News services are brimming over with stories about who's buying Saab.
It's got so big now that Teknikens Varld are quoting odds from the Ladbrokes betting agency on who will win the Swedish prize!
I can't find the Saab betting page on Ladbrokes myself, which is a pity as there's some good odds there, but if you can find it then maybe you'll want to pick you favourite and cheer them over the line.
The odds are as follows:
- Chinese consortium - 2.50
- Swedish consortium - 5.00
- Fiat - 7.00
- German consortium - 8.00
- International consortium - 8.00
- Korean consortium - 8.00
- BMW - 12.00
- Hyundai - 12.00
- Indian consortium - 13.00
- Japanese consortium - 17.00
- Renault - 25.00
- American consortium - 25.00
- Volvo - 50.00
Saabs United only advocates responsible gambling.......

RE: odds here, where's Renco?
I don't think Ladbrokes are completely informed as to who the players are. My guess is that Renco would be classed as a US Consortium.
I'm still cheering for BMW to get in there. And hey, if a 50-1 shot can win the Kentucky Derby...
They make the complete 9-3 convertible for Saab. They also make complete cars for other manufacturers as well.
To me the Magna-Styer group bid makes the most sense, especially if they team up with the Russian group GAZ. That way Saab will have an extended market in the northen hemisphere wher such beasts as elk and mouse roam.
Check the link:
http://www.magnasteyr.com/xchg/complete_vehicle/XSL/standard.xsl/-/content/269_2131.htm?slideshow_akt_id=2132
So the epsilon II plattform supports some featurs that might find it's way into a brand new Swedish car...?
"2009-05-13 17:37
Insänd av: Fredrik
..."
"...kod 2= Ingen fjärrkontroll upptäckt, trampa ner kopplingspedalen för en omstart.(keyless?)
Translate: =No remote discovered, use clutch to do a restart
kod 8= Slå av tändningen och slå sedan på den igen, upprepa utandningstestet.(alkolås?)
Translate: =Switch of the ignition and switch it on again. Repeat the out haling?
kod 50= Aktiverat skyddsystem fotgängare, återställ motorhuv.(aktiv huv?)
Translate: =Safe system for pedestrian activated, secure the engine hood.
kod 48= Rengör varningssystem döda vinkeln.(en variant av volvos BLIS?)
Translate: =Clean the warning system blind spot.
kod 83= Den adaptiva farthållaren behöver service. (adaptiv radarfarthållare?)
Translate: =The adaptive cruise control need service"
Guess we don't have many gamblers here - those are odds from Ladbroke, meaning Volvo is the real dark horse at 50:1 odds, and the Chinese the favorite. My read of these odds? No one has a clue! I mean, how is a Korean consortium different from Hyundai? Better to be betting on who IS NOT in the pack!
Now let's see if I resolved the bolding problem... ;)
Sorry, I could not resist the pun...
I'll damn my self for trying to do a clear view of what was someone elses stuff and what was my own translation...
Anyhow, this Magna stuff do appeal to me. But the story says that Magna will only buy 50% and that GM will keep 30%.
Why?
The codes starts at page 91
http://www.gmproductforum.co.uk/articles/1763.pdf
How does anyone plan to close before Gm goes belly up with this circus?
Meanwhile, Saab continues to struggle with no magic potion. It will be a real march for Saab to survive.
My money is still on Renco (toxic avenger), Koenigseeg (can save tons of money by keeping only 10 engineers, Brilliant!), and an asian group, probably Chinese. Anyone in Trollhattan seeing any asians around town?
I have come to conclude that GM actually wants a "damaged buyer" so Saab will never be a threat in the worldwide pecking order. Think about it.
bold off?
I like the bold. These old eyes can actually read this without my cheaters.
Active pedestrian protection,
ACC
blind spot warning
These are "must have" for the 9-5.
Koneigsegg may lack experience, but they make up for it with the kind of raw ambition that Saab really needs right now. They're also a small company so there has to be some serious hidden money behind that bid. They wouldn't be ideal but I could definitely live with them.
Fiat is another one which could end up going well or going poorly. The worst-case scenario would be a replay of the GM schtick. The best-case scenario would be that they understand and appreciate Saab enough to make them their international luxury brand, possibly alongside a revamped Alfa. The key difference here is that Fiat seems to know and appreciate the international luxury market a good bit more than GM does, and because of that I think they'd be a good owner for Saab. Currently, I really hope that there's some oomph behind the Fiat rumors.
Magna seems like it's a bit of a dark horse right now, but I could also see Saab doing quite well under them, especially if they get Opel as well. They have the money, the engineering staff and the factories that will be necessary to give Saab the models and capacity it'll need to succeed, and I'm guessing the Management will be willing to do what is needed to sort out Saab and Opel's respective market niches. I consider Magna ownership to be just about the best solution for Saab that has a chance at happening right now.
Also how does Magna make the 9-3 cabrio, in Trollhattan or Austria? A capacity problem from the start. Trollhattan needs volume, so dies Austria.
Ditto here and double ditto with Rennert.