I'll bookend this post with images from Flickr.
First up, it's a different kind of Saab, a 340 passenger aircraft pictured over Tucson. Not a real image of course, but a screencap from a flight simulator. I know there's a few flight-sim fans here, so enjoy....
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As covered in a previous post, it's Midsommar in Sweden this weekend, which means the Swedes gather in number to eat, drink and be merry.
Here's the carpark at one such gathering, with thank to Jorgen.
I think next year I might see how many pictures we can get of Saabs with maypoles.
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Canada has a bit of a wacky-weed problem in various areas, most notably the offices of internet publishers Carguideweb.
When Saab went to Dutch supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg, surprise was definitely the emotion of the day.
I'm sure the most surprised people were Koenigsegg themselves, learning that they're Dutch rather than Swedish.
The wacky-weed has also led to an obsession with the (most hated) word 'quirky' and its derivatives:
With a production run of just a few cars a year, the quirky supercar maker seemed ill-equipped for the acquisition of a large-volume worldwide sedan manufacturer, but once the dust had settled, it seemed to make more sense.Once known as a quirky manufacturer themselves, Saab has been in need of a serious quirk infusion since their complete pacification at the hands of General Motors.
...and this one, from Canada.com:
Just when we were all getting a trifle bored of hearing about the various financial woes of GM and Chrysler on a daily basis, here comes the best news I've heard all Financial Crisis. Nutbar supercar-maker Koenigsegg has purchased niche-player Saab, and plans to move manufacturing back to Sweden.No more horrible GM badge-engineered nonsense. No ridiculous Chevy Trailblazer with a key between the seats. Nothing but sweet, sweet Swedish quirkiness.
Koenigsegg, for those of you who don't know, currently builds Swedish meatballs like the 800 horsepower CCX. Saab, for those of you who are already too painfully aware, builds blandness like the 9-7X SUV: a vehicle with all the personality of an Ikea hotdog.
Saab executives were so excited about the change of ownership, when asked for comment, all they could say was, "Bork bork bork!"
Obviously I jest about the wacky-weed. These are pretty good quick reports, even if they do manage to quirk it up more than would be to my liking.
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Businessweek have a great background story on Koenigsegg and their acquisition of Saab.
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EduSaab was kind enough to shoot through a link to Euronews, where there's an 8-minute video news report on Saab and the Swedish motoring situation.
Time well spent!
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And finally, the rear bookend from Flickr.
Some great Saabs and other classic cars in action here.
yeah, the 'Dutch' Koenigsegg was a real blooper - but always try to give our Canadian neighbors the respect they deserve by not making Canada jokes.
As to 'quirky Saab'? I always thought that started when Consumer Reports dismissed Saabs in the 1970's for the 'peculiar trait' of placing the ignition by the gearbox. But, maybe it's because Saabs have always excelled at "a sudden twist, turn, or curve". Just don't go with the 16th century German etymology...
No, I do not have much of a life since 2008, but am online reading the Sunday NYT the night before. Finally, all the Business section is good news, for me. I might be able to buy my fourth new Saab in 2012! (well, I AM still distracting myself from the trip back to NYC on Monday. Hate to miss the Saab news next week while dealing with real life.)
http://www.examiner.com/x-1060-Orlando-Auto-Examiner~y2009m6d19-Koenigsegg-buys-Saab-The-automotive-gods-may-smile-upon-us-once-again
In all seriousness it cant be too long before we see official, undisguised pics of the car.
Swade? Over to you. :)
I like the picture of the Saab 340, but it only carries less then 40 passengers though (around 34 I think), and I don't think Saab ever made a larger passenger plane.
A couple of years ago I actually flew on a Saab 340, from LAX to Santa Barbara, where my wife's maid of honor married my best men. During the 7 day vacation trip, the Saab 340 was a highlight for me, my wife couldn't care less. On the return flight it wasn't a Saab unfortunately. LA - Santa Barbara, as you may recall, is only about 85 miles, and I would have driven, except it was a connecting flight from the East Coast through LAX, hence the 25 minutes in the Saab.
