Saaby Christmas everyone!
December 24, 2011 in Editorial
Here is an explanation why Till is the one writing the x-mas post, Tim is out flying… hopefully the thing on the right won’t happen, if Santa doesn’t show up, you’ll know why 
Today is the 24th, so we here in Europe celebrate Christmas while the US guys still have to wait another day. So I’d like to take the opportunity to wish everybody out there a Merry Christmas. This year, just like two years ago Christmas is overshadowed by uncertainty for many working at or for Saab. While bankrupcy is sad in itself, it is even worse that this had to happen at that time of the year – again.
I have been very close to the events at Saab in 2009 and got closer and closer until today. I have also made many friends at Saab. They always made me feel like I am part of a family, the Saab family. I know that many of them don’t even dare to have hope any longer, as the past three years have been pretty exhausting for all. You went from the ultimate low to a high feeling and now back to an ultimate low again. I hope you can nevertheless enjoy a few days with your family and get some rest from what is going on. To all those Saab employees – if I could, I’d shake everybodys hand to thank you for all your efforts during the process and for all those great cars you designed and built for me. I admire the Saab spirit and I truly hope that you can continue your great work in Trollhättan.
Here’s to the community that welcomed me with open arms three years ago and made me a part of it. You are like an extended family for me and I am glad that I could meet quite a few of you in person over the past years. I hope you can also find a bit of peace while being among your family in the next days. This hunt for news we have been exposed to has been hard, and in the end quite a bit disappointing. Still, there is hope and if we can make a (late) Christmas gift to the people at Saab it is to create big events on the 14th and 15th of January to show the world that we are many, that we stand by our brand and that we want Saab to survive. The community could do that once with the convoys, let’s do it again. Make yourself heared.
If you should wonder why you should take those efforts, just take a look at the photo that Tim posted. Those are some of the people we are doing that for. And if this is still not enough, you are doing it for yourself, too. To be able to get a new Saab for many years to come.
Troels, Denmark said on December 24, 2011
Thanks! Merry Christmas! Hope for a “Phoenix-rising” off Saab in Trollhättan in 2012,,, !
Alex said on December 24, 2011
Well said till, it has been a very long fight and one that i really hope may still have a positive outcome for all the Saab workers, but i have to confess it has taken the ‘icing of the Christmas cake’ for me when i think of all those that have lost their job, particularly a Saab friend local to me. As me and my family celebrate the festivities i will be thinking of all those that are going through this period of financial uncertainty and raise a glass to a return to employment very soon for all concerned and a bright future.
Merry Christmas to all the former Saab workers, be as positive as you can and take comfort that we fans feel your pain and stand beside you, all the way!
Alex
Lammie said on December 24, 2011
Has there been any positive news over the last 48 hours? Do we know if there are a number of possible bidders still looking to take the whole lot?
Swizzy said on December 24, 2011
Thank you Till for another great post here at SU. Merry Christmas and all the best for 2012 to all SAAB-People in Trollhättan and the SU-Crew.
“The hope dies last”, personally I remain optimistic and I’ll keep the SAAB spirit alive.
kochje said on December 24, 2011
+1
dezzer said on December 24, 2011
Thank you SAAB for everthing, you are like a cool pillow on a warm night !!
Z! said on December 24, 2011
Boldog Karácsonyt minden SAAB-osnak!
Z!
KoGa said on December 24, 2011
Boldog Karacsonyt neked is
Merry Christmas to everyone!
karl said on December 24, 2011
Thank you all !!! And a merry christmas
mike900 said on December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas everyone… And all the best as the Saab saga resumes over the coming days
bpsorrel said on December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas everyone and a Happy, Saab filled New Year!
Alexandros said on December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year to All of you!
Olav said on December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas, all. A special Christmas greeting goes to all the SAAB employees.
Cheers from Norway
-Olav-
Always on the longest road home when out there with my SAAB. Always!
Paul said on December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas to everyone here!
M.A. said on December 24, 2011
Thanks. Merry Christmas and Happy “SAAB” New Year!!!
Fenton said on December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas to all! Peace on earth and good will to men! Let us hope and pray that Saab will continue on so that many, like me, can one day take a factory tour of a bustling Saab production line in Trollhattan! My thoughts especially go out to all the employees there in Sweden as well as at the dealers throughout the world.
OliverH said on December 24, 2011
God jul.
martinsaab said on December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas, Till,
To you and your loved ones.
Would be great to meet you next year, be it at the Ouside Saab Meeting on Jan., 15th or in Spa, Belgium…
Best wishes,
Martin
martinsaab said on December 24, 2011
P.S. And thanks for the great work to the whole SU team!!!
Paddan said on December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas and all the best to your family as well as the entire Saab community.
saabyurk said on December 24, 2011
Happy holidays to all, especially Saab employees and SU. For some good Christmas reading, check out this Saab article, and then scroll down to Matthew Cross’s comment, you’ll be glad you did!
http://www.torquenews.com/108/send-gm-coal-putting-saab-bankruptcy
74StingSaab said on December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas to all!
terry9000k said on December 24, 2011
Have a good one, everyone….2012 = Saabsphere
reindeer said on December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas! Joy to the World! And the Best Happy New Year for Saab!
tianalfred said on December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas, auto.qq.com said that Dongfeng, the third largest auto group in China, is ready to purchase saab’s assents, can anybody know this progress?
CSD_ChineseSaabDriver said on December 24, 2011
Yes they said this, but no way to beat YM
JasonPowell said on December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas my friend
dave said on December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas everyone
Timeshifter said on December 24, 2011
Thank you!
// WARNING! Emotional explosion… (Sorry for mistakes in text, I am not so good at languages)
I wish, everything will be OK with SAAB. If not, at least, the people, I want them to realize, that not by having or using you are more a man, but by creating… One should buy things only to secure living and for process of creation of other things which will be useful for someone else.
