Greetings all. It’s good to be back.
This is our 9000. And if I can read maps correctly (not guaranteed, but I think I did Ok on this occasion) then it’s parked about as far south as you can travel on a public road in Australia. It’s just outside the ranger station at Cockle Creek.
It took 20kms of dirt to get there, which was heaps of fun 🙂
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The latest (and I believe last) of Saab’s four consecutive ads in the Wall Street Journal has been posted up on Saab’s Facebook page. I received a photo from the paper, too (thanks Steve!), so it’s definitely been published.
Click.
Not my favourite, but not bad. Absolutely fantastic image of the car.
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And speaking of ads, Jeremy Clarkson has reviewed the Saab 9-3 TTiD in this weekend’s print edition (also available online to Sunday Times subscribers) and SaabGB have placed a full-page ad at the rear of the “InGear” section.
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UPDATE: Nothing to see here.
From Arild: The transmission factory is owned by Weigl and has nothing to do with Saab anymore.
Do we have a Swede on board who can provide an accurate translation of this article from Swedish Radio?
It looks as if, possibly due to the recent changes to Saab’s engineering structure, that Saab has dismantled the remainder of their powertrain (gearbox) arm.
It’s a little unclear, though. Any help welcome.
Thanks Ted!
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Jonas Froberg – Saab book author – has a slightly depressing article in E24 asking if people will dare to buy a Saab.
It’s a fair question, as that’s what Saab are asking people to do, but I think Froberg takes an unnecessary, pessimistic tone.
On the plus side, he also gives what I think is a reasonable examination of the circumstances that Saab faced last year.
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The transmission factory is owned by Weigl and has nothing to do with Saab anymore. It was previously known as Saab powertrain and made transmissions for Saab. And so it is Weigl and not Saab that is closing the factory.
Thanks Arild. I’ll update the post accordingly.
Weigl took over this part of GM Powertrain Sweden already in April 2008, long before Saab was sold.
link missing:
http://www.weigl-group.com/cms/en/aktuelles/unternehmen/news-detail/article/weigl-takes-over-gms-transmissions-facility-in-sweden.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=17&cHash=63361fa10f
The staf is former SAAB staf. There is only 36 hired left, and half of them will be asked to help build a chineise factory of the tools. This will take 18 months and the work will be done in both Sweden and China. But this has nothing to do with SAAB anymore. GM decided to sell this and “asked” SAAB to buy gearboxes from Opel.
that went fast;;
Everybid = everybody
Said = sad
Changes = chances
That must have been quite the trip. 20km on a dirt road? You’re braver than I. I just checked it out, wow that’s far south. Do penguins ever make it that far north?
Except from Steven you mean ?
Jeff, penguins make it at least as far as Sydney Harbour. Not sure how much further north than that though.
Penguins make it quite a bit further north, indeed. Probably the biggest penguin tourist attraction (cue Clarkson voice) in the world is on Philip Island, in Victoria, where thousands of fairy penguins roll up each night to the oohs and aahs of the tourists. It’s quite groovy to see, actually, and Philip Island is my favourite of all regions in my former home state – great beaches, fairy penguins and an ace racetrack.
Very cool to know, I’m adding that to my list of things to do when I get down to Australia to visit family.
Sunday Times – Clarkson test the 9-3 TTiD Aero Sportwagon
If you dismiss the fact he hates the Vectra underpinnings and the diesel engine he likes the car… cannot post the link as you now have to pay to read the times-online
@ Swade Glad to have you back… Was this a camping/ fishing trip or just a road journey? Pics of the Saab are nice however send me some of the scenery!
Do not forget to cast your vote in the third round of the Polish COTY vote. The Saab 9-5 is up to its toughest challenge, against the mighty Alfa Romeo Giulietta!
http://moto.pl/MotoPL/1,88389,8969499,Wybierz_Samochod_Roku_2010_Moto_pl_.html
Done. Make sure you vote for the other cars as well. And vote for the one you will think will do worse in the next rounds against the 9-5 😉
Should the 9-5 really beat the SLS?
Answers on and used pizza box to….
If you like to help voting, find the questions here: http://www.svd.se/naringsliv/nyheter/vagar-du-kopa-en-saab_5903361.svd
Look for an optionlist right to the text, “Ja” = “Yes”, push “Rösta” to cast your vote.
You can help voting here, right side of the text:
http://www.svd.se/naringsliv/nyheter/vagar-du-kopa-en-saab_5903361.svd
“Ja” = “Yes”
“Rösta” = “Vote”
+1 I´ve noticed this too, gradually opinion has changed in Saabs favor, a couple of months ago I was satisfied with 50/50 negative positive, but now it´s way beyond. Also you can notice this in the grades that comments get. I´ve written thousands comments on di, e24, ams, tv etc etc, but now things are looking so good in this area that I´ve backed down a little.
If somebody has the mood and time, can he or she send us a transcription of the text of the Trollhättan blues?
With the subtitle We take the pulse of the Saab one year after Spyker’s takeover. I think it would be interesting to know.
I haven’t heard through it yet, but the intro is word-for-word from Jonas’ article in e24 (http://www.e24.se/business/verkstadsindustri/vagar-du-kopa-en-saab_2584509.e24).
New US commercial on Youtube
Damn you beat me to it 😛
So much for debuting on facebook!
And I’m going to reserve my judgement for it. I was expecting something different.
I like it very much too .
