by Red J
August 22, 2011 in News
While one Swedish Saab dealer is closing its doors and another is waiting for better times to sell Saab cars once again in Spain, Dársena Motor, the Saab dealer in Galicia, is moving to a better, newer and bigger building.
Dársena Motors, future dealership
by Swade
March 13, 2011 in Saabology
We got some initial video and thoughts from the opening of Saab’s first all-new showroom, Saab of North Olmsted, a few days ago.
If anyone wants to take a deeper look at the new facility, I can recommend this photo collection. There are plenty of inside photos from the new showroom, including the service area.
Thanks to Mickey at Saab of North Olmsted for the tip!
by Swade
March 11, 2011 in Saabology
Saab of North Olmsted has just opened their new building – the first new Saab Unlimited building to open since the company was purchased by Spyker Cars.
In honour of a deal made with Dealer Principal Bernie Moreno at the Saab Owner’s Convention last year (“you build it and I’ll come to the opening”), Victor Muller flew in to Ohio from Europe to attend the opening function.
Our mate Ted Y was there and he’s uploaded the following video from the event:
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6_myIwn5d4
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Here’s the exterior of the new building, from the dealership website:
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Ted’s thoughts from the evening:
I just attended the grand opening of Saab of North Olmsted which you posted about mid-February.
Victor Muller is a classy guy. He had to be suffering from jet lag, having just arrived from Europe, but he was very gracious and approachable. I had printed out a Saabsunited page from January 6, 2010 which had my picture at the Detroit Save Saab rally, hoping for an autograph on it. He wrote “Dear Ted, Thank you for your support when it really mattered. Victor Muller Cleveland March 10, 2011″. He posed for photos with anybody that asked (including me) and gave a very great speech.
I also received an email from Greg F, a new Saab 9-5 owner who attended the opening.
I got to attend the Grand Opening of Saab’s new prototype storefront at Saab of North Olmsted tonight and it was awesome! They have an extremely impressive floor plan (very modern) and had all the Saabs on display, including the new 9-4x in white! They also had one area focused on a Spyker car, which I think is a great idea. I would think that these types of storefronts will really sell more Saabs and bring “new people” to the Saab line! I am extremely glad that Bernie Moreno had the vision and the money to invest in this new dealership.
I also was lucky enough to meet and talk with Victor Muller and he was really fun to talk with! I really enjoyed hearing him so enthusiastically talk about the future of Saab – makes me even more glad that I purchased a 2010 Saab 9-5 Aero!!
I think that Saab’s future is looking promising and they will come back in the USA!!!!
It’s great to hear that the opening night was a success and kudos again to Bernie Moreno and the staff at North Olmsted for having the courage and vision to build this new dealership.
by Red J
February 23, 2011 in Saabology
Tomorrow will be an important day for Saab, not only because of the anniversary, which is already quite important on its own, but because Saab will show what they have been able to do in the first year of independence.
As Saab said in its Paris Auto show invitation:
Discover the power of independence
by Swade
February 18, 2011 in Saabology
Apparently we’ve got the OK to show this here, and you’ve got the OK to attend, as long as you RSVP beforehand.
Saab of North Olmstead has built a brand new, state of the art ‘Iceblock’ showroom and they’re having a big party to celebrate the opening.
Victor Muller will be there, and you can be too.
Click….
I know we’ve got a lot of Saab fans in Ohio who read SU. This event is a fantastic chance for you meet up, as well as seeing the newest showroom in the US, the Saab 9-4x and 9-5 (if you haven’t already seen it), the guy who saved Saab Automobile, and all the other entertainment that will go along with such an event.
The important thing is to RSVP Jim at the dealership. His email address is jim@saabohio.com so get in touch and let him know you’re coming.
by Red J
February 10, 2011 in News
There was some preoccupations from people here about the presence of Saab in Scotland, as County Saab closed its dealerships in Ayr and Inverness.
Since the January 1st Ness Saab has stepped in in Inverness.
Today has ben announced, that Park Saab will take over in Ayr.
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Saab GB is pleased to announce the appointment of a new dealership in Ayrshire.
Situated on the Doonfoot Road, Park’s Saab opens for business on the 8 February 2011. Taking over from County Saab, Park’s Saab will offer the full range of Saab vehicles as well as providing full servicing facilities, MOT testing and an extensive after sales department supplying parts and accessories.
