Indian company not welcome
December 29, 2011 in News
P4 West can reveal that one of Indias biggest car-manufacturers are interested in buying Saab Automobile. But the receivers refuse to meet with the company. This message was given to the company thursday night.
The India-based company is interested in buying parts of or the whole of Saab. The company also considers production in Trollhättan. The manufacturer scheduled a meeting with the receiver Hans Bergqvist at the law-agency Delphi in Gothenburg. The meeting was to take place on thursday January 5th. But thats where the endeavor stopped. The receivers canceled the meeting yesterday night.
The indian company is represented by Vladimir Antonovs previous spokesman Lars Carlström. He claims that the work he is doing could have been a cause for the cancelation.
- I was phoned by Hans Bergqvist and he canceled this meeting. He started the conversation with a question if I am Lars Carlström and if I have represented Antonov. I said that, this was correct. Thats when he said that I am not welcome and that they (the receivers) did not want to meet with my clients, according to Lars Clarström to P4 West.
P4 West has read the e-mail where Hans Bergqvist cancels the meeting with the company. In the e-mail it states that he called Lars Carlström last night and that the meeting is canceled. Why the lawyers came to this decision does not say.
- I can not get a reasonable explanation for his decision. It is with great dismay that come to the conclusion that because of my previous involvement in the Saab question could risk an important prospective buyer that could secure a future for Trollhättan.
quickbird said on December 29, 2011
Only because Lars Clarström worked for VA before, and then turned the Indian company down? Hope the this receiver is not another nut like GL…
Indian company is good, look at Jaguar, Land Rover now, they are very good under Indian company…
SaabKen said on December 29, 2011
“Indian company is good, look at Jaguar, Land Rover now, they are very good under Indian company…”
True, IF that company is in fact Tata Group/Tata Motors. Like China, India also has a plethora of small and large companies vying for a share of its huge domestic market, and that is somewhat disorganized and lacking experience with outside (ie: international) industries. If anything, the Chinese landscape is superior than India in terms of experience with international car companies in joint ventures to produce cars domestically.
james willis said on December 29, 2011
yes i agree with you there i have brought a second hand jaguar and the build is outstanding and its made in india nice motor but i reckon they should keep out of Saab
bpsorrel said on December 29, 2011
No Jaguar is made in India. Indian money, but made, as always, in Coventry, England.
TonymacUK said on December 30, 2011
Actually, in Birmingham & the old Ford factory Merseyside.
adams said on December 30, 2011
Or, possibly, Castle Bromwich, right?
TonymacUK said on December 30, 2011
The plant is known as Castle Bromwich but is in Birmingham – it`s the site of the wartime Spitfire factory. I live about 3 miles away.
adams said on December 30, 2011
Ah, I understand now. Now that’s a plant with some real history!
saabluster said on December 29, 2011
Maybe the meeting was canceled because there are more concrete arrangements with YM now and he is just presuming that the meeting was canceled because of the VA involvement? Let’s hope this is a positive development.
CSD_ChineseSaabDriver said on December 29, 2011
Agree.
It is impossible that GM will agree with a deal with Indians, if they say Yes to Indians but No to Chinese, that’s like declaration of war against China, in the auto industry and market. GM is not THAT stupid.
quickbird said on December 29, 2011
GM already made it very clear, anybody but not Chinese. Indian is included in anybody…
By the way, GM already pissed off the Chinese government, it doesn’t hurt to piss off one more time…
CSD_ChineseSaabDriver said on December 29, 2011
“GM already made it very clear, anybody but not Chinese”
GM never said that ANYBOYD but Chinese words.
quickbird said on December 29, 2011
Yes, instead of saying this, it acts like this. Of course, it not that stupid to say like this.
CSD_ChineseSaabDriver said on December 29, 2011
So GM never said this.
Too many lies.
Act like this? When? Turned down Chinese company, turned up another non-Chinese company? Which one?
quickbird said on December 29, 2011
2009, Koenigsegg retreated in the last minutes of bid for SAAB with BAIC…
And then GM sold some “Valued” technology to BAIC with “good” price
Finally GM sold Saab to Spyker with “good” price…
What happened in 2011, we both knew.
If you didn’t see in the way what I said, that will be fine, everyone has its own opinion.
I just hope the Chinese government should have some thoughts.
