We’ve just heard that the Swedish court has approved our appeal, and thereby granted us reorganisation status. This decision will provide stability that’s much needed as we get things together in advance of our dealing with Chinese partners in the future.
Never, ever give up.
Press Release to follow.
When I posted a few days ago about my personal preference for the next new Saab to be called the 900 rather than the 9-3, I was expecting a little bit of controversy and criticism – and it certainly came to pass. I think we had a pretty good and robust discussion, though, and it was good to hear people’s thoughts on the idea.
I’d like to tackle a couple of themes running through the comments and perhaps narrow the discussion down a little bit.
Firstly, I’d like to tackle one misconception that was mentioned. This is a fair assumption on Steve’s part, however…..
With Swade’s status as an employee, I’m assuming he has seen more details of the design. Perhaps he sees something that we can’t yet appreciate.
Actually, I haven’t. The Saab Design studio is a mere 200 meters or so from where I sit, but I haven’t visited there yet. I know that if I see the vehicle it’ll be really, really hard for me to not talk about it. So I’ve made a conscious decision to keep away for the time being. I know a little bit more about the car than the average Saab nut right now, but I’ve not gone to see it for myself.
So with that out of the way, what about a few of the other themes that came through in comments?
Saab should change the range of names to …..
I don’t suggest, nor think, that there’s any value in changing the entire Saab nomenclature. That would require an extraordinary marketing investment and time that we just don’t have. And aside from that, as I mentioned in the original piece, I actually like the 9-3, 9-5, 9-4x way of labelling vehicles. It’s logical, sensible and it looks good on the cars. I’m not writing this with the idea in my head of changing the whole setup.
What I’m suggesting here is that Saab retain the 9-* nomenclature for the entire range, except for the vehicle that will replace the 9-3. I’m suggesting that we change that one and call it a Saab 900. So, when that vehicle comes out, we would have the 900, a 9-5 and a 9-4x.
…….tangent:
I’m just thinking out loud here, but perhaps Saab could retain the 9-3 name for this new vehicle, but use the 900 name for a performance package? Maybe in conjunction with the Aero tag? So you have a 9-3 Linear and 9-3 Vector (or base and Premium, if that’s the way it’s going to go), then move up to the 900 Aero for the top model? Just a quick thought on the side.
/tangent
I know it will be a point of contention for many to have two different naming conventions: 9-* and 900. But is it that much of a problem, really? Step outside the regimented initial thought process for just a moment and I think you’ll see it can work quite easily. The naming convention remains the same except for one model, which uses a classic Saab nameplate.
IMHO, It’s not that hard and still way more understandable and coherent than a bunch of unrelated alpha-based names.
Saab should look forwards, not back
A fair call, but I’m not convinced that it’s right in the context of what I’m suggesting.
I’m not suggesting that Saab should track down the tooling for the original 900 and start building it again. That’s re-tracing one’s steps in a manner that can only lead to oblivion.
What I’m suggesting here is that the 900 moniker still has a lot of value, and that value is better being unlocked and used for the company’s benefit, creating connections between former owners and the new vehicle. It’s better than that value only being saved for retrospective pieces and owners’ gatherings.
If what I’m suggesting is so wrong, then why do we have the Mini today, the Fiat 500, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, the Dodge Challenger, the Ford Mustang, the Chevrolet Camaro, and of course, the continued existence of the Porsche 911. It’s a mix of successful older badge names attached to new vehicles that carry on the heritage and help to build links with former owners, or new owners who idealised the original cars in their youth.
They key, once again, is to have the right car. If the replacement for the Saab 9-3 has those key Saab features that we all hope for, that combination of performance, utility, safety and comfort/luxury that the 900 did so well, then why not adorn it with Saab’s most purchased and most revered nameplate?
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Thanks again for your input and thoughts. I don’t know what’s actually going to happen with the naming of the 9-3 successor, but it’s nice to toss around this idea and perhaps the people who will actually make that decision are reading this and considering the issue.
Trollhättan, Sweden: Swedish Automobile N.V. (Swan) announces that Saab Automobile AB and Saab Automobile Powertrain AB (collectively Saab Automobile) have officially disputed the bankruptcy filings by two Swedish unions with the District Court in Vänersborg, Sweden.
