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by Swade

The curious case of the Saab ownership poll

May 24, 2009 in Archive

I posted a poll earlier today asking readers who they consider would be the best owner for Saab out of the candidates believed to be left in the running.
The results have predictably fallen Koenigsegg’s way, with Renco pulling in a strong win in the separate, second place poll. It seems the Chinese aren’t favoured by anyone.
But the voting has been far from smooth and the voting patterns certainly raise a few eyebrows.
Here’s the results as of right now:
RightNowResults.jpg
As you can see, that’s a rather large 64% to Koenigsegg with one quarter of votes suggesting that the whole process should be stopped and re-commence anew.
Notice I said “votes” and not “voters”.
This whole poll is somewhat stuffed by the fact that it’s organised by Google and I have no ability to restrict voting to one vote per IP address. This leaves the vote open to corruption and this poll is quite likely to be as thoroughly corrupted as an African politician.
The thing that really raised my curiosity was that “start again” vote. We may not be totally happy with all the available candidates at the moment, but I see every comment that gets posted on this site via email and I know that sentiments have not been running this way to this degree. There are not one full quarter of commenters at this site who think that Saab, being this close to being released from a soon-to-be-bankrupt GM, should drag out the process for another 4-6 months to get a result that will most likely be the same as the one we’ve got now.
So I looked into it.

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by Swade

Sunday night Saab Flickr dump

May 24, 2009 in Archive

It’s time for another visual feast of cars, saved via my RSS feed from Flickr.
Sorry, but aside from two that you’ll see below, there are no links this time. I just didn’t have time. But looking up Saab shots on Flickr is pretty easy if you’re needing to get a fix.
Some of these are absolutely fantastic.
——
A brilliant Monte Carlo yellow Saab 9-3, which I assume must be a de-badged Viggen? Or an SE with Aero bumpers??
YellowSaab9-3reflection.jpg
Some art with an early Saab 9-5:
1999Saab9-5SEflkr.jpg
A beautiful Saab 95 photo
GreenSaab95Distillery.jpg

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by Swade

Pollhattan Saab – new ownership

May 24, 2009 in Archive

This is long overdue, isn’t it?
We’re near the final stages of Saab’s ownership search, and whilst I’ve got a good idea as to who will top this poll, it’ll be interesting to see just how it shakes out.

This is the first time I’ve run a Google Docs poll, so hopefully it works out OK. Polling plugins for Movable Type can be quite complex and I’m feeling lazy, hence this experiment.
UPDATE:
OK, it’s compromised. There’s no way I can see to ensure only one vote per IP and there’s no way for you to see the results without voting.
I’ll ask you to play fair and only vote once and I’ll post periodic updates to keep you all informed.

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by Swade

Saab updates from Sweden

May 23, 2009 in Archive

I couldn’t resist this one, from Magnus in comments:

Todays Dagens Nyheter (The Daily News, which is the biggest paper in Sweden) quoted SAAB’s head of marketing Knut Simonsson who made a statement in DI (Dagens Industri) on who’s bidding for SAAB:
“They have both the financial resorces and management capacity and eat using the right kind of cutlery”
I guess that leaves the Chinese out …

Maybe it means Knut loves a good Yum Cha?
It’s an interesting comment, no matter which way you play it. It’s certainly not something you’d expect the marketing boss to come out with. It’s more like something you’d expect a blogger to say.
Maybe there’s hope for Saab doing a real-world grass roots communications effort after all.
——
TTELA are reporting that Saab orders are rising at the moment. They’re rising to such an extent that Saab may soon be in a position to reinstate some of the 700 workers they laid off recently.

A doubling of work means that the number of produced cars per day would increase from 100 to 200. And that in turn would, according Åkerlund, permitting Saab needs to “pick the staff” to meet production. How many jobs could be considered, however, he does not want to speculate on at present.