Nico
"
Clearly, Koenigsegg has the expertise, resources, and technology to be one of the world's greatest supercar manufacturers.
Now, with its new Saab subsidiary, it has the opportunity to pass down some of that automotive excellence to everyday cars that you and I can afford."
...Happy, happy, happy, Joy, joy, joy!!!
Hmm, I wonder how difficult it would be to make 1/2 Koenigsegg V8? A 2300cm Saab V4.. Yummy!
Tom
There was a larger more modern version of the 340 called the 2000 that was made in small amounts.
Chris
The 2000 was pretty revolutionary in it´s day with fly by wire technique and a topspeed of a bit over 680 km/h. Pretty high for a Turboprop aircraft. Think it set a speedrecord at some time. And just like it´s fighterjet cousin the Griffin it´s Beautiful to look at. The 2000 carried 50+ passengers.
I´ve been a passenger in the 340 and 2000 many times. And landing at the Linköping airport in full snowstorm is an experience.. Comming in sideways and then at the last moment the throttles are opend to the max and the aircraft alined with the landingstrip. Cool...
On a completely unrelated note and I'm not sure how much it's been discussed here before, but why can't you spec the 9-3 Convertible with XWD? Is it a price thing like the 9-3x or because of some technical reasons?
Koenigsegg/Saab: Bringing back the quirk!
Nice of You to publish the Midsummer photo taken at our vacation home on Väddö island north of Stockholm. There are two non-Saabs in the picture, a Hybrid Lexus and a ovloV both those familys uesd to drive 9-5 Aeros but will hopefully be back in the "family" soon. Just as soon as SAAB starts to roll out the new 9-5 SportCombi and hybrid plug-in vehicles. And yes we took a drive top down in the ultra unique 9-3 Viggen convertible in Monte Carlo Yellow!
A sister car to the convertible in the picture is right now for sale in Stockholm.
http://www.blocket.se/stockholm/Saab_Viggen_Cab_21995502.htm?ca=11&w=1&last=1
The car is originally a SAAB test car (LUS) car with canadian specifications and currently owned by an engineer at AVL formerly SAAB GM Powertrain in Södertälje.
Just could not resist to let You readers of SAABsUnited to know. Yellow Viggen verts are not that often up for sale!
The swedish krona is cheap,so all you international visitors can get viggens for a very good price:)
http://www.expressen.se/motor/1.1613896/nar-nya-agarna-tiger-far-saab-fansen-pa-natet-ta-fram-svaren
It is one of the largest car in Sweden ever.
Small sports car manufacturer Koenigsegg purchase large, heavily indebted, Saab.
And all the wonder - who will pay?
At Saab enthusiast, the site launched early saabsunited.com three main candidates to buy Saab.
Koenigsegg, Merbanco and Renco Group discussed and debated daily.
Rencos dubious history as an environmental bugbear is a minus. Not even a big pile of money can increase Rencos status among the comments.
Merbancos vd Christopher Johnston intervjuas av hemsidans Steven "Swade" Wade. Johnston says the Saab cars he owned and that he now runs a 9-3 convertible. After the interview is Merbanco "the good American."
Swedish Koenigsegg is a favorite among early Saab fans. But even the most enthusiastic questioning about the small company that most closely resembles a larger racecar team can really manage to swallow a company that mass produces cars, or at least aspire to mass-produce.
Expressen reveals on Wednesday June 10 that it may become clear with a new owner to Saab already within a few days - and that it is just between Merbanco, Koenigsegg and Renco Group.
The following day reveals SVT's Report to General Motors and Koenigsegg have reached a tentative settlement.
It will be the start of an intensive hunt for the news people behind the newly formed company Koenigsegg Group.
The simplest method is understood to chase the company founder, Christian von Koenigsegg, and whoever owns the most shares, the Norwegian Bård Eker.
Christian von Koenigsegg is in Zurich for the last negotiations with GM at GM Europe's headquarters in Stelzenstrasse 4 in the district smooth Burg. Han He does not answer the phone and none of Koenigsegg in Ängelholm wishes to speak.
