A quick note from dealer-land

There are plenty of media outlets willing to write Saab off at the moment. I’ve contended several times on this website that the long-term future for Saab is very bright and it’s just a short-term cash crisis we have to concern ourselves with right now.

Any time you’ve got great people, a great plant, a great brand and most importantly, new product, then you’ve got something that people will be interested in.

AJ Murphy from Just Saab, Ohio (two outlets) left the following double-barrel story in comments last night and I think it speaks to the potential lying dormant in this brand. Of course, everything hinges on the production re-start, but once we get to re-launch this company again, there’s so much that we can achieve…..

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My first point:

Tonight we had a couple in looking at new Saabs. They own a new Cadillac SRX. They came to the store surprised that Saab still existed…Admittedly they fell prey to the media’s coverage of ‘GM’s shedding of brands’ ending when Saturn, Hummer, Pontiac and Saab were announced as the brands they’ll extract from their portfolio (another story).

They loved the ‘new’ Saab styling i.e. NG 9-5, 9-4x, and 9-3 sedan. They even gushed over the styling of the 9-4x. Particularly when I told them it shared architecture with their SRX. He admitted he liked Saab’s styling better…said the lines were more ‘natural’…as he pointed to his tail lights. 🙂

They left pleasantly surprised at what Saab had to offer. They were equally as baffled by why the message wasn’t being communicated (more effectively) that we’re not dead and that our product portfolio is so impressive (these folks were comparing us with the cream of the Euro crop: Merc, BMW, Audi, etc).

My second point:

We’re seeing increasing interest in the 9-4x. Sales are starting off far better than the new 9-5 did. The challenge is inventory…we have just 2 in Dayton and only one in Cincinnati. We’re having to buy from other dealers.

Despite all the forces pulling us down, people are still buying Saabs. And not just bargain-basement, giveaway-priced Saabs, either. 9-4s are selling at little discount off sticker which is a product of ‘right-pricing’, the Aero 9-5 is the best selling 9-5 in our store and the 9-5 is outselling the 9-3 combi, convertible and sedan…combined.

A good sign, right?

So, simply (<--tongue-in-cheek) get the news going in the right direction, re-start production, get us the inventory of 9-4's, and I assure you the North American dealers will get this train back on track. AJ Murphy Just Saab

On Saab 9-4x road tests

We’ve had a pretty good run with Saab 9-4x road tests. The 9-4x is an outstanding entry into the crossover segment for Saab and early 9-4x road tests confirmed what we thought about our new vehicle.

There have been a couple of reports in the last week, however, that are a cause for concern. The one that I’d like to respond to here is a short test from Car and Driver, which popped up on my feeds earlier today.

So how does a motoring journalist raise the hairs on the back of my neck and inspire a response article with as little as his first eleven words?

What Is It?

It’s a Cadillac SRX crossover in Swedish clothing

I’m not here to pick a fight with Car & Driver, but this opening is so formulaic and it doesn’t do justice to what’s supposed to be a review by one of America’s premier sources of automotive information.

More than that, though, it’s just plain inaccurate.

Continue reading On Saab 9-4x road tests

More elaborate notes from IntSaab 2011 :-)

Yesterday we had some brief notes from IntSaab 2011. Today I have access to my photos, so it’s time for some more elaborate postings…..

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If I had to pick one highlight from IntSaab this year, it was meeting this guy for the first time. If you don’t recognise him by sight, then you’re just like I was. If you recognise his name but know little about his extraordinary life/career, then you’re just like I was.

It’s a situation that I hope to rectify soon, for all of us.

This is Simo Lampinen, one of the original Flying Finns. He drove Saabs in rallies throughout the 1960s and 70s with multiple wins and podium finishes in rallies all over Europe. He has spent his retirement from competitive rallying as an administrator and clerk for the WRC circuit (amongst others) and if you’ve not been hit by a car whilst attending a competitive rally stage, you can probably thank Simo for your safety.

Simo did a presentation at IntSaab about Saab rallying and his career with both the Swedish and Finnish Saab rally teams. I missed that presentation as we were still on the road, on our way up to the event. Simo was kind enough to give me a personal encore on Sunday morning and I can’t be more grateful.

Simo has just passed his 68th birthday and still has the energy of a child. He loves a good story and I’m planning to get together with him again to record his story, from his perspective, for sharing here in Inside Saab in the future.

