We began this earlier today, though as a few people noted in comments, it’s getting difficult to scroll through now (with 576 comments registered).
I’d just like to encourage anyone who hasn’t done so yet to take part and let General Motors know (in the nicest possible way) that Saab fans have a voice.
Saab should be sold to the most viable bidder.
——
EMAIL APPEAL TO ED WHITACRE AT GENERAL MOTORS
Today is a very important day in the life of Saab. I know that it feels like Saab have been on their last breath for some time now, but there is hope remaining for our favourite car company.
Whilst General Motors stated that they would commence an orderly wind-down of Saab Automobile in January 2010, they also stated that a suitable offer from a suitable buyer would be looked at.
They have received just such an offer over the weekend.
General Motors have received a new offer from Spyker for the sale of Saab Automobile. Spyker have structured their new offer in such a way so as to remove all of the the complexities that made their initial offer difficult to close.
In addition to this, General Motors has received a revised offer from Merbanco, along with a Swedish based consortium of investors.
In short, if General Motors are serious about selling Saab, this is their time to act.
——
How you can play a part:
We have one chance only to put across our point of view as Saab owners and enthusiasts. Saab have a business plan, new vehicles and an efficient factory to produce them. They have a passionate base of supporters and the right cars to win new customers to the brand.
The time is now.
The email address for Ed Whitacre, the Chairman and CEO of GM is
eewjr@gm.com
If you care about the future of Saab then I invite you to write a brief, polite and passionate message to Mr Whitacre, outlining why you think Saab should be sold, rather than closed.
I can’t emphasise this enough: make your message passionate, but polite. A passionate message that clearly states a point of view will be read and considered. An angry message will only find its way into the trash.
Related posts:
{ 42 comments }
Dear Mr Whitacre
Firstly congratulations on your recent appointment. I have had GM cars in my drive for the last ten years alongside my saabs which my family have driven for some 40 years.
I understand the pressures GM is under currently and wish to believe the logical business decision from your viewpoint would be disposal rather than closure, unemployment, bad PR etc.
I would urge you to consider in good faith any and all offers you may receive from Spyker or others in the coming weeks.
It would be the act of a globally responsible leader to avoid the unnecessary carnage closure will bring. I thank you for your time.
Mark Spence
Belfast
UK
Did it few hours ago.
Done
This friendly “mail bombing” campaign is now a story in Aftonbladet.
http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article6325012.ab
Did it yesterday when there were but a handful of comments on the original post. Checked back in last night as the comments approached 500 and found it very inspirational. (And even educational!)
Don’t know if it will make a difference (GM appears to be on a bit of a suicidal bender at the moment), but it is great to see the troops inspired to not go quietly into the night!
Press on Saabistas!
another sometimes sent. with reference: SOS –> save our Saabs
I simply copy and paste a great collection of all the hate message toward GM (e.g. FUGM, run by idiot, keying a Cadillac today, call Bin Ladan to blow up Renaissance Center) within last two days and forward it to Mr. Whitacre email and Blackberry.
… j/k.
Did mine but could not get to tell you, can now.
Its very uplifting to see such support and friendship amongst total strangers towards a common goal!
“But I’am on guard this time, against your final solution”
Red Ryder-Lunatic Fringe
Saab UP!
Done:
Dear Sir,
GM’s decision regarding SAAB reached car enthusiasts and customers in Greece.
With respect to your business criteria I kindly urge you to re-consider your decision and carefully examine all new offers.
Rarely an organization or a man is given the opportunity to do the right thing and effect so many lives, especially in these troubled times.
Saab’s heritage, products, business potential, employees and passionate community highlight the right path. It would be for the best interest of all involved parties if SAAB is given a future.
Thank you for your attention.
Kind regards from Greece and a happy new year.
Lefteris Maraboutakis
Attorney At Law,
Athens, Greece
Sent a message and also asked my about 300 German Saab Forum members on XING to do the same…
Done…..wrote and sent the e-mail this morning.
Done. Is everyone still enjoying the rollercoaster ride?
Done Sunday 12/20, mid afternoon here in Bismarck, North Dakota, USA. What a great story to follow. I hope it has a happy ending! Merry Christmas to all.
John.
