We are SAAB: Victor Muller speech in The Netherlands Video
January 15, 2012 in We are SAAB
Victor Muller spoke to 1500 Saab drivers and a total of 3800 people that showed up today at the Katwijk event.
Photos from the event: http://www.saabsunited.com/the-netherlands
Translation of Victors speech
Thank you. I came all the way by plane to the Netherlands in order to be able to thank all of you personally.
Nic, Stephan, Roger and his team have done something we have never seen before.
Although I am not anymore Saab’s CEO – you all know that we did not manage to keep the company alive, unfortunately – I would like to thank all of you personally.
Without people like you, Saab would have no reason for existence.
Without people like you, we would have never bought Saab back in 2010.
At that time there were convoys all over the world.
Today and yesterday, some 110 events in 42 countries were organised.
Which car brand would ever be able to touch that? That is something unique.
Saab is everything but over. I do not want to create any expectations based on nothing. There are some very interested parties who would like to take over Saab going concern. They do not want to buy some parts of Saab, but the whole enterprise. This is very encouraging.
I can not predict whether this will succeed. This is something I cannot exert an influence on. I am just helping – to the best of my abilities – the administrators make a deal.
I think the parties currently involved (Note: in an interview on Dutch television he mentioned Turkish and Indian parties) have pockets that are deep enough to be able to do the deal in the end. This weekend’s events are instrumental for that. They will help these parties to understand that Saab is alive and kicking and that Saab has a future. It is sad, very sad, that we could not keep Saab alive under the ownership of Spyker and Swedish Automobile, but that is not necessary the end of Saab. Please be fully assured that I will try to get Saab safely into port – to my last gasp.
On behalf of the entire Trollhättan team I would like to wish you all a great day. I would like to thank you that you stepped into your Saab on an ice cold Sunday, although it has a magnificent heater of course… – if you have been working in Sweden for a while, you will appreciate that heater. I would like to thank you for coming here, and for showing that Saab is alive and kicking and that Saab deserves a future. Thank you very much.
Thanx to Redaero for the translation! =)
Beakon said on January 15, 2012
Translation would be greatly appreciated from anyone speaking Dutch
joseglv said on January 15, 2012
X2
Sensonic said on January 15, 2012
X3
Michiel Mees said on January 15, 2012
…to come and thank you personally. What Nic, Stephan, Roger and their team have done in the past months, no, weeks – as it is only three weeks ago that they started – has never been achieved before, and although I am no longer SAAB’s CEO (because you all know that it was not achieved to keep that venture afloat) I would still like to thank you all personally because without people like you, SAAB would not have had rightful existence; Without people like you, we would never have bought SAAB in 2010.
Then [in 2010], there were convoys around the world, and today/yesterday 42 countries, 110 events, which car brand can match that? None, and that is unique. It is all but over for SAAB (ed. Read this as ‘not over for SAAB’) and I am not trying to raise expectations based on nothing; there are a number of parties that are interested in taking over SAAB as a ‘going concern’ – so not take on parts of SAAB, but to continue the complete company, which is very encouraging. If that can be achieved is unfortunately outside my capacity to arrange – I just help out where I can. I [can] help the curators to construct a deal, but ultimately it is they that need to decide. But I think that the parties around the table are so strong, have such deep pockets, that one should hope they will actually do a deal.
These types of events are instrumental in this process, they help a buyer realise that SAAB is very much alive and a brand with a future. It is unfortunate that we were unable to realise this future under Swedish Automobile and Spyker, very unfortunate, but this does not necessarily mean the end of SAAB.
You can be assured that I will work to my last gasp to dock SAAB in a safe haven. So, on behalf the entire team in Trollhatten, I wish you an incredible day and thank you enormously that you got into your SAAB on this freezing Sunday morning – which all have excellent heaters of course, after you’ve worked in Sweden a while you’ll know how good that heater really is – and to gather here to show the word that SAAB is everything but gone and that it deserves a future. I thank you
Michiel Mees said on January 16, 2012
CORRECTION: Sorry guys, not sure where I got ‘Roger’ from, first line (delete that) ; the rest is accurate though.
xelav said on January 15, 2012
First of all it wasn’t in Amsterdam , but in Valkenburg near Wassenaar . Victor thanked everybody for their apearing and offcourse the good organisation of the event. Hè joked about the good heating installation in the saabs.(because it was à cold day) He didn’t want to make false hope but hè said that there are some serious buyers with deep pockets of money , but we now can only hope for THE best and that hè will do everything hè can for Saab ! ( free translated) Victor rules!
joseglv said on January 15, 2012
Thanks!!
Serius buyers with deep pockets…
I´ll take it!!!
Jelmer said on January 15, 2012
Don’t forget that he mentioned the convoys 2 years ago and power thats behind the people that the love Saab conviced him to try and save Saab in the first place. He also stated that this power is seen with no other brand in the world and must be very encouriging for the parties interested in buying Saab.
orion said on January 15, 2012
It was a really nice event, heads off for the organisation. Victor thanked the organisation and all the people who on a cold sunday came to Valkenburg with their cars, He also said its not over yet, while there are serious parties who wants to take over the whole of Saab. He said that this is such a unique event, no other mark has done this ever before. For eventually buyers this can’t be overlooked. he said he’ll fight till the end! What a great man.
xelav said on January 15, 2012
Victor really is à great man, he should be cloned!:)
Eagle63 said on January 15, 2012
It was a nice surprise that Victor showed up. I enjoyed the afternoon there; lots of Saabs, even a Saab Safir flew overhead… Good location also; this used to be a Dutch Navy airport (back when they were still flying the Lockheed Orion..).