Bård Eker home in Fredrikstad in Norway and is being interviewed by the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet. Bård like attention. Dagbladet interview quoted all over the world.
At a meeting arranged by the Norwegian Progress Party had Bård Eker already in early May said that his dream was to buy Saab. But there were few who took the "Norway's own Richard Branson" in earnest.
Bård Eker likes fast cars and motorcycles, he has summer cottage on Åland Sund - his mother is from Åland - and he is simply a little too ordinary to be Saab owners.
Millions - yes, but common.
The pictures on Bård Eker spread over the world are so far from the image of General Motors President Fritz Henderson as one can get.
Tuesday morning June 16 is all official. General Motors announces that the cards chosen Koenigsegg that the buyer will begin the final negotiations with.
So time has more names in the Koenigsegg Group uncovered. Mark Alan Bishop is to take just over 22 percent of the shares. AUgi K Fabel to act as chairman and lawyer Melissa Joan Schwarz is the alternate.
But still, nobody knows how much capital is in the Koenigsegg Group.
It is - again - saabsunited.com leading news hunting. Saab fans yearning for a happy ending leads them onto the internet. Via Google finds so much it can be found on the main characters.
The signature "Deep Strupetaket" Bishops have mentioned the name in a comment already weeks before buying.
It takes a few hours before the signature "Karen" successful track Mark Bishop to San Diego. In a comment she still breath a little as established news agency, Reuters clearly passed on her information and she is not sure until a local paper in San Diego can find the right, and the same, Bishop. "Karen" andas ut. "Karen" exhale.
Saabsunited.com is also the first to find a picture of publicerbar Mark Bishop - long before several major media companies.
Curiosity and desire to know what will happen with the ladies Saab, several commentators to work around the clock trying to find information.
Melissa Joan Schwarz has all the possible identities before she placed as a lawyer in Washington.
But it also pops up a few less pleasant truth. Bishop has a past as a businessman in real estate loans. He should have left the company Quick Loan Funding in time to avoid being noticed by the credit crisis last year was the entire U.S. - and then also the automotive industry - the case.
AUgi K Fabel founded the Russian telecommunications WimpelCom.
WimpelCom have belonged to Norwegian Telenor, but there is also a link to the Russian Alfa Group and the businessman Mikhail Fridman.
The signature "Karen" warns against contact with the Alfa Group. There is money - but also a series of dubious business practices.
It is most creative with the search engines of Google can find more links and branches with the main characters in the Koenigsegg Group.
To Koenigseggs customer is secret complicates the matter. Therefore it is not possible to confirm the link between Mark Alan Bishop and company Oakley founder Jim Jannard. Not more than that both Bishop and Jannard lent huge money to a Daniel Sadek. Sadek was great in the loan industry as Bishop but the drug is not removed in time and is now obliged the U.S. government excess. Daniel Daniel Sadek like sports cars - which frightens many signatures and commentators on saabsunited.com.
Is Mark Alan Bishop just a façade for the "good" Jim Lannard or the "evil" Daniel Sadek?
Is aUgi K Fabel really free from Russian OLIGARCH after his years in WimpelCom?
"Swade" gives the Council to Saab and Koenigsegg as quickly as possible to answer these questions in order to avoid speculation.
When Saab's CEO Jan-Åke Jonsson stepping out of a meeting room at the Saab stand at the Motor Show in Geneva, together with its public relations Eric Geer, he rudely turbots out. It is Tuesday morning March 3. Saab has been in reorganization in exactly ten days. . Jonsson has just started its marathon.
Both Geer and press manager Annika Troedsson do their best to protect Jonsson. Throughout the spring, he gave very few interviews. He has been called the Saab's own "Baghdad-Bob" for their positive statements.
Jan-Åke Jonsson is called JAJ on saabunited.com and honors throughout. It is not Saab's fault that it passed it passed with the mark - everything is entirely GM's fault.
