You are browsing the archive for 2011 May.

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by TimR

Robert Collin: time to show the cards

May 18, 2011 in News

Is the future for Saab as unknown as ever… or?

With these words, Robert Collin, whom I spoke with yesterday starts another great article in Aftonbladet.

According to my contacts in Trollhättan last night, the 270 million SEK from Chinese Pang Da has arrived to Saabs account. Together with the same amount from Gemini, it is enough to pay the suppliers and restart the production.

Yesterday Anders Borg, Sweden’s finance minister, was forced to step out of the shadows and say something about Saab, the task of which until this point he let Maud Olofsson handle.

He said ” I hope it works out for Saab”. If he is serious, I do hope that he tells this to Eva Srejber, Vice president of the EIB. They became close friends while working together at the Swedish Central Bank for over 10 years and Eva got her job at the EIB thanx to Anders Borg. She is the one who have kept the money that was promised to Saab. Its time to show the cards!

Original Story Here

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by TimR

The big guide to SAAB

May 18, 2011 in Saabology

Teknikens Värld, a science car magazine in Sweden has published a booklet called The Big Guide to SAAB. Eric one of our readers already has his hands on one and tells us that its well made! Its only available in Swedish, but here is a link to anyone who wants to buy it online!  - click here -

 

TV has asked us to point out that they are a car only magazine and not a science magazine.

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by TimR

Saabs@Carlisle

May 18, 2011 in Uncategorized

From Coggs: Only a few days before I lead one of at least three Saab convoys from New England down to Saabs@Carlisle (National Import & Kit Car Expo in Carlisle, Penn). Can’t wait. Last I heard preregistration was running ahead of last year when they had 225 Saabs. With a nice weather forecast we could see 300 this year. This was the lastest bit of news.

  • 22 states are represented.
  • Every model and body style ever sold in the US is coming: 92, 93, 95, 96, Sonetts I, II and III, 99, 900, 9000, NG900, 9-3, 9-5, 9-3SS, 9-2X, 9-7X, new 9-5, and the upcoming 9-4X.
  • Saabs registered span 55 years, from 1956 to 2011.
  • Every year from 1985 through 2011 is accounted for.
  • 15% of all cars registered are classic 2-digit cars.
  • 1 in every 4 cars coming is a Classic 900.
  • Over 1 in 5 cars are convertibles.
  • Newsletter here

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by Jeff

Victor Muller speaks to TTela’s Valdemar Lönnroth

May 18, 2011 in News

In an exclusive meeting, Valdemar Lönnroth interviewed Victor on details of the past 96 hours. If you live in the Trollhättan area, get your hands on a copy of today’s paper which has a more complete account. If Swedish is your native language, check out the online edition. For the rest of us, a translation of Victor’s weekend marathon is after the break.

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by TimR

Saab-Viper movie!

May 17, 2011 in Uncategorized

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by Jeff

The 9-4X Review I Would Have Written

May 17, 2011 in News

UPDATE: I’m issuing a challenge to all SU readers., inspired by Saab Dealer Chairman Kurt Schirm in comments. Go over to autoblog and counter any negative impressions you might see on the 9-4X article– false info, idiot commentary, you name it– by writing your own comment there. I’d almost rather see you comment there than here this time around. You first need to sign in with either an aol, facebook, google, or twitter ID. Vote up or down depending on whether or not you agree with the comment. Then my biggest request, make a comment in support of Saab, not just a “I LIKE SAAB! GO SAAB!” comment, but something more than one sentence, why you agree with the author and think that Saabs deserve a shot on CUV consumers shopping lists. Do you like the interior? The price? The blue tinted LED headlamps? Let’s make this the most commented article ever on Autoblog. I’m serious.

As you know, I wasn’t able to make it to the 9-4X review in D.C. last week due to work conflicts. That doesn’t mean I won’t have the chance to review it very soon, and do an even more in depth piece on it. However, I really think Chris Paukert at Autoblog has written the fairest article about the 9-4X that I’ve yet seen. He balances the precarious situation Saab is in while being optimistic about the company’s chances. He nails the description of the driving dynamics and even rightly criticizes where the interior falls flat in its black on black styling (while hoping that the lighter interiors with wood grain come across better, they do Chris). All in all, it’s about as close to the review I would have written (though much shorter ;) ) had I been given the chance to make it to D.C.

Check it out. Be sure to take a look at the gallery, it has some of the clearest and best images of how the 9-4X looks in real life. Notice that while the interior is quite dark, when it’s outside in the daylight the reflective bits do a fair bit to compensate. While you’re at, police the comments thread and make sure this car gets a fair shot. Of all the reviews online, this will probably be the one most read by prospective Saab customers as Autoblog is far and away the biggest car news site on earth.

 

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by TimR

Statement from the EIB about Saab

May 17, 2011 in News

Since early 2010, the EIB has part-financed the research and development (R&D) programme at Saab. We are not a liquidity provider. Liquidity financing must come from the company’s cash flow, commercial banks or other sources. The reason for the EIB’s financing of the R&D programme is our concern for the thousands of jobs that Saab provides in Sweden.  Indeed, Saab’s R&D programme also contributes to the future competitiveness of the company. Read the rest of this entry →

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by TimR

SaabsUnited Video: Lars Carlström presentation saturday

May 17, 2011 in Uncategorized

Here is the video of Lars Carlström speaking to the people who attended the SU-Days event on saturday morning. It’s in Swedish and we are currently working on the subtitles, its on its way!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

If any of you feel like helping out with the translation, please send an e-mail to saabsunitedcrew@gmail.com

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by TimR

VM talks to the employees

May 17, 2011 in Uncategorized

Victor Muller talked to the employees for about 20 min today, explained the situation and what had happened. He said that he was very sorry for what had happened and promised that it will not happen again!