CSD_ChineseSaabDriver said on December 29, 2011
Until the day that GM license the IP to a non-Chinese company to produce Saabs, nothing is proven to be a fact.
Although I do hope this will happen, for the sake of Saab brand.
quickbird said on December 29, 2011
Actually, GM already did! In 2010, GM licensed the IP to Spyker…
Anyway, just hope there is a happy ending for Saab…
Rune said on December 29, 2011
“You and all your friends and associates are guilty until proven innocent.”
Nice motto. Especially for a lawyer.
quickbird said on December 29, 2011
But IMHO, for the sake of Saab, the receiver should inform the Indian company to change their lawyer instead of turning them down…
Rune said on December 29, 2011
Lars Carlström has worked hard and consistent to help Saab in various ways the last three years. I see no good reason to disqualify him at this stage.
The receivers have an obligation to the creditors. If they refuse to meet someone due to personal reasons, then I would think they are not performing their duties properly?
There was some concerns raised over one of the receivers having represented EIB. I am beginning to understand now why that is a conflict of interest.
quickbird said on December 29, 2011
Damn, if it is like this, then Saab’s dead is just because some people playing games, not other reasons, damn…
krghanta said on December 29, 2011
Mahindra Motors maybe. I have been advocating this for a long time.
davidgmills said on December 30, 2011
Me too since it was interested in Saab before Saab was sold to Spyker. I could get behind an Indian sale but not behind a Chinese one. Tata has really made Jaguar a great car and has left manufacturing in Britain. Mahindra would be a great owner of Saab.
krghanta said on December 29, 2011
Even Proton Motors of Malaysia is not a bad fit either.
SPG900NY said on December 29, 2011
Proton is skirting with trouble right now. Profits are down and they may be looking to unload Lotus. Why would they want to buy Saab?
alwaysSaab said on December 30, 2011
Proton? Probably one of the worst run company in Asia. Don’t think it has the financial resources and expertise to run Saab. Its main task now is to keep it afloat.
xelav said on December 29, 2011
I don’t think it’s the main reason of canceling this meeting. That would be the most stupid thing to do. Chasing away possible investors…. Perhaps there is something better going on and they are pretty sure it’s going to work..
GerritN said on December 29, 2011
Even IF something better is going on you don’t scare away possible alternatives, you keep as many realistic paths to a solution open. Like someone else said, looks like playing games, political games.
quickbird said on December 29, 2011
Yes, I agree. Before you sign a deal, don’t ever turn down any alternatives, sometimes you can use these alternatives to bargain in the negotiation table…
Hope these receivers are not nuts, or else I would hate them like GM…
Trued said on December 29, 2011
Guess the receivers might get some really clear questions from the ministers of some departments if the do not treat Indian business properly. As with all business things goes both ways. If Sweden wants to do business with India, well then India should be able to have a shot at Saab.
GerritN said on December 29, 2011
Well, you are assuming that those ministers from those some departments are interested in Saabs survival. Over the last 2 years I have gotten the strong impression that the opposite is more likely.
JH said on December 29, 2011
I thought Trued was referring to the Indian departments?
OliverH said on December 29, 2011
It’s time to see a mission statement from the receivers or swegov (are they allowed to interact in this case?)
OliverH said on December 29, 2011
Normally I would collect all information/ request of buying parts/ in whole of Saab beeing a receiver. Than I would going ahead to get a short list. After that I’ve to compare possible solutions with demands from stakeholders (future tax payments if the company could run again, unemployment and its cost, open debts (also Swedish companies),..).
If the infos (in this context) of this thread are true than welcome in wild west and we see an other part in soap opera of SweGov.
I haven’t got in which order SweGov is acting…
Patrik B said on December 29, 2011
Why on earth did they choose Lars Carlström? The country is full of competent lawyers with a good reputation and then they choose somebody who had a bad reputation even before the Antonov affair.
I guess the investors from India was turned down due to poor judgment…
saabserb said on December 29, 2011
+1
Rune said on December 30, 2011
Why on Earth are you attacking Lars Carlström?
As I said in an earlier comment, he has been working hard on various solutions to help Saab survive (and now resurrect).
He deserves a lot of respect for the effort he has put in.
zippy said on December 29, 2011
WTF?! A company expresses an interest in buying Saab outright and they get to ‘go forth and multiply’?!?
