Alexandros has passed on this Googletrans of an article from Germany.
Natives will want to read the original, which is here. The rest of us will have to cope with some vagaries in the article below. I think the important bits will come through OK.
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Saab produces only on order
Interview with importer-boss Hans-Jörg Hänggi
Editorial: The dealers are waiting urgently for new models – there is already a rough time line?
Hans-Jörg Hänggi: The 9-5 is available in late June. In summer, the vehicles will be at the dealers. The 9-5 combi comes in a year. The 9-4X is also planned for 2011. The new 9-3 is coming 2012. For the 9-1, there is still no timetable.
Now standing down the final prices for the 9-5?
We will be able to give the prices in the coming week. Mr Jonsson in Sweden was not legally entitled to make appropriate decisions before signing the contract with Spyker, because of the ongoing liquidation process. Since the middle of last week, he has officially returned to the helm in his hand and does nothing else since then, as sales programs, budgets, and prices for all Saab markets around the world to emerge.
This means you will soon be able to confirm orders for the 9-5?
Yes. The IT systems for the 9-5 are programmed in the next few weeks.
There will be no problems in terms of IT, when Saab and GM will soon be separated from each other your systems?
No, this work is currently running in the background. On day X, when we have the new system from Sweden, is easily converted. The dealer should not notice it at all until the new input screen where it is likely the one or the other switch button somewhere else than before. Until then, everything continues to run as far, which is under contract with GM also agreed that – even today we can not change everything overnight. Sowas already takes time.
What is the strategic direction in relation to the German dealer network?
Some dealers will certainly have to be well to consider whether they wish to continue to stay with Saab. For example, we will not continue to sell more stock car. Anyone who has specialized in this type of marketing, for which it is difficult in the future – Saab delivers only on order. But so many will have no problem because they have received have always been sold less the price than to the customer, and have collaborated on with it the ideal vehicle configuration.
How many of the German Saab dealer do you think the latter?
60 to 70 percent.
It is not clear to outsiders, wants what Spyker with Saab. How do you see it?
Quite clear: there is no genuine synergies. Technically Spyker benefited more Saab than vice versa. But this is not the crucial point. More important is that Saab once again can be used alone to decide. At GM, we were always constantly shifted as to the end, everything was pushed backward. The 9-5, for example, we could have brought in principle two years ago. In future, it is so that the investment that is there, is intended solely for Saab. And we can use it as it seems best for us. Therefore, we can now also prefer the new 9-3 – GM was only much later in the planning.
But Spyker does not help you when shopping.
We can still use the advantage of the discounted purchase of GM. If we want this. We do not have to. It is agreed on a long term contract with GM that. But we can just buy in the future via other partners who provide us with similar cost advantages. And we will also increasingly doing. Take Toyota and Citroen / Peugeot. Not possess each other, but jointly build a small car. That works great. I am sure that in future, not the one wins, who is the biggest, but the one who closes the most useful model development cooperation.
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Those important bits:
- Saab 9-5 available in June in Germany
- Prices available in the coming week
- All work on things like pricing, etc, before the sale, was controlled by the liquidator
- 60 to 70% of German Saab dealers are expected to remain
- 9-5 should have come two years ago (I’m kind of glad it didn’t, now)
- Build to order?
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