It’s still a comparatively low production number, but it’s encouraging to see that things are picking up.
Thanks Michael!
——
There’s a very good chance that General Motors will be forced into Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings next week. GM’s time is officially up on June 1, but there are rumours that it could happen as early as Wednesday 27th.
The big question is whether or not GM’s Ch11 proceeding will have any significant impact on Saab’s sale process.
This from DN.se

- I do not think anyone can say with certainty what is happening with the Saab if it becomes a chapter 11 of the GM. But clearly, if we are very close to a deal with a new owner, so I find it difficult to see that there is something of interest in America to not pursue it, argues Paul Åkerlund, chairman of the IF Metall in the Saab.
Gunilla Gustavs at Saab Automobile information indicates, as well as Rolf Åbjörnsson, that much can happen if GM ports in chapter 11.
- It is a process with many variations. We can not speculate on how Saab affected. It is possible that there may be no significance at all. But we must try to prepare ourselves, “says Gustav TT.

——
Something to think about when you’re concerned about the pockets of our three bidders.

  • All have been reviewed by Deutsche Bank
  • All have seen and agreed with Saab’s business plan – bringing production, design etc back to Sweden and building the 9-3x, 9-4x, 9-5 sedan and wagon.
  • All have proven that they have the access to sufficient funding to bring Saab’s business plan to fruition.

So in terms helping Saab back on to their feet, all three should be capable. It’s whether they can carry Saab if things don’t work out, and whether they can bring more new models to Saab’s future that may be of some concern.

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TTELA commentary on where Saab are now

May 23, 2009 in Archive

Magnus Nordberg is the man on the ground in Trollhattan and he’s been doing excellent work covering the situation with Saab since this whole story began back in February.
He’s just published an editorial at TTELA as a lead in to what might be the eve of Saab’s decision, which will hopefully be made (if not announced) next week.
Here’s a Googletrans of the article.
——
Who will Saab choose next week?
The moment of truth is approaching. As early as next week Saab might select the favorite among its three remaining ownership candidates.
TTELA suspects the choice is between an American billionaire, a sports car manufacturer and a Chinese company. And that’s if Fiat can really be discounted.
When Saab went into reorganization on February 20, there were not many who gave the company a good chance to survive. Three months later the situation is much brighter.
27 stakeholders heard about Saab. Since then, these stakeholders have visited Saab, and Saab with Deutsche Bank’s help, have narrowed the to three. Most speculations were about Geely. The privately-owned Chinese company were among the ten candidates who were invited to Trollhättan.
But Geely is, according to data from several sources, no longer in the picture. Another company involved in recent discussion is the Canadian subcontractor Magna. But IF Metall spokesman, Paul Åkerlund has said to TTELA that Magna’s interest all this time was only around Opel – not Saab.
With these two removed from the list, it points to The Renco Group, Koenigsegg and a Chinese manufacturer that remains.
Behind the Renco Group is one of America’s richest people – billionaire Ira Rennert.
Behind the sports car manufacturer Koenigseggs interest is the primary owner, the Norwegian Bård Eker. He has to Norwegian site e24.no said that “it would be a dream to buy Saab.”
We also know from the SAAB-staff that the factory had a visit from a Chinese company, in addition to Geely. But it is unclear who it is.
Do we ignore Fiat? Fiat was simply not included in the sales process Saab runs. By contrast, Fiat has gone to GM and said they want to take over GM Europe.
The latest news is that Saab is not included in the bid Fiat made for Opel on Wednesday. But in the automotive industry anything can happen so to fully deduct Fiat may be premature.
Fiat is the favorite solution among many industry experts. And to some, it could be a long-term stable and good solution, but there are risks that have not be spoken about enough.
Why is everyone so sure that the new Fiat Group would be a success if the boss Sergio Marchionne received through their plans?
To bake together with Chrysler Fiat, Opel and Saab is an extreme challenge, in everything from product planning to the internal fight that teaches about the decision on employment.
If Marchionne could succeed in building a large group, he will be remembered as the genius who understood [unsure of the translation here, but I think "to strike when the iron is hot" makes sense]
But if he fails … yes, there is risk for Saab to be with a weak owner. Fiat’s economy is, from what I understand, really nothing to boast.
In addition to that, Saab would be back as the little brother. In GM they were on the back burner. Would it be the same with Fiat?
And what does it mean for employment in Trollhättan? The tools to the next Saab 9-5 is in Rüsselsheim and would remain there for Saab and Opel ended up in the same nest.
So while Fiat has an upside and a downside.
——
Stakeholders:
The Renco Group
U.S. investment company with billionaire Ira Rennert, 74, in the lead role. Has its headquarters in New York and owns companies in several industries. Renco Group is linked to the motor vehicle via AM General, which manufactures military jeep Humvee and Hummer.
For: Would be a very strong capital owners. It is difficult to see that Renco would have short-or long-term plans to move operations from Trollhättan.
Against: Renco Group and Ira Rennert has (or had) a bad environmental reputation through some of their companies. The story also contains a bankruptcy which is considered doubtful.
–
Koenigsegg
Sports car manufacturers, since a few years back has series of small scale. Is based in Angelholm. Norwegian Bård Eker is a principal owner in Koenigsegg now also want to take over Saab.
For: marketing dream for Saab brand. A Scandinavian owners that makes sports cars in a former air hangar. It includes almost all the elements that Saab wants to be associated with.
Against: Is this the strong owners Saab need? Manufacturing cars is one thing, the mass production of them is another.
–
Chinese manufacturers
TTELA think that a Chinese manufacturer is still in the picture. But it is unclear which.
For: Can open the door to the massive Chinese market.
Against: There are many suspicions against the Chinese owners, as they could move operations east. But the biggest question mark is whether GM is ready to share its technology with the Chinese, and if the state is prepared to provide loan guarantees?