Employees were very supportive of their leader and felt that he had done an amazing work effort to save saab (again)! They stand behind him 100%!

More on inside.saab.com

Photo from inside.saab.com

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by Jeff

Production *Should* Start Next Wednesday

May 17, 2011 in News

This according to Gunnar Brunius, Saab’s purchasing manager and production director. According to DI, the money for the first Saabs was wired from Pang Da. This effectively quashes claims from skeptics who thought the deal too good to be true (read: TTAC). From DI:

“I expect the plant to begin production on Wednesday of next week since they’ve come to the Saab on Tuesday this week,” said Gunnar Brunius, Purchasing and Production Manager at Saab Automobile to DI.

On Tuesday, he initiates the process of agreeing with Saab’s 800 suppliers so that they start to deliver the components again after a six-week shutdowns.

The major suppliers, including IAC, Sweden, Plastal and car seat manufacturer Lear, are invited to personal meetings, while many other contacts are handled through e-mail.

“Many of them will certainly take up demands for immediate cash payment, or nearly so,” said Svenåke Berglie, president of Automotive Component Group [FKG].

The plan is that Saab will begin production at a level of 230-240 cars per day.

This may be optimistic, but for Gunnar Brunius to give a mid-next week target date, they must be reasonably confident that they can make it.

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by TimR

Robert Collin keeps up the pressure!

May 17, 2011 in News

It has been two years since Maud Olofsson said that “Volvo and Saab cars produces error” and Labour Minister Sven Otto Littorin filled in with “you need not take a brain surgeon to understand that they are building the wrong cars.”
Six months later, when the end seemed near for Saab, Olofsson suggested that “the Saab factory can start building wind turbines”. Finance Minister Anders Borg and Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has stayed away from Saab affair, but April 27 of this year, Reinfeldt not be silent anymore, “Of course I am worried that Saab does not produce and sell cars for profit that people want to buy ”.
Since the financial crisis for nearly three years ago, and the car industry crisis began six months later, the government has not said a single positive word about the Swedish car industry.
Volvo would be owned by China if the government signaled a better industrial policy environment in Sweden? Would Saab still hanging by a thread? Hardly.

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Hirsch Performance!

May 17, 2011 in Editorial, Hirsch

On the 10th of may Jalopnik featured a story about Victor Muller and Hirsch: “ I sat down yesterday with Saab CEO Victor Muller to talk about the future of Saab and Saab-ophiles. The good news is he feels very strongly that every vehicle should get a Hirsch Performance version.” Then the writer expressed this opinion about the matter: “The bad news is that, yes, that will also include a tuned version of the 9-4X crossover.

Being a speculant on the 9-4x myself (yes I’m seriously considering to buy one!) and being a BIG Hirsch fan I would love to put all kinds of Hirsch-toys on a car like that! So I asked Victor’s opinion about a 9-4x with a tuned engine and lowered suspension? His answer was “Provided it is done tastefully I would love it” and could not agree more and I am sure that Hirsch will do things tastefully! They always have! =)

Link to the Jalopnik article here

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by Jeff

Victor Muller to meet Staff in Trollhattan @12:30 Today

May 17, 2011 in News

From TTela:

Muller to meet staff today

Saab’s chairman Victor Muller and myself [assuming this means Mikael Rosengren from Saab's communication dept.] will inform staff at the Saab factory in Trollhattan on the new agreement with Chinese Pang Da.

He was sitting in a plane en route from China state TV 4 News West. A task that is confirmed by Mikael Rosengren on Saab’s communications department.

The information meeting for staff is scheduled to be held at 12.30, according to the television channel.

We’ll obviously provide as much coverage as is possible.

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by Jeff

Pang Da– The Day After

May 17, 2011 in Editorial, News

Now that the dust is settling, a much clearer picture of the agreement between Spyker and Pang Da is emerging. As we know, Pang Da (or Pangda as it is sometimes referred to) is the largest vehicle distributor in China comprising over 1,100 dealers which specialize in sales and service of over 49 brands. This includes many of Saab’s direct competitors, including Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Subaru, Volkswagen, Honda, Toyota and Hyundai. The first leg of the deal involves a €30 million purchase of 1,300 Saabs. The second leg marks a new direction for the group, and gives them an interest in promoting Saab above all the other brands they sell, a seat on the soon to be renamed Swedish Automobile’s board. What’s interesting to note is that in only one day, they recouped their entire stated investment and then some, as their shares today rose 4.1% on the Shanghai Composite Index, outperforming the market. It’s a sign of confidence in the deal and the investor confidence is a way of showing regulatory bodies that the private sector believes in the deal.

There have been a number of editorials written in the last 24 hours, most explaining why they think this deal not only makes sense, but is a better arrangement than the Hawtai deal. Of course there’s others, namely from a guy named Bertel Schmitt from thetruthaboutcars (who freely admits his initials spell BS), who is so convinced of his facts that he saw it to write two editorials about Saab’s new partnership. So in order to understand what the facts are, let’s break down the situation using facts we have heard from first person sources, namely Victor Muller himself. Read the rest of this entry →

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by TimR

New feature

May 17, 2011 in Uncategorized

As some of you might have noticed I’ve added a new feature menu item called video. Here we’re going to gather links to all video posts that we do here at SU. There are a lot more stuff being added into that one very soon! =)

I know some of you guys are waiting for the lectures that we filmed sunday morning. We have started to edit them, it’ll be done this week and then we’ll send it in for approval to Saab before its presented here at SU! =)

Lots of great stuff to look forward to! =)