Don’t get it one bit!!! Someone wants Saab dead.
krghanta said on December 29, 2011
http://jalopnik.com/5431292/mahindra-to-buy-saab
JM Gaitan said on December 29, 2011
Interesting…. This could be good for Saab.
JH said on December 29, 2011
This sounds very strange indeed…
I read somewhere that Magna International was interested in Saab too. If their intention is to buy Saab as a whole and keep the activities in Trollhättan, they would be a dream buyer in my eyes.
Saabissimo said on December 29, 2011
I can certainly understand that the receivers have a hard time taking anything that comes from Carlstrom seriously. Attention seeker with a dubious past.
To Mahindra: Get some professional representation instead. If you do, then I am sure that you will receive a warm welcome.
quickbird said on December 29, 2011
As the news spread like this, I think if the Indian company is really serious, and if they are smart, they should replace their lawyer and try once again…
CSD_ChineseSaabDriver said on December 29, 2011
Good point. If Mahindra is really serious then they should give a second try, to show you are really serious.
Olav said on December 30, 2011
I found this really sad. My beloved car maker SAAB has received it’s death penalty by the American GM judge and it’s SWEGOV hangarounds, and now the vultures are blocking the sunlight………. How deep can this really go?
I will always love SAAB, and I will keep my SAAB forever (propably also buy another one – there are no better cars out there) as a good memory because I really fear that the game now is over. I really can’t see a reborn SAAB anymore – only in my dreams.
It is sad, really sad………
Tears from Norway
-Olav-
Always on the longest road home when out there with my SAAB. Always and forever!
saabfanatic said on December 30, 2011
A multi million dollor company who is interested in Saab and to restart of the production – can’t they approche the receiver through someone else. After all as we all know, VA is currently in trouble with the law. There must be reasons for the receiver to stay away from VA and his associates!
aa said on December 30, 2011
The stupidity needed to hire Lars Carlström as a spokesperson is so far beyond the max score on the stupidity scale that I completely understand the receivers hanging up the phone.
alwaysSaab said on December 30, 2011
Thought no reason for the Receivers to turn down any discussion from anyone indicated interest in buying over Saab, be it Chinese, Indian or European! It is inappropriate and foolish at this time to cherry picking. From what has transpired in the past 1 year, the main obstacle is still GM.
MikeSf said on December 30, 2011
Just sell the company and get production started again!!!
The drama is ridiculous in light of the upheaval the employees are going through!
I’m sensing a conspiracy to make sure SAAB is never revived again!
mnztr said on December 30, 2011
Man!!! if the Swedes want to kill SAAB this badly, why don’t they just call the Swedish Air Force and order an air strike on the SAAB factory by a squadron of Gripens. At least it will be a quick, poetic and spectacular death worthy of SAAB (Born from jets, death by jets) and it would be great advertising for the SAAB AG. Perhaps they can hang a big GM sign on the factory before the bombs hit.. lol
saabfanatic said on December 30, 2011
lol, I like the GM sign idea the best
zippy said on December 30, 2011
Or better yet head over to Detroit and blast GM HQ.
mnztr said on December 30, 2011
Unfortunately Government Motors is protected by the USAF and Sweden only has less then 200 Gripens.
PhilCH said on December 30, 2011
I don’t think that the Indian company is not welcome, it is only Carlström who should be taken out of the negotiations, which I do fully understand after the mess it was in the past and I think even VA’s reputation was cleared, as long as Carlström is involved it remains a touch of cloudy ownerships and intransparent money flows into the company. So just for the sake of reputation, if this company is serious (which I believe) and they are willing to invest into Saab, they need to do this with entirely new people involved in the negotiations.
Rune said on December 30, 2011
VA and LC are not the same person.
LC worked with others prior to VA trying to find ways to get money flowing into Saab. He should not be faulted for trying all possibilities. Au contraire!
Tobbe said on December 30, 2011
Maybe we should ask those in command of Saab now?
http://www.delphi.se/?id=2250&empid=962
http://www.wistrand.se/1/en-gb/visa-medarbetare/visa-medarbetare.php?item=cont_cont-s1/21
scand said on December 30, 2011
There isn’t anything stopping them calling the receivers directly.