Two of Simo’s competition cars, which are now privately owned, were on display at IntSaab and still get a run regularly.

I can’t let this article pass by without thanking Marco H, who is the man primarily responsible for bringing Simo’s name and career to a higher place in my consciousness. Much appreciated, mate.

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I also learned yet another way that the Saab 900 was ahead of its time – it has an iPhone holder built in……

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The Saab Performance Team did their thing, albeit on a slightly smaller scale, on Saturday. Three shows were held during the afternoon at the Nokian Tyre Warehouse, in Nokia.

Kenneth fielding a question as to why they use cars with an automatic transmission…..

I’ve got a lot of video editing to do, but hopefully we should have something to show from the event in the next few days….

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Most attendees at IntSaab saw the 9-4x for the first time at the Nokian Tyre Warehouse. It was unveiled at the end of the Performance Team show and then parked, and opened for inspection.

We also had it at the IntSaab hotel venue and it attracted people every time the doors (or other parts) were opened…..

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I didn’t see this Saab 96 custom job at the main IntSaab venue, but it showed up at the Nokian Tyre Warehouse on Saturday afternoon.

The car has had its rooline chopped and many of the panels have been fabricated from fibreglass to get the custom look. A Ford V6 engine (the ‘Essex’ V6, if I understood correctly) has been fitted in the car.

It probably won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but for the amount of work and dedication that’s gone into this, and for the superb quality result obtained, you have to respect it. Amazing stuff.

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If you’re lost whilst looking for next year’s IntSaab, which will be at Spa, in Belgium, then just look for the guy in the matte black Saab 96 and do as the sign says…..

The Belgians have hosted some wonderful Saab gatherings in the last few years and IntSaab 2012 will be a cracker, I’m sure.

I’ll be providing more details as soon as the whole package is ready for publication.

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Saabs at the Hemmings Sports and Exotic Car Show

If you’re into classic cars and you don’t read Hemmings, you should. It’s that simple. It’s not just that it’s the bible when it comes to collectible automobiles, but some of the editors there have a real affection for Swedish metal, and Saabs in particular, so ‘our’ cars receive some very nice coverage every now and then.

Last weekend, Hemmings held their sixth annual Sports and Exotic Car Show at the Saratoga Auto Museum in New York. Mark McCourt from Hemmings emailed me today to share some of the Saab Spirit from the show…..

I was very pleased that we had a good Saab turnout… we normally have one or two, but this year, including mine, we had six. Those included “Shelby,” the flat-nose Turbo belonging to Linnea K. Arte L’s famous Surface Friction Tester and Gary Stottler’s charming GT 850, which we awarded our “Favorite Swedish Car” were also there. Also, Ric D (from the Commemorative Edition Register) brought his ’93 Turbo Convertible daily driver and vintage Saab parts supplier Don L brought his custom 96 V-4.

Ric’s ‘vert, my ‘S’ and Arte’s SFT were in the non-judged “1987-newer” section, while Linnea’s, Gary’s and Don’s cars were in the judged category. Notice that Gary and Shari S were being interviewed on camera, and Don’s 96 was one car down… it’s hard to see, but two white Toyota Supras were interspersed between two white Saab 96s!

Click to enlarge….

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Brief notes from IntSaab 2011

The slow rate of entries from IntSaab was due to the vast amount of activity.

Right now I’m sitting on a ship, heading away from Turku, Finland, towards Stockholm. The Saab 9-4x is tucked away safely in the belly of this ship and will enjoy another run from Stockholm to Trollhattan tomorrow (It’s averaging 11L per 100km for those who are interested).

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Like the Saab Festival in Trollhattan, IntSaab is one of those significant activities that people should really try to be part of at least once if they can. The variety of cars and people and the depth of stories to be told is just amazing.

I’ve lost count of the number of people I met who bought their first Saab back in the 1960s or 70s. And some of the history on show was just magnificent. New cars, too, though lesser in number. We need to get some of those newer buyers a bit more engaged (which is a responsibility that lies with Saab as much as anyone else).

I’m sure that everyone who attended the event would join me in thanking the Saab Club of Finland for putting on a fantastic event. It can’t be easy to find a venue that can handle hundreds of cars as well as accommodating and feeding hundreds of people. The hotel at Ellivouri did both with aplomb and it made the event all the more enjoyable to have a real, central base for everything.