Done! The letter I’ve written to mr. Whitacre is stated below:
Dear Mr. Whitacre,
First of all I would like to express my gratitude for reading all the letters of SAAB enthusiast throughout the world. In 1986 I was literally born in a SAAB 99 turbo and my parents have driven only SAAB cars ever since. I grew up with all the models. We’ve owned a.o. a 99 turbo, 900, 900 turbo, 9000CSE, 9-5 Sport Combi and currently a 9-3 Sport Combi. My entire family loves the cars SAAB makes and the philosophy behind the cars and company. From what we’ve seen from the new 9-5 we’re very interested and definitely willing to buy the car once it hits the market. Besides this example of my family, there are many many SAAB enthusiasts throughout the world who are willing to do almost everything to prevent SAAB from dying. On behalf of me and all the other SAAB lovers throughout the world I would like to ask you if you would please genuinely examine the new offer Spyker has put on the table. Do the right thing and please give SAAB the future she deserves.
Yours sincerely,
G.J. Binnenmars
the Netherlands
Done.
Let’s hope this week brings better news for Tollhattan and the extended SAAB family.
Done, a few minutes ago.
Done
submitted the following letter:
Dear Sir,
As you well know these are perilous times in the automotive industry. The GM Board of Directors face a strategic decision later today and certainly by year’s end. Will you encourage them to reach a sensible solution by giving Saab Automobile a genuine future? As a Saab 9000 owner and true loyalist to the brand I believe their future lies apart from GM. Please help to make this a reality by completing a deal with a prospective owner/investor who wishes to ensure Saab’s survival. General Motor’s legacy will be restored. You have the opportunity to revive your company’s current image and future economic position in the industry. All you must do is let the company you have nurtured for the past twenty years become who you are — an independent and free being. One last thought Mr. Whitacre, would you want to witness the murder of your son or daughter over an act of desperation while you wield the power of saving grace?
Thank you for your attention and consideration.
I done this too. Very polite, told how my Saab saved me from any neck injury and how my Saab brought me safely to work in Belgian snow chaos. Don’t think it will be read, but what the heck.
My Letter to Ed Whitacre:
eewjr@gm.com
To the Attention of Mr. Ed. Whitacre.
Dear Mr Chairman,
Please don’t let SAAB die.
What would the car world look like without this special touch of individualism, the idea of technological avant-garde, this cherished feel of mobile intellect none of the German or other European competitors can live up to
Sadly enough the SAAB decline was closely linked to its GM-otorization as the brand lost its traits and its soul.
Give the brand back its genuine identity and let it live, be it within GM or on its own, or else all of the self employed academic clientèle and car gourmets will have no choice but drive one of those kleine panzers we Krauts bring on the road, technically and quality-wise excellent, but otherwise plain, dull and uninspiring, and this is my view as a car guy from my early days with BMW 30, Audi 50 and Mercedes and Porsche just 70 minutes a drive from my place and a ’00 Audi A8 quattro, a ’05 Porsche 997, a ’06 Skoda Octavia Estate TDI and a ’90 Saab 900 turbo in our garage.
I would like to wish you a Merry X-mas and a Happy New Year.
Please give SAAB a future!
Yours
Uwe Blaettner MD
Here is my e-mail that I just sent to Ed Whitacre:
A wish from a Saab enthusiast
Mr Whitacre,
I am a Saab enthusiast from Sweden and I was really disappointed and sad when I heard your (GM’s) press conference at Friday the 18th last week about winding down Saab. After that we have heard that you at General Motors have got a new bid from Spyker Cars and one from Merbanco together with a Swedish consortium. The wish from me and all other Saab enthusiasts all over the world is that you shall consider these bids seriously. Saab has a great potential as a brand and new models just around the corner. It would be a disaster for Sweden and many thousands of families if Saab would be wind down. It would also cost a lot of money for you and it would be crazy after investing a lot of money in the factory in Trollhättan and in product development. Saab is not a car maker among others – they deserve better than being wind down. You have a heart, a mind and a conscience. We pray to you to make the right decision.
Yours sincerely,
DONE!
