Todd Agostini from the Autos section of examiner.com sat down for a chat with Steve Shannon at the New York Auto Show a few days ago. The exercise was in conjunction with Saab History so Ryan was behind the camera, capturing the conversation for posterity.
There’s a few lollipops in there, but over all it’s as forthcoming an insight into Saab’s current situation as we could expect from a GM guy in the US marketplace. The most interesting question for me was the one relating to what the two parties, GM and Saab, have got from the relationship over the last 20 years. I think the ledger is firmly stacked in GM’s favour there and Shannon’s lack of response as to what Saab got from the relationship (basically, it’s survival) is a case of damning GM with faint praise.
The conversation lasts 22 minutes and is well worth a look. Thanks to Todd for the heads-up via comments.
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It’s worked in France and Germany so it seems the Brits are going to have a crack at the scrapping bonus.
ALISTAIR DARLING, the chancellor, is set to end months of speculation by announcing a “scrappage” scheme to encourage people to trade in old cars for new in his April 22 budget….
….Details of the scheme are still being finalised in discussions between the Treasury and the business department, headed by Lord Mandelson. It is expected to involve a £2,000 allowance for people trading in for scrap a car more than nine years old against the purchase of a new or nearly new vehicle.
Two grand is a reasonable allowance, I reckon, especially if your nine old banger really is an old banger.
I’m sure the usual suspects will be the main beneficiaries of this scheme, but it might be a good time for Saabists to get a few more pennies off.
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I have some great photos to show tomorrow from the Saab Car Club of Australia’s national gathering in Canberra, including one of our mates here at SU, Hawkeye, taking a prize in the national Concours.
Great stuff!!
Until then, enjoy this classy shot from Total Abstainer, via Flickr
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