So important that Saab are starting to proudly show their heritage and taking the honour of the many innovations they have made, which are now used by most of the industry.
And off course show that they are “on the beat” creating new ones..
Wonderful. Now I think we will se a lunch of a new saabusa.com site very very soon.
I am not believing my eyes! This is so good, so good. This made may day after having worked on three 99 Turbo engines in the SUHRT garage.
Film contents: Featuring
J 21 Fighter aircraft
92 Prototype
96 2 stroker Sedan
96 Rally V4´s a few of them
9000 in windtunnel (with the smoke-stick developed by a guy at my work, Göran Lorinder)
99 Turbo Sedan Rally
99 Turbo CombiCoupe (Frankfurt car show 1976, crashed by a polish journo and later rebuilt)
SK 60 SAAB jet trainer
Saab Formula Junior
Sonett 1
Quite a cast! THANK YOU SAAB!
Prototype next gen. Convertible
Jürgen,
what do you think of the idea producing the legendary Saabs new in a limited edition? A manufacturing thing like Wiesmann in Germany: http://www.wiesmann.com/ . Building up a nice and pretty manufacturing plant in Trollhättan! I think Saabs history and the cars are to good to starve away. And if sales not rise, could that be a alternative strategy!?
By the way the daylight comes back in Germany, and Spring is just around the corner, I am getting happy! 🙂
A great idea, but I think the best way would be to find good used old cars and have them restored just like we do in SUHRT.
Not wanting to sound too much like Tweedledum and Tweedledee… but I will echo my Other Mother’s Brother and give 2 Thumbs UP!
Dynamic…Heritage…with a sense of more to come!
I’ve been scathing in my attacks on the Ads hitherto. But give credit where and when it’s due.
Hope Motorsport and Saab become synonomous once again (by whatever vehicle/Team Management so chooses). Let’s Go BMW Hunting :).
SAAB UP!
Mind if i join in the party?
That commercial is “sehr wunderbar!”
teeheehee 🙂
How dare anybody NOT buy a new SAAB ? Let ’em eat cake – Rock on SAAB !
Make a long version of the ad, Just more to love. Bet people would like to see a little more than 1 second clips. Use YouTube it is a free channel.
Keep up the good work. This ad is already international through the usage of internet, perfect.
That is another great suggestion from Jörgen!
A longer, high quality clip, from Saab on youtube would absolutely be a nice way to connect with us fans.
BTW: Why only 480p? Are they afraid of wasting youtube’s bandwidth?
Interview with newest Saab dealer, Saab of Bellevue, on bringing back Saab to the Seattle market. They hold the distinction of being the first Spyker dealer to add Saab later.
http://saabworld.net/content/spyker-dealer-adding-saab-brings-saab-presence-back-seattle-usa-140/
Bellevue is $$$$$$. Home of Bill Gates.
Ryan Vanderwel, huh? As Dutch a name as they come…
Ivo
Is it just me or is anyone else getting sick of British narrators on Saab commercials? Can we have someone with a Swedish accent speaking English? I think that would be more unique and catch everyone’s attention, not to mention authentic.
+1… with all due respect to our British friends… I’m buying a Saab, not a Rover.
Some videos i found from the austrian saab 95 test days at the airport runway wr neustadt + official 95 introduction in september. – with the show from the performance team.
http://www.lifestyle-tv.com/SAAB95/
http://www.lifestyle-tv.com/SAAB95/Performance/
great! The fleet-manager at magna-steyr seemed to be in love!
Cool stuff
and very long and a lot of details…!
The text on this one isn’t the best but I keep having to remind myself of the context- the wall street journal. Given that different is about the best thing Saab has going for it in it’s segment, pointing out how not German it is helps drive interest. Hopefully they can start selling the car on what it is rather than what it isn’t, but as a line in the sand, it needs to e said at some point. I just wished they’d have proofread their copy with us before they bought a quarter page. Oh well.
Be said not e said. I’m high on irony today.
Seems like it’s impossible to please Jörgen. You have the ability to always find a negative point of view. Is this because Saab has shown no interest in supporting the SUHRT and you expected them to do so?
Jörgen, at the moment I believe it is important for Saab to talk about the future. To tell people about the exciting new models and technology that are coming. When Saab talks about the future people will hopefully understand that Saab is actually moving forward, developing new cars and new technology. In other words, it is safe to buy a Saab today, because Saab is a company that is planning on staying here for the long run.
I like the emphasis on being Swedish though. So many people I meet say “Where is Saab made?”. I think maybe they need to point out that Swedish engineers are the best in the world. Everybody thinks “German engineered” when Mercedes is mentioned. I would love for people to think “Swedish engineered” when the name Saab comes up, and I want that to be a good thing.
I know it’s old… but when (most) people think Sweden…. they think Ikea, snow or meatballs.
We need to change that.
As Mr. Schuijt has been appointed by Spyker and not Saab, it has fallen bellow the Swedish Press radar.
But in beginning of January there has been a press-release from Spyker about his appointment.
Mr Fröberg:
He writes what he sees, but he doesn’t have to write the fourth book of Stig Larsson’s trilogie every time he writes something about Saab. And as many have already said you can get a Saab for 250.000 SEK, what is the point of asking the people if they want to spend 400.000SEK in a Saab?
For Rob Schuyt look here: http://www.trivano.com/aandeel/spyker-strengthens-management-team.474-10150.persbericht
Ivo
Haven’t browsed low enough and so didn’t see Red J’s posting. Sorry.
Ivo