headed by Bernie Ecclestone on one hand and Spkyker on the other were insufficient. GM had, however, sent a team of liquidators to Sweden but no dismantling had actually started and cars were set to be produced at Trollhattan until the end of next week, just to fulfil existing orders. No advice was forthcoming to dealerships here in the UK and in the absence of guidance from GM, it is ‘business as usual’ but at a traditionally quiet time for the motor trade, considerable reductions are available on new cars at many of the dealerships we spoke to yesterday.