Kevin Robinson, General Manager of Park’s Saab, explains: “Park’s Motor Group has a long standing tie to Ayrshire and we are delighted to open this new Saab franchise in the area.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to reassure Saab customers that it is business as usual at Doonfoot Road. Park’s Saab will take care of all their motoring needs and are fully committed to providing the high levels of service that customers have come to expect.
“Many of the previous dealership staff who will be well known by Saab customers are joining us and bringing with them a wealth of knowledge and expertise to ensure that the Saab experience continues to be as enjoyable as possible. We look forward to welcoming new and existing customers to Park’s Saab soon.”
Charles Toosey, Managing Director of Saab GB, said: “I am delighted to welcome Park’s Saab into our network of dealers. Park’s Motor Group has a wealth of experience in the motor industry and will maintain the standards of excellence that our customers expect.”
Park’s Motor Group is one of Scotland’s leading motor dealers with a number of franchises across the country. The Group was established in Lanarkshire and has since expanded into Ayrshire, Fife and Glasgow. The Ayr operation of the dealer group has Renault and Nissan franchises in High Road and Land Rover, Jaguar and Volvo franchises complimented by a large Approved Used car operation on Heathfield Road in Ayr.
To find out more pop in to see Kevin and the team at Park’s Saab, Doonfoot Road, Ayr or ring 01292 445540.
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AyrshireXC90, I think the problem is solved now.
by Swade
January 31, 2011 in Saabology
If you’ve got an older Saab, you’d probably love to have someone with 30 years Saab experience take a peek over it and lead you through a review of the entire car, yes?
Next time Charles River Saab holds one of these 100K clinics, I’d suggest you sign up.
Luke Lewis did, and here’s the report he shot through via email today.
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On Saturday, January 29th, Charles River SAAB hosted a 100K- Mile Clinic, which was open to anyone with a SAAB that had 100K or over on it. The idea behind this clinic (from my perspective) was to bring people in and give them a chance to not only meet the people who work on their vehicles, but also give those customers an opportunity to see their vehicle from a Tech’s perspective.
I was there with some other members of NESA (New England SAAB Association). I tagged along with my buddy, Ryan, who brought in his 9000CS.
The day started with an introduction from Pierre (to introduce the technicians and customers). We then went with the Tech to the car, did the initial walk-around. We then got in the car and went for a brief test drive. The entire time, the Tech was telling us what he was looking for.
When we got back, we went inside to the Service area and through the car up on the lift. Our Tech was Peter and he gave us an extremely thorough walk-down on this car and was extremely descriptive in his actions. (Note from Luke – Peter, a service tech for SAAB for 30 years previously drove a 9000Aero and knew this car inside and out).
(Note from Swade – I met Peter Maitland at Swedish Car Day last year and his knowledge is indeed Britannica-ic when comes to Saabs. He’s also got a nice little collection of them, too, including Ol’ Blue and a Saabo caravan).
I have provided some pictures of the event.
I wanted to thank Charles River SAAB, Pierre, and Peter for this awesome experience.
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My thanks to Luke for the report.
It’s always great to see people getting to know their cars a little better. And it’s outstanding to see a dealer going to this length to help them do it. CRS are straight from the top shelf.
by Swade
January 14, 2011 in Saabology
I’ve had quite a few people emailing me about the floods, some asking if we’re OK.
We are absolutely OK. Australia’s a big place and whilst there has been a lot of rain here in Tasmania and some flooding in the north of the state, there’s nothing at all that effects us here in the south. Thanks to all for your concern.
Of course, the big floods are in Queensland, the northernmost state on the east coast of Australia. We’ve all been glued to our TV’s here and there has been plenty to see, around 95% of it quite tragic.
Image from Grantham, the town probably worst hit by the floods, which claimed houses, vehicles and lives in just minutes.
Everyone in southern Australia knows someone who’s moved to Queensland in the last 10 years or so, quite a few of them to Brisbane. We all feel like we’ve got someone involved in this in some way.
If you’ve never seen how a flash flood progresses, watch this video from Toowoomba, which was hit without warning by a flash flood earlier this week (much of this is the water that’s effecting Brisbane now). Amazing.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYUpkPTcqPY
Personally speaking, one of my good friends will have to find somewhere else to live. Her house (a rental, so it’s not hers to rebuild) was overcome very early in the Brisbane flood. Thankfully, she got most of her stuff out and of course, the best news is that she’s safe.
