If you’re interested in advertising at all, I’d encourage you check out Ace of Admen.
Ace of Admen is a new blog from semi-retired ad man, Curvin O’Rielly. Curvin’s name will be familiar to some Saab folks out there. He worked on some early Saab ads during Bob Sinclair’s tenure as chief of Saab USA. He also had some great ideas for contemporary Saab advertising, which he shared at the Saab Owners Convention back in 2010.
I first met Curvin in Boston, at the 2010 Swedish Car Day hosted by Charles River Saab. We met again in New York last year for the New York Auto Show. He’s a wonderful guy with a huge kit bag of advertising knowledge and a library of war stories that go back decades and involve some of the most prominent names in advertising. He’s been there and done that.
Check out Ace of Admen. There’s not much to read at the moment as it’s literally brand new, created within the last 24 hours. But I’m quite sure there’ll be plenty of protein there in due course.
——
My other tip for anyone interested in advertising would be to hit up Youtube and search for clips of The Gruen Transfer and/or Gruen Nation. It’s an Aussie show about advertising, and it’s fantastic.
This is one of the saddest things I’ve read about the demise of Saab Automobile in recent times.
Many of you would know that some of Saab’s classic vehicles from the US were sold recently. Thankfully, those cars ended up in good hands and should be preserved for years to come. You can read more on the collection and it’s preservation over at Hemmings.
That wasn’t the only sale on the schedule, however. The Man-in-charge also sought to sell off all the equipment and stock at Saab’s US headquarters in Royal Oak, Michigan. Ray Wert, from Jalopnik, went along to the auction to observe the goings-on and it sounds like a very sorry tale.
The lobby’s filled to capacity with folks ranging from semi-professional bankruptcy auction scavengers to curious community members who work nearby to me, the one lone journalist.
The “auction” wasn’t much of an auction. One expects an auction to be orderly — and in a bankruptcy, one expects there to be rules designed to help engender the highest possible bid. That wasn’t the case here.
Instead of an auction it was more like a fire sale…
Having worked in a Saab office just like the Royal Oak office, I can well imagine what it would have looked like. How those storage areas and parts would have been arranged. In Sweden, some of those marketing materials would have been available in bundles on the shelves just across from my desk.
The thought of some sweaty bargain-hunters rifling through what was once someone’s very personal space is more than just a little unpalatable. I had people who became good friends working in that office.
It just makes it all the more disappointing that a company with such a wonderful human element like Saab doesn’t exist any more (as we knew it), yet others in the same industry, but without the soul, continue to flourish.
Such is the way of the business world, I guess.
——
The upside of that fire sale is there’s now nothing left in Royal Oak and if someone’s successful in buying Saab, they can open their US offices in the north-east, where they should have been all along.
——
Speaking of which……..
News is popping up around the web that Brightwell are pulling out of the Saab race. Apparently GM didn’t want to play ball. SU covered it and the full story is at Dagens Industri.
I think Brightwell had the resources to do something good with Saab, but I also think they lacked the experience that might have been needed to convince the various movers and shakers to cooperate.
——
Friends in Italy tell me they’ve come across a brief news article somewhere (I can’t find it) stating that BMW were only interested in Saab’s Phoenix platform. This doesn’t make total sense to me, and as the article is yet to be found, I’ll treat it with a small degree of suspicion (though I think BMW are an unlikely buyer).
——
That leaves Mahindra and Youngman as the remaining suitors known to the public, who seem to be seeking to buy Saab as a whole. IMHO, Youngman would be a disaster and they won’t get cooperation from GM anyway. So…..Go Mahindra!
If neither of these companies are successful in bidding for Saab, I think we’ll be able to conclude that Brightwell’s Zamier Ahmed was correct when he said today that GM want to kill Saab off completely. And if that happens, it won’t be because of competition, or concerns about technology.
This episode was the first episode I had ever seen of Top Gear. Until six months ago I couldn’t even drive, and so I felt confident it could have little relevance to my life.
If they’d put the review in context, something like “we’re quite interested in finding out what a thirty-something British mother, slighted by the fact that she’s now up to her ears in nappies rather than cappuccinos and with no discernible interest in cars thinks about a motoring entertainment show” – then I could understand.
As it is, it’s just plain stupid.
——
And speaking of Top Gear, the Saab story from last weekend is available on it’s own, here.
I’m going to watch the full episode tonight.
——
I’d love to go into the political bunfight that occupied the last five days or so of our lives here in Australia, but it’s irrelevant for most of you and well known to the Aussies that visit here.
Suffice to say it made for some riveting television.
I haven’t seen it yet – I’ll employ some trickery and watch it within the next few days – but Top Gear’s Saab special has just been shown on the BBC.
J Fan has already written the following in comments here:
Well, I enjoyed that. It was never going to be a straightforward praise for Saab, but, by Top Gear standards, that was pretty good, especially the 99 Turbo and safety part.