Tags: , , , 20 Comments »

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by Swade

Vote Saab at GTplanet

May 23, 2009 in Archive

It’s been a long time since I’ve played Gran Turismo on a Playstation. We had trouble with our playstation breaking down all the time, actually, so we ditched it in favour of an Xbox, which has proven to be totally reliable. Or so the young fella tells me; I haven’t played a video game in years now.
One that I used to love was Gran Turismo. Apparently there’s a new version in development and due for release soon. It’ll be Gran Turismo 5.
GTplanet is not an official GT site, but it looks like they’re pretty well hooked up. A browse there is quite interesting, actually. Some of the driving controls they market for playing this game are incredible. How much gaming do you have to do before you seriously consider putting one of these controllers in your living room?
visionracer-vr3-g25.jpg
GTPlanet are running a voting system where you can place your vote for a car you’d like to see in Gran Turismo. If you want to give Saab a boost, then follow these steps:

  1. Click here to go to the voting front page.
  2. Type Saab in the “I Want….” panel
  3. Select the Saab you’d like to vote for, or create one if it’s not there.
  4. Rinse and repeat. You have 20 votes to play with.

I’m not sure this carries any weight with the developers of GT. The game’s probably well and truly on the way to being finished. But if they’re smart, they pay some attention to their enthusiast communities, so it can’t hurt.
Personally, I’d vote for the 900 Aero, the Pikes Peak Viggen and the Aero-X.
Thanks Eirik!

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Magna are not bidding for Saab

May 23, 2009 in Archive

There seemed to be a lot of theorising in comments to the Magna/Opel post about what Magna might do, why the might need Saab, and what problems they may or may not have if they get Saab.
I thought writing this in a headline might clarify things a little.
Magna are not bidding for Saab and are not one of the final three bidders for Saab. Unless the whole process starts anew and they decide they’d like to bid for Saab, this is not a relationship that’s going anywhere.
Saab will not belong to Magna in the future. Period.

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Magna in the lead for Opel

May 22, 2009 in Archive

I wonder if Fiat will try and take their back-door route for Saab a little harder now?
From AFP:

Canadian auto parts maker Magna is in pole position in the race to take over struggling General Motor’s German subsidiary Opel, a key local politician said Friday.
Magna’s offer “responds best to the needs” of the public authorities and the workers, said Roland Koch, premier of the state of Hesse, where Opel’s headquarters are situated.
On the other hand, Italian giant Fiat’s bid is “a long way” from what authorities had hoped for, Koch said.
The third bidder in the race, RHJ International, whose main shareholder is the founder of the US investment fund Ripplewood, has placed a “very interesting” offer, he added…..
……Magna and RHJ were expected to ask for five billion euros (seven billion dollars) in guarantees while Fiat was reported to be requesting seven billion euros.
The Canadian firm is also the candidate preferred by GM, according to press reports.