Only a few meters from the Saab stand at Geneva show Koenigsegg their advanced electric cars model Quant. The car has been developed together with the solar company Solar NLV.
It is possible to Jan-Åke Jonsson already knew that Koenigsegg was interested. According to Christian von Koenigsegg was the Mark Bishop who first launched the idea of buying Saab by General Motors, but we do not know when.
In the basement during the Saab and Koenigseggs stands are GM's future president Fritz Henderson a grim press conference. Then - if not before - so it is clear that GM is unable to maintain Opel. And that they do not have the energy to devote Saab a single minute of thought.
Saab surprised GM with the decision to put the company in reorganization and in Geneva, it is clear that Saab also have to manage the sales process on their own. GM is only when it is time for final negotiations.
Näringsministern Nutrition Minister Maud Olofsson in Washington on Monday to Tuesday March 30-31. According to the Cabinet Office is the main purpose of travel "to strengthen Sweden's contacts with the new American administration".
By coincidence, the trip coincides with the government Obama message to the American automobile industry that they have a (Chrysler) and two (GM) months to sort out their affairs.
Probably may Olofsson announcement in Washington that General Motors will go into bankruptcy June 1. Och hon kan agera därefter när det gäller Saab. And she can act accordingly in the case of Saab.
When Maud Olofsson meets their European colleagues at a special bilkrismöte in Brussels on Thursday May 28, she also realized that Saab does not become a part of Magna purchase of Opel, and Fiat is no longer in the fight. Government Two favorites that Saab owners are away.
On the way to the airport call Olofsson Express for a quick interview and she is very, very worried about Saab's future.
When news of the Koenigsegg and Saab reach the Swedish Government acting with surprise. Although Maud Olofsson was one step ahead of bilkrisen - thanks largely to its talks with GM and Ford during the Motor Show in Detroit and Paris - she knew nothing about Koenigsegg. She knows nothing about how much capital is behind Koenigsegg Group or if this really is an owner who can save jobs in Trollhättan.
Maud Olofsson, a relatively low profile during the Koenigsegg-week. Afraid of offending those who believe in the affair and afraid to give the appearance of being wasteful with tax money for the dubious. But it is clear that Maud Olofsson had not thought Koenigsegg as the new owner of Saab.
The last few days, Christian von Koenigsegg and Bård Eker done its best to dampen expectations. Saab's marketing plan with 130 [_) 000 manufactured cars will be reviewed and stress tested, biljobben to remain in Sweden "if possible".
A prerequisite for the Koenigsegg Group is to buy the Saab is that they may borrow approximately SEK 4.5 billion by the European Investment Bank, EIB. The newspaper Ny Teknik reveals that part of the loan application can include the solar car Quant and the company Cargine trials with pneumatically operated valves. Christian von Koenigsegg is the Cargine and the company worked with Saab until GM said no to spending more money.
Olle Hagman is Ph.D. in Social Anthropology at Göteborg University and M.Sc. from Chalmers. Hagman has been researching on the car's relationship to man and society. In a text on the website carwinism.se writes Olle including:
"SAAB-car prospects to continue to be symbols of freedom, is brighter when the brand becomes free from the Detroit problem and instead of being associated with mass production, given the associations that narrow and exclusive segment, and not unimportant; American success story."
Swedish sports car manufacturer Koenigsegg suit as good as the hero who saves the princess from the terrible Saab rigid modern.
However, not all stories that end happily - despite the perfect script.
For we still wonder - who will pay?