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Interest in the future of Saab was high amongst people at the event. Everyone wanted to know who the mysterious Americans were and how things were going back in Trollhattan. What was the future for Saab? Are we going to survive?

It was hard being unable to provide fuller answers, but the message I conveyed at IntSaab was the same as the message here and everywhere else when it comes to Saab matters.

The current issue is short-term. We still have to get through it (and we will) but when we do, the long-term future is very bright. And don’t believe everything you read in the papers.

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We brought along a Saab 9-4x for the event and the reception it received was outstanding. People were all over the vehicle from the first time we opened the doors.

The Saab 9-4x has been made primarily with the US market in mind, but it was really encouraging to hear a lot of people asking about when it would be available in Europe.

We stopped in at the few Saab dealerships on the way to IntSaab and they were really happy to see the 9-4x as well.

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Those dealer visits were all part of Saab’s wider contribution to the weekend. There wasn’t a whole lot that we could do with a small team, but I hope we managed to add something to the weekend.

In addition to bringing the Saab 9-4x, we also had Kenneth and Kent from the Saab Performance Team there. They put on a smaller, two-man show that kept the crowd entertained on Saturday afternoon. I’ll be putting together some video from this show (you can see the teaser here if you haven’t already done so).

We also had two Saab 9-5s for people to inspect, and Sauli Naski, who is one half of the in-country Saab Finland team, was on hand to take any questions about the local market.

It was great to be able to bring something from the company to add to the event. The organisers of IntSaab 2011 did such a fantastic job and of course, they do it so that people can share their enjoyment of the brand and the cars that we’ve made over the years. Coming along and adding a little bit of a presence/enjoyment from Trollhattan was a lot of fun, and the least that we could do.

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I’ll have more photos and stories from IntSaab when I get back to Trollhattan. Right now, my camera (and memory card) and safely locked inside the 9-4x, in the car deck of the ferry. That’s why you’re reading a lot of text right now and not seeing a lot of photos.

Again, thanks to all at IntSaab – both organisers and attendees. Have a great start to the new week and I’ll catch you all when I’m back in Trollhattan tomorrow.

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IntSaab 2011 video – making some winter tyres at Nokian

Part of today’s program saw us stop in at a warehouse for Nokian Tyres. The Finnish company has around 5,000,000 or so tyres come through this warehouse every year. It can hold up to 900,000 tyres at any one time.

As well as storage for the summer and winter range of tyres, Nokian also has their studding machines at the warehouse.

Here’s how your Nokian winter tyres go from non-studded to studded, in around 60 seconds.

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Greetings from IntSaab 2011

Finland! What a place. The language is from another planet, but the countryside and the people are magnificent and I’m soooooo very happy that I’ve finally made it to an IntSaab event.

IntSaab is the gathering of international Saab fans, hosted in a different country in Europe every year and organised by the various Saab clubs in the region. You don’t need to be a club member to attend, but of course supporting your local Saab Club is a good thing and when you see what these clubs put together for IntSaab, you’ll be quite amazed.

This year’s event is Ellivouri, around 200km northwest of Helsinki. The Hotel Ellivouri is situated on a big lake, there’s plenty of parking (as you’ll see below) and the atmosphere and surroundings are just magical.

I’m here as part of a small Saab contingent, five people, lending a little corporate presence to the event. The feature of this presence is a show by Kenneth and Kent from the Saab Performance Team tomorrow afternoon. We have a few surprises in store for that, so I’ll keep it short on that subject, but it should be a whole lot of fun and IS readers will get to see it all.

I’ve met a number of old friends here already and I’m sure I’ll meet more tomorrow. I was especially excited to meet former Saab works driver and Finnish rally legend Simo Lampinen. I’m going to be chatting some more with Simo in the next couple of days (this is not a challenge – the man loves a story!) and plan on sharing a lot of that here at Inside Saab in the near future.

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We got here a little late today as we called into a few dealerships along the way. Therefore we missed the presentation by Hanny Berger about Saab’s manufacturing history in Finland (I’ve owned several Finnish Saabs, another reason why it’s so great to finally visit here). We also missed a presentation by Simo Lampinen on his rallying history with Saab.