JH said on January 15, 2012
It seems like it was a very nice and big event in the Netherlands! Congratulations to the organizers!
Eagle63 said on January 15, 2012
PS: Saab planes @ Saab gathering: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whXAsqAq6UI
Jelmer said on January 15, 2012
Something stunning in the sky just before Victor made his speach. There were 2 mysterious Saab 91D Safir’s airplanes in the sky at Valkerburg airbase doing a fly by.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whXAsqAq6UI
Jelmer said on January 15, 2012
Sorry double post…
Golfhunter said on January 15, 2012
Great video !
Redaero said on January 15, 2012
Here’s a quick translation of Victor Muller’s speech, for non-Dutchies:
“Thank you. I came all the way by plane to the Netherlands in order to be able to thank all of you personally.
Nic, Stephan and his team have done something we have never seen before.
Although I am not anymore Saab’s CEO – you all know that we did not manage to keep the company alive, unfortunately – I would like to thank all of you personally.
Without people like you, Saab would have no reason for existence.
Without people like you, we would have never bought Saab back in 2010.
At that time there were convoys all over the world.
Today and yesterday, some 110 events in 42 countries were organised.
Which car brand would ever be able to touch that? That is something unique.
Saab is everything but over. I do not want to create any expectations based on nothing. There are some very interested parties who would like to take over Saab going concern. They do not want to buy some parts of Saab, but the whole enterprise. This is very encouraging.
I can not predict whether this will succeed. This is something I cannot exert an influence on. I am just helping – to the best of my abilities – the administrators make a deal.
I think the parties currently involved (Note: in an interview on Dutch television he mentioned Turkish and Indian parties) have pockets that are deep enough to be able to do the deal in the end. This weekend’s events are instrumental for that. They will help these parties to understand that Saab is alive and kicking and that Saab has a future. It is sad, very sad, that we could not keep Saab alive under the ownership of Spyker and Swedish Automobile, but that is not necessary the end of Saab. Please be fully assured that I will try to get Saab safely into port – to my last gasp.
On behalf of the entire Trollhättan team I would like to wish you all a great day. I would like to thank you that you stepped into your Saab on an ice cold Sunday, although it has a magnificent heater of course… – if you have been working in Sweden for a while, you will appreciate that heater. I would like to thank you for coming here, and for showing that Saab is alive and kicking and that Saab deserves a future. Thank you very much.”
Best regards,
William
(still waiting, hoping and praying for my new 9-5 Sport Combi, ordered back in March 2011…)
dennisberg85 said on January 15, 2012
TRANSLATION
I would like to thank everyone here today personnaly. What Nick, Stephan and their team have done in the past few months, excuse, weeks. Because it has only been 3 weeks ago since they started.. It’s something that has never been done before.
Unfortunately I’m no longer the CEO of Saab and you all know what has happened, to keep the company a float. However I have come here to thank you all. Because of people like you Saab would not have the right to excist. Without people like you we wouldn’t have bought Saab back in 2010. Back then there were convoys around the world. Today and yesterday in 42 countries 110 events total. Which car make can surpass that! No one can, and that’s unique!
It’s all but over for Saab, and I don’t want to make expectations that don’t have a solid foundation. There are some very serious candidates that have interest in taking Saab over as a whole (going company) and not just taking parts of Saab, but to continue the company as a whole. And that’s very encouraging. If it all succeeds is unfortunately no longer under my control, I’m just helping, I’m helping the receivers as much as I can to construct a deal. But in the end, the receivers have to decide.
But I do think that the interested companies are so strong and have a lot of financial resources that you may hope that they will sign the deal.
Events like these are instrumental for the potential buyers. These potential buyers get to see that Saab is alive and kicking and that it’s a brand with a future. That we couldn’t realize a future for Saab under Swedish Automobile / Spyker is very unfortunate, very unfortunate. But doesn’t mean the end for Saab. And you can fully be assured that I’ll fight until my last breath to guide Saab into a save harbour.
On behalf of the entire Trollhatan team I wish you all a very happy day. And I would like to thank you all on this cold day that you’ve stepped into your Saab,…. which all have wonderful heating of course. If you’ve been working in Sweden for a while you will know how good the heating is. …. to come here and show the world that Saab is all but dead and deservers a future.
Thank you.
(In a radio interview on dutch radio he is mentioning that the two strong financial potential buyers are from Turkish and Indian origin.)
Carlo A said on January 16, 2012
Thanks guys for the translation…. and thanks Victor for attending Amsterdam’s
MillerMan said on January 16, 2012
Again: it wasn’t in Amsterdam. The Netherlands is a small country, but it’s larger than just Amsterdam
kochje said on January 16, 2012
A moving speech; with a positive message of hope.
We do not give up.
Saab Up
900_S said on January 16, 2012
I like that: ‘We do not give up–we SAAB up’