SAAB - the end of an era?

[Dayvo]

SAAB are filing for bankruptcy: employees haven't been paid for a while and no investor appears to be interested.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16242115

Initially an aircraft manufacturer (Svenska Aeroplan AB - Swedish Aeroplane Ltd. Co.) its early designs were ahead of their time and noticeably different from their rivals and far more aerodynamic.

Their cars were/are of good quality, comfort and peformance, and easily stood up to the more 'exclusive' German makes.

I didn't own one, although I drove quite a few of them in the 14 years I lived there, including a borrowed 99 for a few months one summer and it was a great car.

Here are a few through the years:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16252503

 

[Peteaud]

Been on the cards for a while i think.

Shame but wont be the last car manufacturer to go, no use in building cars no one wants.

 

[Paulus]

They haven't made any cars since February, just spare parts, and the lorry division stopped building before then.

 

[sunnyjim]

SAAB are filing for bankruptcy: employees haven't been paid for a while and no investor appears to be interested.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16242115

Initially an aircraft manufacturer (Svenska Aeroplan AB - Swedish Aeroplane Ltd. Co.) its early designs were ahead of their time and noticeably different from their rivals and far more aerodynamic.

Their cars were/are of good quality, comfort and peformance, and easily stood up to the more 'exclusive' German makes.

I didn't own one, although I drove quite a few of them in the 14 years I lived there, including a borrowed 99 for a few months one summer and it was a great car.

Here are a few through the years:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16252503

Still are, of course
http://www.saabgroup.com/en/Air/Gripen-Fighter-System/

I was always more of a Volvo type- If they had built an aircraft, it would have made the A10 look nimble & flimsy.

 

[MattHB]

Blimey.. That's the end of an era. Some Malaysian company will surely step in tho. It could be rebranded quite nicely.

 

[biggs682]

my father had many of the 96 v4 models in the 60's he even had a couple of 2 stroke ones as well , and later on had an early 99 , always very good cars from what i can remember .

i had a v4 96 myself , clutchless gearchanges with the freewheel engaged , glowing red brake discs when left foot braking and heated seats along with great roadholding are the things i remember about it .

and i will always remember watching the 99 turbos and 96 specials doing there bit on various rac rallies and rallycross courses in there days

 

[Archie_tect]

Can't believe they only sold 30,000 world-wide last year... that makes British Leyland look competent.

 

[DCLane]

Not good news for me. I'm on my 4th (1973 99, 1992 9000CD, 1996 9000CSE and currently a 2006 9-3 Aero convertible) and I hope parts supply will be OK.

I'm guessing that the brand and factory will be bought up shortly, probably by the Chinese / VW.

 

[Bicycle]

This has been on the cards for some time. GM were groping in the dark when they bought SAAB.

SAAB were experts in selective poaching from other manufacturers before it became an industry norm (Ford V4, Triumph Dolomite motor etc.(

The cachet was in the perceived quirkiness and exclusivity, which brings you no return when welded onto a Vectra platform and pitched at the wrong market.

When I was a child, my father drove me to visit one of his pals, an Austrian economist. We pullen into the man's drive and parked by the house was a SAAB 96, an early V4. "Wow, a SAAB!" I said. "Aah" said my father, "A connoisseur's car". I'd never heard that word before and whenever I hear it now I can see that blue SAAB.

Soichiro Honda said many years ago that in the future there would be only five carmakers, and one of those would be Morgan. It has been coming true for the past twenty years.

Worryingly, control of the motor industry is heading to India (Tata) and China. SAAB just stopped making cars that people were prepared to pay to own.

I stopped loving them with the demise of the near-vertical wrap-around screen and the lock-in-reverse ignition key.

 

[Fab Foodie]

General motors killed Saab with mediocrity. Shame.

 

[Maz]

I read about SAAB's decline a few months back. I hope they do find a buyer, because they make decent enough cars.

I thought Gripen (Swedish for Griffin?) owned Saab. Could be wrong about that, tho.

 

[Speicher]

I bought myself a three year old (04 reg) Saab 9-3 Tdi for my 50th birthday. Always wanted one.

 

[screenman]

One of my customers was a Saab dealer, they changed over to Hyundai just in time.

Saab radiator £700, Vectra radiator £200, that news was from one of my larger fleet customers who runs both.

I never knew Saab used the Triumph or Ford engines, I would like to know more about that, shows you 40 years in the motor trade and I know nothing.

 

[growingvegetables]

I got to drive a Saab 96, V4 engine, occasionally - way back in the 70's. It was my flatmate's. Beautiful beast to drive. Sad.

 

[Keith Oates]

It was always a car that I wanted to have but could not afford one, sad to see it close down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!