The black 9000 was almost identical to the one my father bought in 1993 – was great to see it again! I’m glad they highlighted the changes that Saab made to the GM sourced parts over the last two decades.
Was quiet a sad piece. When the credits rolled, my father, brother and myself merely stared at the tv, reflecting upon that sad end.
I figured it might be appropriate to have a feedback section so people could have their say on the show. An appropriate tribute? Entertaining? Surprisingly caring? A crock? A wonderful boost to the value of Chris’ 99Turbo?
Earlier this week and at the last minute I was contacted by the Top Gear producers to ask me if it was possible to attend the studio filming along with my car and one other.
We managed to pull it off and got the two cars in time for rehearsals and the main filming session:
As some of you may have already heard, there will be a Saab feature story on Top Gear this weekend.
It’s not a Saab vehicle review, of course. Instead, Messrs Clarkson and May drive a number of historic and modern Saabs, and I assume they then proceed to analyse the company’s recent demise. It might not be nice in parts, but I have a feeling they will treat some of the brand’s products and history with the appropriate measure of respect (one can always hope!).
I haven’t seen the story, but I know a few of the vehicle owners whose cars you’ll see in it. Observant eyes would have already noticed Mike P’s Saab 9-5 in the season preview they ran in Episode 1.
The 9-5’s shown at the beginning, in a bit they describe as not being part of the series, but the car will be in there.
——
Those of you who get Top Gear live on your telly should make sure you tune in this coming weekend.
Those of you who don’t get Top Gear live will have to employ some tricky internet-type tactics to either watch it via the Beeb or do one of those tricky torrent thingies a day or so later (not that I’d ever condone that sort of thing, of course).
I know that I’m getting older. Our bathroom mirror tells me so every morning. I have to remind the mirror that it shouldn’t gloat, because it’s always 30 minutes behind the message I get from my back when I get out of bed.
Despite my premature ageing, I’ve always been pretty young on the roads. I consider myself a Driver and from my experience, most Drivers are young in their road attitude (even if they’re also mature about it).
I wonder if I’m starting to age in this area, too, though.
Except for the 1986 Saab 900 Turbo I bought around 10 years ago, I’ve only ever owned cars with manual transmissions. I guess you could say I’ve also had a couple of automatic Saab 9000s, but they’ve actually belonged to Mrs Swade, so I’m not counting them as my own, even if I’ve spent a lot of time behind the wheel.
I’ve always felt that changing the gears yourself was essential to a true Driving experience. It’s part of the semi-organic connection between man and machine, part of being an automotive grown-up. There’s nothing quite like the feel of a good gearbox, the way it snicks into place and unleashes another rev band for you to explore. It really can make or break some cars.
The best feeling gearbox from a car that I’ve owned myself was in the Mazda MX-5. It’s a shame it didn’t have another 20hp or so to go with it, though the light chassis weight still made the car a lot of fun to drive.
The best feeling gearbox I’ve ever driven was in a Koenigsegg, but let’s keep it real, shall we?
The best feeling gearbox I’ve driven in a car that I’d ever have a chance of buying was in a Porsche 964, owned by my friend Mats, in Sweden. It really does have that rifle-bolt-action feeling and the car responds like the pedigree champion that it is.
As you know, I’m currently car-less. I’m looking at purchasing two cars this year, an everyday runabout and something more…. special…. for the weekends. The surprising thing for me is that for the first time in my life, I’m considering buying a car with an automatic transmission.
I’ve just read over at Saabs United that “an automaker from Munich” might be sniffing around Saab with a view to buying the company. Munich, of course, means BMW.
Let me assert straight away that this is the first I’ve heard of this. I no longer have regular correspondence with the goings-on at Saab and I can’t speak to the veracity of this claim.
But if BMW were really interested?????
Let me put it this way – if BMW are truly interested in buying Saab Automobile then it would be, hands down, the absolute best outcome that the administrators could get. Even if BMW paid half of what the others were offering. As long as BMW’s business plan included making Saabs in Sweden, which isn’t out of the question for them when you consider manufacturing costs and labour laws in Germany, then that would be the best outcome for all concerned, by far.
Creditors/Suppliers – this group gets a reasonable shot at maximising returns and a very credible business partner for their future Swedish operations.
Employees – many employees at Saab, even if they haven’t already got a new job, will have some hesitation about returning under some of the proposed new owners. As I’ve written on these pages before, these people have been living on the edge for three years now and many of them are just tired of it. Many might indeed return if someone else bought the company, but BMW buying the company would be a tremendous incentive for those who would otherwise be teetering on the edge of such a decision.
