Saab story

[SamHill]

http://bringatrailer.com/2012/01/16/breaking-story-120-car-saab-factory-museum-bankruptcy-sell-off/

Rather sad.

[dvonk]

tragic, it looks like a really nice museum. :mecry:

i couldnt tell from the wording though, is the whole SAAB company bankrupt or is it just the SAAB Heritage Museum?

[PlutonimicX]

I think all the automotive division at least is what is bankrupt

[SamHill]

If Corporations are people, this one's dead, Jim.

[DMCVegas]

Yep, SAAB is no more. As of December 20th they also ceased reimbursing dealers for warranty work and are refusing to honor any coverage for future cars. As such GM has stepped in to cover warranties on cars that were purchased while they owned the company, but not post-sale. All existing cars on dealer lots are being sold "AS-IS". Local dealerships are advertising 3yr/36K mile maintenance included with the cars, but that's no where near the same.

If they weren't so riddiculously expensive I'd consider picking one up as a collector piece. Just as a car though, they're only slightly less boring than a Toyota Camry. For the kind of cash they're asking I demand that a car either have outrageous power, or at least equal looks if not perform a special function that I *need* it for. A four-banger in a beige box is not worth $30K-$40K, no matter how much leather or GPS systems you cram inside.

[Notifier]

Saab has been in trouble for quite some time. About a year ago, GM was shutting down the factories and trying to sell everything off. At that point it was only a matter of time before the whole thing collapsed. Of course GM didn't really help Saab coming out with the 9-7 (a re-branded Chevrolet Trailblazer) and the 9-2 (a re-branded Subaru). Then they "redesigned" the 9-5, which I believe is based off the Buick Regal. I think the brand just went stale, looking like any other GM product.

I own a 2006 9-3, that actually will be selling soon simply because I don't have room for it at my house! I does pain me to sell it, a really love that car. V6 Turbo Manual - I have fun driving it. And she's got power, no complaints there. Saab's are like DeLorean's, appeal to certain types of people, not everyone. That's why I don't think they are mainstream like your Chevrolet's, Honda's, Toyota's, etc...

7819

[jawn101]

If you think the bankruptcy is sad (which don't get me wrong, it absolutely is) then this article will really make you weak-kneed.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/100-saabs-reportedly-sent-to-the-crusher.html

I guess that we D-lovers, of all people, know that receivership is a real bitch.

Saab made some business mistakes and there's no doubt about that. But they always made a quirky, kind of cool, unique product. That is, until GM came in and turned them into the aforementioned 4-banger equipped beige boxes. They were making the very earliest steps in reinventing the brand as something unique once more, but unfortunately times are tough the world over.

The saddest thing about the whole affair is the amount of national pride that Sweden had in those cars. It must be really devastating for their citizens.

[PlutonimicX]

I wonder where the million mile Saab is. I'm sure the owner who owned it all those miles would like to have it back. Chances are it may have went to the crusher since it was structurally compromised

[Victor]

It's true as jawn101 said_ people from Sweden are proud people and are surely disapointed about the whole thing. I am surprise that not a single sweden billionaire decided to do something to save the brand. It is a Saad story!
For me the old 900 convertible is the quintescence model of all_and so much fun to drive!
I had also a old '86 900S in the past and I think it was close to the million miles (the speedo cable was inoperative for several year, so I don't really know. The same thing for the reverse gear! I drove it nonetheless. I just had to watch how and where to park!

[Henrik]

The saddest thing about the whole affair is the amount of national pride that Sweden had in those cars. It must be really devastating for their citizens.

Well.... I'm one of them.... although I have called TX home for the last 22 years. With a population of only 9 million it's true that it hurts when an "institution" like SAAB closes its doors. Their car production started out as something else for them to do when the WW2 had come to an end and the demand for planes was dwindling.
I restored and owned a 1980 Saab 99 Turbo back in the late 80s (yes, it was in need of a restoration after that short of a time because of the road salt) and boy, that car packed a punch, at least compared to most other cars and also because it was a handful: When you stepped on the gas the steering wheel wanted to go to neutral and the shifter jerked wildly, like a bucking horse. The turbo kicked in all at once at a pretty high rev. The transmission was weak and handling so so with all the weight in the front. But I really liked the car. I should post some pics some time.

[DeLorean]

I have several Saabs, it's a sad state what went down... I wish things had worked out differently.

[jawn101]

Update: at least there's a little good in this story. Ran across this headline this afternoon.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/saab-museum-saved.html

[dvonk]

this is good news! :biggrin: it looks like such a nice museum, i would hate to see it liquidated.

thanks for sharing the link.