Tomorrow’s program will feature a tour around the countryside surrounding Ellivuori, including a stop at the Nokian tyre warehouse, where the Saab Performance Team will do their thing. The drive will finish in the afternoon, followed by the awards dinner and (yes, really) a magic show!

Sunday sees the daily parts market continue as well as a big closing lunch.

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Catching up with people is one of the great things about IntSaab, but of course, it’s a car event and I thought I’d kick off the car coverage with a look at some of the more non-standard sights in the carpark.

Some people add driving lights to their bumpers. Others build them right in. It’s a curious look, but you can’t look away from this Saab 96…..

Click any of the images to enlarge

Saab 96 with custom stripes and a custom garden on the rear parcel shelf……

There is every likelihood that I’ve seen a rear window louvre on a Saab 96 before, but I had to photograph it again.

One of the great things about IntSaab is that all attendees get a goodie-bag, including one of these magnetic rally-style signs for their car, to commemorate their attendance. Many attendees also did a “pre-tour” in Finland on their way to the event, and their signs are marked accordingly…..

Old-school kiddie seat…..

First generation Saab with second generation wheels……

…..and third generation badging…..

Interesting roof apparel part 1….

Interesting roof apparel, part 2….

Aussie Aussie Aussie!!! I had the good fortune to meet the other Aussie at the event, John G from Brisbane. John’s in Scandinavia on a family holiday, fortuitously timed to coincide with IntSaab.

I hope these aren’t like notches on a cowboy’s belt……

This is not a standard colour….. in fact it’s anything but standard, it’s literally outstanding!

There is lots of camping and caravanning going on this weekend. More campers, below….

Inside one of the Saab 95s. Signatures on the door panel include that of Erik Carlsson….

Toppolas are popular again this year…..

….. and whilst I’ve seen plenty of Toppolas on 900s before, I can’t recall seeing a 99 with one on it. From Holland…..

And a curious detail on the 99….. click to enlarge….

I spoke with the owner, Tom, and whilst he has a couple of Saabs imported from the US, this isn’t one of them. A previous owner found the badge somewhere and stuck it on the car.

IntSaab 2012 is already being advertised at the 2011 event. Next year’s IntSaab will be held in Belgium and knowing how crazy the Belgians are about their Saabs, this is going to be one cracker of an event. Start making plans now…..

Our final series of images for today involve this modified Saab 96. You could change the name from Ninety Six to Nine-V-Six if you felt like it…..

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Stay tuned for more from IntSaab 2011 tomorrow……

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Yeah, Sam’s a believer, too…..

Yesterday, I published an editorial where I spoke about my belief in, and passion for this industry and in particular, for Saab.

The following morning, I got this in the mail. Sam had written to me a few days before, seeking some purchase advice. He lives in the US and the 900 he was looking at will be his first car. I’m sure those of you who, like me, now have a few miles under your belts, can remember a time when you would have written something like this…..

I HAVE BOUGHT THE SAAB!

I haven’t seen it yet due to the fact that I’m in Florida but my Dad is still in Massachusetts.

He went and saw it tonight. At precisely 9:25 on Wednesday, August 3rd my Dad struck a deal with the seller. 2500 dollars. The previous owner was a SAAB mechanic, so it’s in great condition.

I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of my very own SAAB. Where I come from, most kids get cars from their parents. My parents don’t spoil me so after years of saving up it feels great to be able to get my OWN car.

I can’t believe that my first car is one of the cars I dreamed of as a 10 year old. I am a complete car nut and I have an especially soft spot for SAAB’s. I’m still getting over it. It’s going to be a long wait because I don’t get back to MA until the 21st.

Best day of my life, BY FAR.

HAPPY SAABING!

I hope you enjoy your 900 as much as I intend on enjoying mine.

Sincerely Sam

P.S I just bought a SAAB, holy ****!

Welcome to the family, Sam. It’s a bit like Hotel California, if you know what I mean…..

Sincerely, congratulations on your purchase and thankyou for reminding us all of the excitement that we’ve all felt at different times.

The journey that I wrote about yesterday – the journey that I’ve had with Saab that I appreciate so much – started just like Sam’s journey. It’s taken me to some great places and brought me some incredible experiences.

I hope it does the same for you, mate.

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