I have a few semi-regular Saab contacts up there, as well, one of whom (Simon L) owns a Saab 99 Turbo that I used to own. Simon lives on high ground and was never in any trouble from the water.
Some of you might be familiar with a bloke named AussieLars, who comments here occasionally. Lars got his Viggen on to high ground before the water came, but there was some concern about the Saab 96 V4 that’s he had stripped and part-way through restoration. Obviously, it wasn’t as portable as the Viggen and time was very short.
As it happens, the water level wasn’t quite as high as people feared and for Lars, that means that the 96 will just need some mild cleanup. Nothing too major. He and Mrs AussieLars will be just fine, which is great to hear.
There are plenty of harrowing stories, however, the most striking and heartbreaking of which is probably that of Jordan Rice and his mother, Donna. Click here.
If you feel moved to support flood victims, many of whom will not be covered by insurance because of their proximity to the river (and because insurers can be bastards sometimes), then I invite you to donate to the Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal, the primary fundraising effort run by the Queensland government.
Again, thanks for your concern, not just personally, but for all the people in Queensland who have done it so tough in the last few weeks.
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On to some more Saab-specific things……
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Beijing Automotive, who were looking to buy Saab back in 2009 but settled for $200m worth of older-generation tooling, are trialling 30 electric cars with the local government in Beijing.
A number of them are based on the Saab 9-3.
Beijing Auto has started production of electric ‘Saab’ 9-3’s. The car is called Q60FB and is part of a trial project for electric cars with the Beijing city government. They will make 30 cars in total, including a number of electric BC301Z’s, called the C30DB and a number of electric minivans called MR30DB.
The full story is over at thetycho.com.
BAIC were always pretty serious about doing electric vehicles and using the Saab tooling they bought as part of the project. It’s good to see them progressing on this and I don’t think it’s a bad thing that they’ve used Saab’s bodies instead of their own for such a project.
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I wrote about a new Saab dealership popping up in Seattle a few months ago, but they weren’t online at the time.
It’s good to see Saab of Bellevue are now up and running.
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The Saab 9-5 won a Car of the Year vote in Finland, and I’m pretty sure SU had absolutely nothing to do with it.
Not sounding surprised there, just happy. The Finns love their Saabs, as they should 
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by Swade
January 11, 2011 in News
I received this press release from Charles River Saab over the weekend. I just wanted to recognise this achievement here on SU.
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Press Release: Charles River Saab Named Top US Retailer of New Saabs for 2010
WATERTOWN, MA – Ray Ciccolo’s Charles River Saab of Watertown has been recognized by Saab Cars of North America (SCNA) as the nation’s number one leader in volume sales of new Saab’s for the 2010 calendar year.
The dealership, which is part of the Village Automotive Group, is located on Arsenal Street and is the oldest Saab dealership in the United States, having recently celebrated its 54th anniversary.
“This is very exciting news,” said Village Automotive Group President Ray Ciccolo. “It’s a great acknowledgment to the hard working staff that we have at our dealership. As a dealership group we have had a solid presence in New England for over 50 years. In providing positive customer experiences, something we pride ourselves on, we have been able to expand while maintaining our core values that keep clients coming back to our dealerships and referring family and friends,” he added.
Ray Ciccolo has been an auto dealer for over 45 years, and his dealerships have accomplished impressive goals while being a vibrant part of and a major contributor to the communities in which they serve. Ciccolo’s Village Automotive Group locations include, Boston Volvo Village of Brighton, Honda Village of Newton, Charles River Saab in Watertown, Hyundai Village of Danvers, Cadillac Village of Norwood, Hummer Village of Norwood, Nissan Village of North Attleboro, and their most recent acquisitions, Porsche of Norwell and Audi Norwell.
For more information on the Village Automotive Group visit www.villageautomotive.com.
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I’ve got to know a couple of dealers over the last 12-18 months and all the ones I’ve met are hard-working people who love the brand.
I guess you could say that SU is not a mainstream presence – people have to look for something extra-Saaby to find it – so the fact that some Saab dealers would be aware of SU and then reach out to say “Hi” shows that they might be a dealer that cares a little more about their product.