It’s starting to look like all FIAT’s Sergio Marchionne managed to achieve was to get his name in the press a lot.
He’s missed the boat on Saab and now it looks like missed the boat on Opel.
Oh well, at least he got Chrysler.
Pffft.
It sounds like the deal for Opel could be decided really soon. They’ve only received bids in the last few days and the government are talking about making a preliminary decision possibly as early as today.
Saab have had their three bidders in place since early last week – almost a full two weeks ago – and we’re still waiting.
There must be an announcement coming soon, right?
Thanks Gregg!

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A Saab update from Holland

May 22, 2009 in Archive

Our Saab dealer friends have been doing it pretty tough in Holland.
Saab’s Dutch importer collapsed a few months ago and since then, they haven’t been able to get any new cars into the country, no matter how many orders they had outstanding.
I’ve just heard, however, that the new importers will commence work on Monday, May 25th.
You might remember that I’ve recently been in touch with some guys in Apeldoorn, in Holland. These guys took the extraordinary decision to open a Saab dealership in the midst of all this crisis. With an importing body collapsed and Saab’s own future uncertain, Saab of Apeldoorn opened its doors on April 1st this year.
They now have their website up and running, and it’s looking pretty fine, too.
SaabApeldoorn.jpg
All Saab dealers in Holland have been able to order parts in direct from Sweden, so servicing hasn’t been a problem.
Hopefully, with the new importers in place, they’ll be able to give customers the new vehicles that they want, too. And hopefully the Dutch market can take back its place as one of Saab’s most popular markets.
I just hope Saab of Apeldoorn are a big part of it. I’d take my hat off to those guys if I was wearing one.

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by Swade

Saab’s mission?

May 22, 2009 in Saabology

I got this via email and whilst I personally think that mission statements are tres 1990s, they do make some sense if one looks at them strictly.
Saab are a car company. That’s what they do. It’s a fairly narrow mission unless you choose to expand it and I guess with Saab’s brand pillars of progressive design, responsible performance and sporty driver focus you could say that they’ve further defined their mission.
Jarod is the guy who inspired this post, and he writes as follows:
——
…..With all this talk of were we see Saab in the auto industry, and who we want to buy it, it got me thinking. What does Saab stand for? As someone who went to school for business I thought I’d see what they say they stand for or what their goals, by looking for their mission statement. Which is usually something that most businesses have. To my surprise i couldn’t find one. I then looked up GM’s Mission statement.

“G.M. is a multinational corporation engaged in socially responsible operations, worldwide. It is dedicated to provide products and services of such quality that our customers will receive superior value while our employees and business partners will share in our success and our stock-holders will receive a sustained superior return on their investment.”

I believe that everyone agrees that GM hasn’t followed their mission very well, they may even agree to that.
This is from missionstatements.com

A mission statement defines in a paragraph or so any entity’s reason for existence. It embodies its philosophies, goals, ambitions and more. Any entity that attempts to operate without a mission statement runs the risk of wandering through the world without having the ability to verify that it is on its intended course.

I know for myself I’d like to see theirs with something to do with Performance, Safety, Environmentally friendly, and something about being progressive in their ideas and concepts. I don’t know the order or in which i would like them to be in.
——
So…..
Any thoughts?
Do Saab’s brand pillars do the job? Is there a need to re-visit this given Saab’s looming rebirth and independence?
More environmental emphasis? More individual emphasis?
Personally, I tend to think that Saab’s brand pillars do the job in terms of the products they make. Perhaps if Saab were to define their mission at a corporate level they’d like to include goals relating to manufacturing efficiency and employee relations.
If you’re so inclined, comments are open.
My thanks to Jarod for the thoughtful email.