Both companies argue they are not insolvent and have only temporary liquidity problems which they expect to solve following the planned equity contributions by Pang Da and Youngman, for which regulatory approval is expected in November. Saab Automobile continues to await the decision of the Court of Appeal in Gothenburg on the company’s appeal against the decision by the District Court to reject’s Saab Automobile’s application for voluntary reorganization.
Bookmark this page. You’re going to want to come back to it, trust me.
The following video series was posted on Youtube a few days ago. Whilst it’s called “Saab History 1946-2006” it seems to cover the earliest days, then skip forward directly to the development of the Saab 900.
I’m pretty sure that this is a production sponsored by Saab a few years ago. In fact, I’m sure I have a copy of it on VHS tape and purchased from the Saab Museum back in 2007. So if you feel like you’ve seen it before, you might have this tape gathering dust somewhere in your living room, too.
Regardless, it’s a good series to watch. There is a lot of footage that you most likely haven’t seen before, as well as photographs and illustrations that are quite rare.
There are 12 episodes, between 5 and 10 minutes in length, which is why you should bookmark the page. Episode 9 appears to be missing at the moment, but that shouldn’t detract from your enjoyment. Watch one, then come back and watch another. The development of the Saab 9000 is quite comprehensive, for example, and will warrant a few viewings simply so you can appreciate all that goes into vehicle development.
Enjoy.
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Part 1 – Saab’s beginnings as an automotive manufacturer.
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Part 2 – Saab 900 development and evolution
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Saab’s next all-new vehicle to be unveiled to the public is a little way away at the moment, but I’d like to talk about one aspect of it here today. This post might not win me too many friends, either at the factory or out there in enthusiast-land, but be that as it may….. I’d like to put forward some personal thoughts about nomenclature.
Saab’s next vehicle release will be the most important vehicle release in the company’s history. Why? Because it will replace the current Saab 9-3. This is Saab’s bread-and-butter. Traditionally, it’s the vehicle size that we sell the most, and it’s the vehicle segment that our customers spend the most time shopping around in. I don’t want to sound too dramatic about this (though I’m not sure I can be too dramatic about it, to be honest), but if this vehicle fails, we’re toast.
Given those dire, all-encompassing consequences, I think it’s worth a little extra time thinking about every aspect of this vehicle, including something that can set the tone just right, if it’s done correctly – the vehicle’s name.
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Saab has used a couple of different nomenclature schemes over its history. The common thread is that all but a few of them have involved the number 9. We started with an ascending two-digit code in the Saab 92, got all the way up to the Saab 99 and then went to three digits. Then four digits.
Finally, in a bid to do something new for a new generation of vehicles, we went to our current nomenclature, which is written 9-3 and 9-5 but badged rather cleverly with a to-the-power-of look. It’s modern, it places our vehicles in segments that are logically ordered, segments that can be compared with other manufacturers.
But is it right?
Personally speaking, I’d say both yes and no. I don’t have a problem with our current nomenclature at all, except that I wonder if it’s going to set our new vehicle, our most important vehicle, apart from the rest like it should.
Can we do better? Well, after watching a video a few days ago, an idea came into my head and personally speaking, I think we can.
Some have accused Saab of going too much into BMW territory by naming our vehicles with similar names to the ones that BMW use to segment their vehicle series (3, 5, etc). I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. As I said before, it’s logical, clean it looks great on the cars.
But I think there’s another German manufacturer that we can take a look at and perhaps learn something from. Check out this video from the Frankfurt Motor Show……
Continue reading Opinion: Why we shouldn’t call the next Saab the "9-3"
Press Release from SWAN:
COURT OF APPEAL GRANTS RIGHT OF APPEAL TO SAAB AUTOMOBILE IN VOLUNTARY REORGANIZATION CASE
Zeewolde, The Netherlands, 19 September 2011 – Swedish Automobile N.V. (Swan) announces that Saab Automobile AB and its subsidiaries Saab Automobile Powertrain AB and Saab Automobile Tools AB (collectively Saab Automobile) received a right to appeal from the Court of Appeal in Gothenburg, Sweden today in their efforts to obtain approval for its proposal for voluntary reorganization.