I spent 4 days in Boston in August 2010 at the invitation of Charles River Saab in order to attend and speak at their Saab and Volvo exhibition, Swedish Car Day. It was an incredible event and it’s a wonderful testimony to the management of CRS that they’re willing to organise and support this event every year (and it must have been a tough decision in 2010 given that Saab dealers have had to cut budgets to the bone).
I just want to recognise their achievements here on the site. These guys are aces and I’m really pleased to see their efforts rewarded.
Congratulations!
by Swade
December 17, 2010 in News, Saabology
When I posted the listing of Saab Dealers in Canada back in August, there was at least one big Canadian city that had been left off the list – Edmonton. I’m pleased to let you know that that situation seems to have been remedied.
Saab of Edmonton are in the process of preparing their facilities as they await the shipment of some significant stock.
Richard P, a regular here at SU, called in there to say hello. My thanks to him for sending this through.
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Hi Steven,
Earlier this morning I was able to drop by the new Saab of Edmonton dealer and have a chat with one of the guys there . We had a pretty good chat and I came away with the feeling that the guys behind this new Saab venture are working hard to get Saab on the map for northern Alberta.
The new site is actually the old Daewoo building and it looks like they moved in very recently. The Daewoo signage is still up on the side of the building as well as streetside, but they do have one of those trailer-mounted signage setups at roadside as a temporary sign (see attached photo) so it’s fairly easy to spot that it’s a Saab dealer.
The group ownership behind the dealer is the Daytona Automotive Group who have been around since 1974. To give you an idea of how strong the backing is with this group, they have about $3 million dollars worth of stock in their back lot at the moment that includes Ferraris, Lambo’s and a number of other exotics. They also do not have the “floor plan” inventory system that ties sales and stock to a banker’s schedule. The stock purchases come out of their own pockets. Those are deep pockets.
They had initially placed an order for about 20 Saabs for the first shipment, but they have now more than doubled that with a total of 47 Saabs (yeah… 47!) coming in mid-January. A handful of those already have deposits on them and are considered sold. That is GREAT news. I was told there will be 9-3s, 9-3x’s and 9-5s in that shipment with a good selection of options and transmissions amongst them. All will be 2011 models. By March, they said they will be able to place orders for the 9-4x with delivery of those happening sometime around June 2011.
The showroom is pretty basic at the moment and appears to simply be what Daewoo left behind. There were 3 cars on the floor, one of which is visible through the window in my attached photo. There are at least 5 or 6 used Saabs on the lot looking in excellent shape and priced very attractively. One is a 2008 9-3 Aero for only $24K. VERY tempting for me, but I love my hatch or would want a SportCombi.
I also noticed that there is an extension under construction behind the showroom which I assume will be the new servicing bays. I love my indie mechanic, but once their service center is up and running I will get my Saab in there for an oil change or something similar just to show my appreciation.
We discussed the fact that I had heard of the new dealership from my indie Saab mechanic. From that I gathered that Saab was considering using this indie shop as the authorized service center until there was a dealer here. This was mostly due to the fact that the local GM dealer where Saab customers were sent had no Saab training or half a clue on how to service Saabs. However, that deal didn’t materialize, but I’m guessing it’s because they had Daytona Automotive Group signed up.
Apparently it was always Saab’s intention to get a dealer for northern Alberta, and they had several interested parties, but Saab declined those offers as they were looking for a solid, long term, deep-pocketed investor. This gives me great hope that Saab was that diligent in signing up the best candidate for our local dealer. I can’t wait to see both the 9-3x and the 9-5 in the metal in January!
Cheers from snowy Edmonton!
Richard P
by Swade
December 15, 2010 in News
Saab recently lost a dealership in New Jersey – Parkfield Saab. Thankfully, another dealer has jumped in to fill the void. Ramsey Saab are a name that might be familiar to people in the area, having a Saab shop up to around 5 years ago. They have their website up and running and are reaching out to all the old Parkfield Saab customers.
I know we had a few ex-Parkfield people here, so those might want to check out Ramsey’s facilities (or those at my friends from Rienertsen Saab, too).
Ramsey Saab are located at 585 Route 17 South, Ramsey, NJ.
Welcome to the family!
by Swade
December 13, 2010 in News
No need to shout!
The following is a press release from Saab GB.
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Saab GB is pleased to announce the appointment of a new dealership in Inverness.