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by Swade

Djup Strupe and the Saab 9-3 convertible

May 22, 2009 in Archive

Djup Strupe’s scored an interesting whole truth.
Via my inbox:

9-3 Convertible Production Planning
The important work to take Saab successfully through the reorganisation is going as planned. An important step in creating a profitable new Saab Automobile involves changing/improving our production footprint and capacity utilisation. As part of these changes, production of the 9-3 Convertible will be temporarily halted for approx 6 months (from the middle of July until end of calendar year 2009). To minimise the negative impact of this production stop it has been deliberately timed to take place in the “low season” for Convertible sales

I guess those negotiations with Magna Steyr have been finalised now…..
It’s good to see everything coming home to Trollhattan. Not that the convertible being made by Magna was ever a source of objection. They did a great job on a great vehicle. but these are tough times, exciting times, and it just seems right that the whole family starts off “together” in the same place at this time of rebirth for the company.
——
It’s also a nice reminder about how long it takes to accomplish things in the automotive industry.
You’d think it’s a matter of just unbolting some robots and moving them from Austria to Sweden. I could do that with a socket set, a hoist and a U-Haul, right?
Wrong. This is a long term business. Sometimes we propose finger-snap solutions and wonder why they haven’t been done, or can’t be done by next month.
When it takes six months to move production of an already-developed vehicle, you can get an idea of the real timeframes involved in designing and building one from scratch.

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SaabUSA Top Cat calls it quits

May 22, 2009 in Archive

I can be so small sometimes…..
mcnabbseuss.jpg Mark McNabb, the guy who took the reins at GM Premium Brands around 13 months ago, has pulled the plug on his GM career, citing a desire to pursue other opportunities.

Mark McNabb, who was hired by GM 13 months ago to lead Cadillac, Saab and Hummer and ended up trying to sell two of the brands, has resigned.
McNabb, 48, will leave on June 1 to pursue other job opportunities, Cadillac spokesman Klaus-Peter Martin said. In the interim, Stephen J. Hill will serve as Cadillac’s chief.
…..McNabb joined GM after resigning as senior vice president of sales and marketing at Nissan North America Inc. He had spent the first 20 years of his career at the Nissan and Infiniti divisions. In late 2005, he left to become head of marketing at Mercedes-Benz USA. He became vice president of Mercedes sales before returning to Nissan in June 2007.

–
UPDATE: I just heard a rumour that McNabb is looking to work for Roger Penske, who’s looking at acquiring Saturn from GM
–
McNabb’s main contribution to these pages was a childish chortle at his resemblance to the Seussian image of personhood, hence the imagery that accompanied the few pieces about his work.
I can’t recall a single address he made about Saab at a motor show, or a single exhibition of interest about Saab. It seems to me that his sole contribution to Saab was helping in the decision to jettison it from the GM stable, so I guess we can thank him for that.
If you work at SaabUSA and you can fill us in on the good things he did there, please feel free as I’d be happy to add them to the record.
With Jan-Willem Vester and John Libbos gone, I guess that leaves Steve Shannon as the sole name-we-know who might still be working in some way that’s related to Saab in the US. That’s not to overlook the good contributions being made by others we don’t know in the back offices.
Hopefully a new Saab USA will emerge in the not-too-distant future and you can all have a day in the sun again.

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by Swade

Saab dealer story -

May 22, 2009 in Archive

Saab are going to have an interesting time in the next couple of years with their distribution network.
Without GM shared dealerships, the number of Saab dealers will no doubt fall in 2010 and it might be a while before they claw those numbers back.
When they do, I’d like those dealers to have some personality. Some character. A little bit of the Sinclair spirit.
I don’t know anything about New Salem Saab in Albury, New York, but I enjoyed reading a little of their story in an article in Bizjournals.
New Salem Saab are the second oldest Saab dealership in the US and they’ve had a horrible 18 months. But their story is one that crosses generations, with many multiple-purchase customers on their books.
All they sell is Saabs and that’s all they want to sell. Owner Daryll Carl says they’ll probably stop new car sales all together if Saab are shut down.
Daryll, I reckon you’re going to stay in business.
–
My thanks to Scott for sending me the link. It’s a highly entertaining read and highly recommended.