We have made some nice banners regarding the topic at hand to support the efforts made here to influence the people at GM
http://www.saabclub.nl/
Dear Mr Whitacre
For as long as I can remember, cars have been a part of my life. As a child, as an adolescent, everything always revolved around a passion for the magic only a fine automobile can convey. But no other car ever made as much sense to me as a SAAB. Many have tried, but the sensation you get behind the wheel of a SAAB is impossible to describe.
At just 27 years of age, my entire car history is made up of nothing but SAABs. My first one was a 9000 I inherited from an uncle. I was hooked from the very first moment I got in and drove it. It was beaten and worn down, but I loved it regardless. SAAB may not be in the best shape right now, but just like that old 9000, I still love the brand.
Needless to say, I was shocked when I heard that SAAB was destined for the chopping block. I would urge you to reconsider the decision to let a brand that carries with it such a dedicated fanbase, has some of the most innovative engineers in the industry and produces some of the most uniquely individualistic vehicles in history die without giving it a fighting chance. Therefore, I ask you to carefully consider any offer you receive (be it from Spyker or an other interested party) and think of the repercussions your decision will have for all those affected.
Part of my plea for SAAB’s continued existence is personal, part of it conveys the voice of thousands. I speak for the enthusiasts who hold SAAB very dear, the countless employees who put their heart and soul into every vehicle, the dealers who keep our “friends” up and running for record breaking mileages and all the others that have been touched by the magic of this brand…
Finally, I speak for myself. All the SAABs I have owned have been second hand ones. As a student I yearned for my very first brand new Swedish beauty. My dream of ownership got me through tough times and in part gave me the willpower to get where I am today. Now that I can finally afford to buy one, this dream is about to be shattered. I understand that this current crisis puts a lot of strain on you and any business deal at hand, but does this also mean it should put a strain on dreams?
Thank you for your time and consideration
Stijn Janssens
Belgium
Done!
i asked many of my friends to mail!
did mine. its short but packs a punch.
Darryl
Ed,
Our family is the oldest exclusive original dealer in the US today.
My family and employees are counting on you to sell the Saab brand and save our working lives.
It is all I know, all I have and the future I planned for. Please do not dimiss this as another brand, it is a lifestyle, it is who I am and all I know.
Sincerely,
Darryl F. Carl
President / Owner / Service Manager
New Salem Saab
(518-862-2795 Office 518-862-2799 Fax 518-528-4083 Cell)
Saab Since 1961 – Our 48th year with Saab!
Servicing your automotive needs for 62 years now.
WE TAKE SAAB SERVICE SERIOUSLY!
Perhaps good to know: the SU call for e-mails to Ed Whitacre has been relayed on the Dutch Saabforum.nl as well. The SF counts nearly 10.000 registered members. Quite a few of them have already announced on the forum that they have done it and others probably have without telling anyone.
Ivo
Dear Chairman Whitacre;
I just came to work from my local Saab dealer in the US, after having an early morning service visit. What struck me was the up-beat mood of the franchise owner in the face of a loss of livelihood for himself and the staff of ten or twelve. As you well know, the unemployment situation in the US is rather grim right now, and efforts to save the Saab brand will be good for America. We, the American tax-payers, literally saved GM. This is your chance to go the extra mile. Sell Saab in a fair and equitable manner.
Thank you for taking time to consider this email.
Respectfully Submitted;
K Mann
Syracuse, New York
The Polish SAAB Klub Polska on the main page has an appel to everybody to write to GM.
http://www.saabklub.pl/
And the info about Saabuniteds action.
…had to get it in before driving to the grand canyon on vaca. i would never forgive myself missing this small contribution.
Dear Mr Whitacre,
I am a two time SAAB owner writing about the impending sale or its possible wind down.
Understandably the car business is not experiencing the best of times. However, the closure of many storied brands such as Pontiac and now possibly SAAB seems like we will continue to see the demise of not just brands that were great in the past, but still have great promise and appeal that will undoubtedly see resurgence in the future. Preserving and contributing unique technology expertise, turbo and AWD in the case of SAAB, that saw continued fruition under GM.
In this light, I hope GM will take a hard look and give SAAB’s continued existence a fair shot.
Respectfully,
Did mine yesterday.
Eric.
A little late to the cause, but…….