Ness Motors Ltd, situated on the Harbour Road, opens for business on the 1st January, 2011, and will offer the full range of Saab vehicles as well as providing full servicing facilities, MOT testing and an extensive after sales department supplying parts and accessories.
The existing County Saab dealership at 60, Harbour Road will close its doors for the last time on 31st December, 2010.
Chris Rankin, Managing Director of Ness Motors Ltd, explains: “We are pleased to open this new Saab franchise and see great potential for increasing Saab’s market share in Inverness.
“Understandably some local Saab customers have expressed concerns over the changes, but I’d like to take this opportunity to reassure people that Ness Motors will take care of all their motoring needs. We look forward to welcoming new and existing customers to Ness Motors and can assure you that all customers will receive the very highest level of care and service.”
Jonathan Nash, Managing Director of Saab GB, said: “I am delighted to welcome Ness Motors into our network of dealers. Ness Motors have a wealth of experience in the motor industry and will maintain the standards of excellence that our customers expect.”
Ness Motors Ltd was established in 1960 and has a long successful history in Inverness and across Scotland. The principals of honesty, reliability and justice are paramount in the way that they run their business and these are applied both to the people who work at the company and customers.
To find out more pop in to see Chris and the team at Ness Motors Ltd, 35 Harbour Road, Inverness or ring 01463 227416.
by Swade
December 8, 2010 in Saabology
Two lots of snippets on the same day?
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Spiegel has a good article on Saab’s revival, which is very encouraging coming from a German publication.
“We went through hell,” Muller says of the period of negotiations with the former Saab owner General Motors. Gradually, however, business is back – at least in the first three quarters of 2010 almost 20,000 cars were sold by year end it will be about 30,000.
They also tested the Saab 9-5 recently, which they seemed to like quite a lot, aside from the 2.0T fuel consumption (remember, fuel economy is of the devil )
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Saab should bring back the Saab Way training course.
Very interesting reading from a guy who probably write the book for it (I’m quite sure he didn’t, actually, but he’s qualified to).
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Congratulations to Jason M for picking up a new (to him) Saab 9-3 recently. Just his second Saab….
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And finally, here’s another dealer-generated advertisement, this time for a combined Saab-Spyker dealership (oh, what fun it would be!)
Note: I’ve converted it from PDF and reduced the size, so the image quality isn’t as good as the original.
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by Swade
December 8, 2010 in Saabology
This story came through from Fred Shaw at Shaw Saab, in Norwell, MA.
Great stuff!
Fred recently sold not one, but two Saab 9-5s to long-time customers of his, Steve and Lori. It may well be the first “his-n-hers” delivery of new Saab 9-5s in the world.
Steve selected a 2011 9-5 Turbo4 in Fjord Blue metallic paint with Parchment Leather. Lori picked out a 9-5 Turbo4 in Oak metallic with Parchment. Steve & Lori have been long time, loyal Shaw Saab customers and remain true to the Saab brand.
I mentioned they’re loyal customers. Check this out for a vehicle history……
In addition to these vehicles for Steve, Lori and parents, you can count in many more in-laws, friends & associates.
Those are good clients to have and Shaw Saab are obviously serving them well.
My thanks to Fred for the image and the details. And congratulations to Steve and Lori.
by Swade
December 7, 2010 in Saabology
You know from comments in the last week or so that some Saab dealers are doing it tough. That goes worldwide, but particularly for some in the USA.
Darryl Carl is the dealer principal at New Salem Saab in Albany, New York, and many of you would have seen several lengthy contributions from Darryl in comments. In one comment, he mentioned the questions that he (still) gets asked more often than he’d like. As a result, he’s put the following flyer together to send out to clients and anyone else who he thinks might benefit from it.
I think it’s a great piece of initiative, covering off the basics of Saab’s sale, independence and the ongoing nature of the business. It’s a three-panel pamphlet addresses the five common questions he hears from clients and others.
Click to enlarge.
The front (would be folded in half)
The inside (when opened fully)
And the back (again, would be folded in half)
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They’ve also made a series of individual flyers, with one question showing on each….
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My thanks to Darryl for sending these on and allowing me to share them on site. As mentioned, I think it’s a great initiative. It’s good to have something that you can put in people’s hands to reinforce a conversation.
Just another small piece of the puzzle.
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