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by Swade

Opel/Saab update

May 21, 2009 in Archive

There shouldn’t be much news today given the Swedish holiday, but I thought I’d address a couple of things from comments, and a couple of general items.
——
Three companies have put in a bid for Opel. They’re believed to be FIAT, Magna, and RJH International.
Some web services are mentioning an investment group called Ripplewood, which is fine. Interchange RJH with Ripplewood if you like. RJH is a company registered in Belgium and comprises a group of companies that were spun off from Ripplewood.
——
The important thing about these three Opel bids is that NONE of them include Saab.
That means that if FIAT wants to get hold of Saab, they’ll be doing it outside of the Opel bid to GM Europe, and they’ll be done it outside of the formal process that Saab are finally engaged in.
That tells me they’re not having a crack at Saab, or are an extreme long shot, at best.
——
GT.se have written again about Fiat being one of the three bidders for Saab, along with Geely and the mysterious German bank operating for GM.
I’ll repeat my previous challenge – I’ll do a nudie run outside GT.se’s offices if this is the case.
It might be a little embarrassing but think of the publicity it would bring for the paper – what great exposure!!
I’m quite certain that Saab’s final three are Renco Group, Koenigsegg and an undisclosed Chinese bidder that isn’t named Geely.
——
About the ‘composition’ process that Saab are involved in…..
They require the approval of 40% of their creditors in order to write down their debts to 25% of book value. Now, the one thing I’m not sure of is whether that’s 25% of the number of creditors, or if it’s 25% of the value of the debts owed.
Either way, they’re over the line.
GM are their biggest creditor by far with around 90% of Saab’s debts by value owed to them. GM are on board.
And we heard from Saab yesterday that of the votes they’d already received, they’d already achieved a majority voting for the proposal.

Tags: , , 19 Comments »

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by Swade

On a personal note….

May 21, 2009 in Archive

Apparently it’s a public holiday in Sweden today, so we shouldn’t expect too much news.
I’m relieved to be honest. It’s all been happening at a breakneck pace and I’ve been running on about 5 hours sleep a night for the last few weeks. I actually started having dizzy spells on Tuesday and ended up having a day off on Wednesday, which I spent on the couch in frustration that I couldn’t get The Matrix to work properly on our DVD player. Grrrrr.
——
It’s now been almost a month since I sold my Alfa 33, which means I’ve had my Monte Carlo as my main car since then.
I haven’t written much about the Monte since I got it, mainly because I was busy a) gathering parts to get into the shape I wanted it in, and b) enjoying the Alfa, which really was an absolute blast to drive.
Saab 9-3 Monte Carlo
I’ve got to say, though, that now I’ve been spending more time with the Monte, I’m really growing to love it. It’s supremely comfortable, looks great inside with all that black leather and carbonfibre, and it’s got that fantastic turbo rush, particularly at 3500rpm in third gear.
The car isn’t finished yet. I’ve done the wheels. I’ve half-done the carbonfibre work on the interior (well, Drew did, actually….). I’ve put on the subframe brace that Lars made up for me (champion effort).
Still to come are a tape deck replacement for the CD player, the steering rack clamp and brace and some new dampers and springs. The new dampers and springs should hopefully be on their way shortly, as should the tape deck. I’ve already got the rack clamp and brace.
Oh, and then there’s the Hirsch ECU to put in – he he he he!!!
All that should be happening quite soon, all going well, so I’ll have a lot more to write about and maybe a little video of the Monte as well.
——
The toy-car program has been put on hold for a little while and the money’s been thrust into our home loan to save us some interest.
I’m still very keen on a Mazda MX-5, but I narrowly missed a very good one in Sydney last week and just don’t have much energy for looking around right now. I drove a great one last weekend, but the guy wanted more money than I was able to pay.
I’m hoping there might be a quick overseas trip in my near future, too, so it’d make sense to wait until that’s all done and dusted.

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