We end up in society full of people which cannot realize that their way of live is so wrong. They buys new car every 2-4 years, they changes clothes just because it is not trendy right now, they switches cell phones every year and uses things only to consummate… What we will leave behind us, will we leave some message when all we do is to eat and destroy? There is majority of people, which just want to have things for free, and they dream about it every day, but well, everything good costs something. You can not expect, that you can have wealth for nothing without anyone else suffering of loss. People who produce nothing are nothing, because they mean nothing to the society, to everything else.
So, the moral of this all is: If you want something, you have to earn it. EARN IT, not fight for it!
SAAB is, where it is right now, because of millions of mistakes made during last 20-30 years, but generally they wasn’t bad mistakes which made people suffer as intention. It was just the choices which turned out to be wrong. People do not want to buy good and expensive cars nowadays. They want toys, with tons of thingies and minimum price. How could SAAB have known this 30 years ago, that it will end up like this?
I have good old Nokia cell phone, which is now 7 years old. It still can live 10 days on one battery, you can make calls and text messages with it easier than with the new cell phones. It easily fits to pocket, you do not need to worry when it fall off a hand. Generally it is still good piece of technology and it is working as new. But people around me are always asking me, why I use such an old piece of crap. They have new Samsungs and iPhones, and they buys new one almost every single year. And then I got the point of it. These companies live just because they create something which have tons of useless thingies just to amaze customers for 1 year which is average lifetime of such a thing. The customers buys the new phone from the same company, because the previous was innovative and has tons of “thingies”,and well, it lived just one year, but it is the average lifetime of new cellphones, so they are OK with it. WHY??? I bought f***g NOKIA, it is durable as hell, it survived tons of falls and hits, it is still OK, and useful, I do not need new one. BUT!!! I haven’t bought anything from NOKIA for 6 years, and others are spending something for Samsung every year. They support the companies, I do not. This I found really irritating.
And well, I found the same happened with SAAB. You can see, that old SAABs despite long mileage are still in pretty good conditions, and if there was not the turbulences and bankrupt of SAAB, those cars would be still wanted. Why would one need to buy new SAAB when 10 years old one is still working? And looking beautiful…
Look at Hyundai, they build crappy ugly cars, but people buys them, because they are designed to work and to look good for just few years. One friend of mine told me, that many manufacturers are using special plastics in interior, which will age very fast, so the owner of the car finds it car too old before it actually is old, and before any major mistake pops up. And also, the design of the car must be fast aging, to force owners to buy new one as soon as possible.
I want quality, I want the car which is made with intention to build GOOD car, which will be useful as long as possible, which will be safe as much as possible, which will have soul of family member. I want tool which I can relate to. I do not want a toy. Maybe I want too much, but I feels like, nowadays no-one is offering this kind of car. So what happens, when SAAB dies? I do not know, but with it one of my dream dies to, and I will lost part of the hopes for the better future. Where we are going, when all what is happening is fraud. I am student, I do not have enough money for SAAB, I have never owned one, but I want to, when I will be older, to have one, with my future family. But is this world, I want to raise my kids? As Chris Rea sings “This is the road to hell…”
So, Marry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone who needs it.
Martin T16s said on December 24, 2011
And also a very Merry Christmas from me. i wish us all the very best of luck next year whatever may come our way. We are a resilient force and our passion will NEVER die. Thank you too Alex for the mention. This week is an end of an era for me but I look forward to still being involved with our SAAB family as much as I can in the future. God bless you all.
Martin
Martin T16s said on December 24, 2011
martinsaab Hi I intend to bring my classic 900 to Spa, hope to see you.
Markac said on December 24, 2011
Have a great Saaby Christmas from downunder here in Oz!
Mike Aukerman said on December 24, 2011
What is Dr. Seuss could say something about all of this….
Every Swede up in Sweden liked Saab a lot.
But the G-Minch, who lived far west of Sweden, Did NOT!
The G-Minch hated Saab! The whole Saab way!
Now, please don’t ask why. No one can say.
It could be, perhaps, that their shoes were too tight.
It could be their head wasn’t screwed on quite right.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that their brain was two sizes too small.
But, whatever the reason, their brain or their head,
They stood in the Ren Cen planning for Saab to be dead.
“They’re planning the Phoenix!” they snarled with a sneer.
“Tomorrow is Saab’s time! It’s practically here!”
Then they tapped their G-Minch fingers as the Chinese were arriving.
“We MUST find a way to keep Saab from surviving!”
For, tomorrow, they knew all the Swede women and men
Would wake up bright and early, and build Saabs again.
They’d rush to the factory in southwestern Sweden
The G-Minch couldn’t stand the thought of being beaten.
Then they got an idea! An awful idea! THE G-MINCH GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA!
“I know just what to do!” The G-Minch laughed one Sunday.
“We’ll tell the Chinese “No way, no way,
Will we ever approve your involvement with Saab.
We care less about you. Go find a new job.”
But the Swedes wouldn’t stop; nor would the Chinese
“We’ll find a new way, we don’t care what what you please.”
And they sat at the table, to hammer out a deal.
To try to save Saab; nothing was ever so real.
This story’s not through, or so we are told.
Now we must wait to see what will unfold.
As we celebrate Christmas, about to arrive
Keep crossing your fingers; Saab will survive!
Martin T16s said on December 25, 2011
Brilliant!!!
Rufus Rudog said on December 26, 2011
More proud of Saab than ever and to the best dealer in all Washington DC Metro area, International Motors, http://www.imsaab.com/index.htm, thank you for introducing me to the Saab brand and all the great cars I have purchased from IM.
Saabist of Arlington