Customers – I’ve already seen one person say “if I wanted a BMW then I’d buy a BMW.” What a silly way of looking at the situation. If BMW could do with Saab what they’ve done with Mini and Rolls Royce (and with BMW itself) then Saab owners would have absolutely no reason to worry at all. I don’t like BMW cars, but if there’s one thing BMW know how to do well, it’s brand management. Fortunately, there are many things BMW know how to do well. The price of a Saab would not fall. It may even rise. But I’m quite sure the quality of the car would rise as well.
The Swedish people – You’d get to live your lives without any negative Saab headlines because finally, Saab wouldn’t have an owner that the Swedish press could whine about.
——
Why might BMW want Saab?
It gives them a credible front-wheel drive brand (for vehicles bigger than Minis) that means they don’t have to dilute the Ultimate Driving Machine aura surrounding their own branded vehicles.
Saab still have access to a clientele that BMW would like to reach – educated, upper-middle income earners with enough automotive awareness to realise that rear-wheel-drive isn’t always the best solution for the situation.
Victor Muller’s quip about getting Saab for the price of a wind tunnel was true and whilst BMW might have to front up a little more in cash terms, they’d still be getting a full car company – from design to delivery – for an absolute steal.
Saab has technology that BMW would probably like to have access to. Phoenix, for starters, and the work being done by e-AAM would be nice to get without the premium licence fee they’d have to pay as a complete outsider, too.
As I said at the top, I don’t know how deep this goes, but IF it’s true, then the administrators should be beating down BMW’s door right now. At face value, and assuming some good intentions, it would appear to be the absolute best option for Saab and its stakeholders.
——
Let me be clear – I think that out of the currently mentioned suitors, there could be several viable owners for Saab.
But BMW would, by far, gain the most acceptance from the industry, the potential customer base and Saab’s existing stakeholders.
If my father were still alive, he would have been 79 years old today. He passed away in 1985 from a cancer that probably would have been relatively easy to treat in 2012. In fact, it probably should have been treated back then. He was first diagnosed with a tumour in March 1985, which was ‘successfully’ removed and declared to have been a benign tumour anyway. By September, that benign spot had another tumour and just two months and five surgeries later, he was gone.
Right: my favourite photo of Dad with my grandmother, circa 1936.
That’s about as much as I remember of his illness. I’ve asked my mother about it a few times but we all seem to be a bit foggy about what happened, where the cancer was, etc. It all happened so quickly and being just 15 at the time, I was shielded from the reality of the situation to a large extent.
We got a call late at night, one that was expected but still unwelcome. I got a ride into the hospital with my brother-in-law, if I remember correctly. Mum was already there and had been for hours. The doctors wouldn’t have told Dad their prognosis, but we knew that this visit was one with equal shares of urgency and finality. I think Dad knew what was happening, too.
Dad was in intensive care at St Vincent’s Hospital, hooked up to all the machines that 1985 medicine had to offer. He drifted in and out of consciousness, a feat that seems amazing in itself given the amount of painkillers that were being pumped into him. In one of those moments of clarity, he looked at me and gave me his usual greeting – “How you going, mate?” I’m not sure if it’s the recollections of a kid who just wants it to be that way or if I missed something afterwards, but I was there until his final breath and I’m pretty sure those were his last words.
It’s always been hard for me to reconcile my father’s passing. There are certain things about him that I can remember vividly but many more, I’m sure, that have faded with time.
Today in Hobart, the Italian community put on their annual Festa Italia and the one car club I’m still a paid member of, Club Motori Italia, were asked to provide some Italian rolling stock to beautify the street. Although I don’t have an Italian car anymore, I figured it might be fun to go along, if only just to drool a little and take in the atmosphere with my Nikon.
Whenever I go to a car exhibition in Tasmania, there’s always at least one vehicle there that genuinely surprises me, simply for the fact that someone here has got one. I’ve been a few Italian car shows here, but I’ve never seen this SZ Zagato here before.
It’s one of only 998 ever built, hence my surprise that one would end up all the way down here (still in LHD, too). This one was locked up, so I couldn’t get much in the way of details. I did, however, photograph one of these at a car show in Trollhattan last summer so you can see a few more shots here.
That website work I mentioned a few days ago? It’s now online.
Over the last few weeks I’ve had the good fortune of being able to work with the guys from Koenigsegg on their new website, which went live last night. They’ve launched the new site as a prelude to them unveiling some new 2013 product at the Geneva Motor Show next month. I’m currently working on the ‘shop’ section of the site, which will go live next Thursday (some excellent clothing and lifestyle products there, too).
My job was to take their content and change the occasional bit of “Swenglish” into some easier-to-read English. We did the odd complete re-write in places as well. I did a similar job for Auto Motor and Sport magazine in Sweden a few months ago, a Porsche magazine they were preparing for iPad.
The work was very satisfying, something I’d love to do more of, although all this reading and writing about Porsches and Koenigseggs has given me quite a drooling problem!
Check out the all-new Koenigsegg.com. They make the world’s craziest, most beautiful and most brutal hypercars and it’s been an absolute privilege for me to work with them.