Footnote: Olle Hagman whole reasoning for Koenigsegg as new Saab owners published today on the website www.carwinism.se
Av Jan-Erik Berggren By Jan-Erik Berggren
jan-erik.berggren@expressen.se Publicerat 21 juni 2009 Published June 21, 2009 Uppdaterad 21 juni 2009 Updated June 21, 2009 Det finns 1 kommentarer på artikeln There are 1 comments on this article
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I REALLY do NOT want anyone in the Alfa Group to think I was "warning" against any contact with Fridman! I am half Russian! The Norwegian press has been tackling Alfa because of the Telenor confiscation.
yeah, my 15 minutes of fame :) This is the only blog where I use my real first name because I trust all of you. I certainly am enthusiastic about Eker and Koenigsegg, but, like "Nutrition Minister" Maud, who will pay the bills?
will be interesting to see when the big money investors and the mysterious Mr. Bishop step into the sunlight. I remain curious about his apparent role in approaching CvK about buying Saab. Am certain Daniel Sedak has nothing to do with Saab - he never owned a K-egg, and certainly has no money left.
would much rather be learning more about whether any of Cargine's technology is ready to go. and what is happening with Saab dealers outside of Europe and U.S.
Thanks Tompa!
It's strange that this particular author would be quoting SU, much less basing an entire story around it.
Why wouldn't an auto writer for Expressen be following the saga on SU? Isn't the Expressen the big daily newspaper in Sweden? Berggren should have contacted you, Steven, but, at least he knows K-egg is not Dutch. :)
YOU were first on Renco. YOU got the interview with CJ of Merbanco. YOU found the Liquiddium link to Bishop. SU has the most active comment strings of any Saab blog.
The big question is still unanswered - where is the money behind Koenigsegg Group? Norway had a piece yesterday to decide whether Eker's assets were enough, and the answer was no.
Guess SU needs to consider a copyright policy?
@Karen: Wow, impressive!
@Everybody else: I haven't been commenting much lately because I am so overwhelmed with the quality and volume of comments from so many others. There can be no other automotive blog in the world with such intelligent and insightful commentators, just like there can be no other marque like SAAB with such an intelligent and faithful following. And, by intelligent and insightful, I don't mean only the formally educated, but intelligent and insightful regardless of education. And now the media is figuring that out too. Way to go Swade, et al.!
@Karen Good job! Do you have a link to the Norway article?
If this group proves not to have the horsepower for Saab, both GM and Duetchebank should be embarrassed. If it were true, what were they thinking?
I think I posted a comment at an earlier SU post quoting it because Eker apparently thought the Norwegian and Swedish govs should buy both Volvo and Saab at one point.
I think this was the article, but cannot open it today.
http://e24.no/utenriks/article3129445.ece
Bob Lutz has said it is illogical to force manufacturers to make green cars when gasoline is still cheap.
Keep taking those pills Bob, maybe one day you will relaise its stupid comments like that are part of the reason GM is in US$173,000,000,000 debt.
I read the article in Expressen (in swedish) for sure there are a lot of interesting questions to be answered by the Saab Management.
I just wonder if this is the first big "international" major use of the internet and a blog to follow and even act upon the action in a big business deal.
Interested and highly skilled owners of SAAB cars wants to be part of shaping the brands future.
Read something a few years ago that SAAB owners at least in the us had very high education in general, maybe that is what we see now.
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Interesting piece of information:
Swedish nightly news Aktuellt last week. In the studio is Christian von Koeningsegg, Minister of industry Maud Olofsson and on a line from Gothenburg JAJ. Maud and Christian met for the VERY FIRST TIME in that TV studio. I found that very interesting.......
There is something that doesn´t feel right with the K-egg deal....
Why not bring in CJ (Merbanco) again.
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yes, I've been wondering same thing about Merbanco coming back in, take on the global distribution and rebuilding Saab in North America. the good face of American capitalism.
Mr. Johnston seams to be the opposite of Mr. Rennert. The knowledge that has risen to the surfave in the past days must have some soty of inpact on theis whole deal. The swedish government and GM should once again look into the shady corners of the "muscles" behind to K-egg facade.
I was very pro K-egg but now it looks like Merbanco is a better "fatherfigure", to bad they where so secret.... we could have had put in a good word for them....
Well it aint over untill the .... ..... sings!
Keeping both my fingers and thumbs crossed!
Thanks for the comments and support! Saab is a great company!
CJ
Personally reassuring to know there is still one merchant banker left in the U.S. Got KKR'd TWICE along with all the other monetization of industrial asset schemes since 1978.