I sent my appeals to not only E. Whitacre; but also
both my Maryland Senators…..hey, THEY HAVE INFLUENCE!
N
Done! I’m keeping my fingers crossed….
Done!
cgs
Minneapolis
Dear Mr. Whitacre,
I hope that your mailbox is flooded by mails from other Saab enthusiasts around the world…
but nevertheless I hope that you find the time to read the one or the other.
This is my SAAB story:
My beloved Dad was an employee working for Mercedes Benz for almost 25 years.
And he really was convinced that these cars were the best in the world.
As a consequence, I can remember myself – as a child of 10 – defending Mercedes cars
against any other brand when discussing cars with my school pals.
Not even the hottest sports cars could win my heart…
In those days, we lived in the Mercedes home town, Stuttgart, Germany.
So everyone would expect me to own a Mercedes sooner or later, right?
Time went by and I grew up.
In 2002, I was looking for a new (used) car.
All I needed was a 4-seater and all I wanted was a convertible
Coming along the way of a local Mercedes dealer with my brother
in his (very nice) Mercedes convertible, I asked him
to stop for a short look into the showroom of this car dealer.
Would the legacy fulfill? Was the time ripe for a Mercedes for me?
But the story took a different end.
Because at the very moment I entered the show room,
I fell in love with a 1997 SAAB convertible!
It was black with light brown leather interior, had a low mileage
and it whispered “Buy me!”
Unfortunatley, another prospective buyer had already found this black beauty
via the internet and had contacted the dealer for a test drive.
And when I called the dealer some days later, the Saab was sold!
Now it was my turn to search the net for Saab convertibles, and doing so,
I fell in love once again… but this time the car was monte carlo yellow!
I made it (her?) mine a short time later!
We had a very good time within the next 6 years including unforgettable topdown vacations
in the Lake Garda region and around the Mediterranean Sea,
as well as meetings with other Saab enthusiasts.
Then, the time came to think about a successor for my beloved Saab.
Now, with my daughter being adult, I no longer needed a 4-seater…
so it happened that my dad’s legacy came back to my mind and
I thought about buying a Mercedes SLK.
And guess what happened now?
My wife asked me “Are you kidding? What about your Saab addiction?
Saabs are so special and now you want an SLK, a car you see twice at each and every corner?”
Two weeks later, when my wife came home from work,
she found me waiting for her with a bottle of champagne.
She asked immediatley “What do we celebrate?”
I answered by showing her the signed order for a brand new SAAB convertible in lynx yellow.
So please let Saab survive!
Or do you want to explain to my wife that we will no longer be able to buy new Saab cars?
With best regards,
Martin D.
Germany
I wrote one.
I currently go to Texas Tech University, and so did Mr. Whitacre.
So I sent it from my @ttu.edu email address.
Hopefully that way it will actually get read.
Go Tech! Save SAAB!
Sir,
Our Buick’s reliability, comfort, and understated styling are highly valued. Thank you for your company having provided this well regarded product.
Our 3 Saabs are cherished. Why? They combine a refined blend of Euro-sensibility as in orthopedic sport-touring seats, utility, economy, above average performance in speed, braking and handling, active and passive safety, and a living innovative heritage.
Most important, as a spirited drive through the Shenandoah Mountains or any long distance tour would confirm, “Fun to Drive” is not sacrificed in this high-blend of form and functionality many vehicles fail to equal.
Please, consider a cultural courtesy and economically virtuous act. Preserve a win-win for both SAAB and GM in these final days of stewardship. Sale this valued, storied small market brand, once providing an ongoing list of innovations often industry adopted (seat belts, side impact, turbo, sport-hatch, etc.), for a continued chance to serve it’s market niche.
With Respect
csw
This is my email:
Dear Mr Ed Whitacre, I hope I can make my voice heard. Please reconcider the decision to not sell SAAB Automobile. For me it would make the car industri a lot less exciting. SAAB have a very intresting history with racing and carconstruktion with automatic headlamp cleaners and turboinstallation in a familycar.
Plaese take another consideration!!
Thomas Wärn
Former owner several SAAB
Pity if this combi never builds.
I have send the picure to GM.
Here is the combi
http://www.aftonbladet.se/bil/article6328251.ab
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