Saab Automobile is pleased with the Court’s decision and will now await further developments. The Court of Appeal is expected to rule shortly on Saab Automobile’s appeal against the decision by the District Court in Vänersborg to reject Saab Automobile’s proposal for voluntary reorganization.
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And written prior to the press release…..
The court in Gothenburg has agreed to consider Saab’s appeal against the decision made last week in Vanersborg.
That’s the first “yes” we needed to hear.
Now, the case will be considered by a panel of judges, who will either rule in favour of Saab’s application for Reorganisation (the second ‘Yes’), or will rule against, which Saab could theoretically then appeal to the Supreme Court in Sweden.
This is a pretty big reorganisation application, said to be one of the biggest in Sweden and almost definitely the biggest taken to the appeal stage. Whilst the court has an obligation under the law to deal with the decision quickly, it’s possibly going to take a little time as they consider the precedent they’re setting. They do aim to have a decision prior to any scheduled bankruptcy hearing, the first of which is due on Sept 26. So bankruptcy filings at this point are little more than legal positioning and reason for a headline.
We still have confidence in them reaching a favourable reorganisation decision. Why? Because our business is still a good one with a lot going for it and that should be evident from the material supplied to the court.
Last week I brought you a series of photos from Markus, whose family has some seriously cool Saabs. In fact, they were exactly the cars I’d have for a modern Saab collection of my own.
At the time, I remarked that a Sonett would make that collection absolutely perfect in my eyes. Markus saw the comments, and in poker terms, he’s seen my Sonett and raised me a 96 and a 9000!!!
Markus’ family run a dealership in Germany, so they’ve got some pretty good contacts when it comes to restoring and keeping automobiles. And haven’t they used those resources well? It’s a beautiful collection and as you’ll read below, we still haven’t seen all of it yet!
I’ll let Markus take it from here…..
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…..there are indeed stories to tell about the cars.
Let’s start with the oldest
Together they looked for the perfect match and the found a red Sonett from 71. The car was shipped to Germany and the condition of the car was really bad. The car was undergoing restoration for over 5 years but it was never completed because of missing parts. In 2005 we found some missing parts that we needed (brake cylinder and some other parts). So the car went from 70 percent done to 90 percent done. Two things we still could not to find. The front and rear bumper EU style. In late 2006 we contacted a guy in France who heard that some guys near Stockholm would start to do a series again with the old part presses from Saab.
So for now the car is ready to roll again, in nearly 100 percent condition. We have to install the original emblems in front and rear and then the lady is completely done. To the color. The original base color was red. But my dad decided that the Burnt Orange original paint would fit the car a lot better. So it is one of the original colors and I must say it suits the car very well.
The 900 Turbo S is from 1991, the car was first delivered through our dealership so we know the car from the very first day. It’s first owner got the Independence Edition 022/366 last week. 😉
The second owner was an older teacher who died one and a half years ago and one of his last wishes was that we will get the car back and restore it. The condition of this car wasn’t that nice. But as you can see on the pictures the car is back to it’s former glory after 9 months of restoration. So for this car we are the third owner. The car was delivered on 15 Inch Three Spoke wheels. But i like the 16 Inch Super Aeros much more and there were 4 left in Nyköping so I ordered them. 😉 The mileage of this car is 147,130 KM and we are the third owner.
The black 1993 Convertible that I sent you the pics from, a couple of weeks back, is interesting also. This car is first hand. We have had it since its first day. The car is in absolutely stunning condition. It was one of the last delivered cars here in Germany from a series called ‘top edition’ and it’s equipped with an airflow kit and the grey wheels. And it has the LPT Turbo. The was never driven in the winter. It’s a summer only car and the mileage is 61,560 KM. First hand as we say here in Germany.
The ’99 Viggen is also a car that my dad delivered himself to one of his customers. The car was kept by our customer until the end of 2009. He had cancer and died one day, quite suddenly. He often asked me before he died if I wanted the car back, should he ever decide to sell it. I replied with a clear yes and his wife knew this. So we started negotiating a price that she should get for the car but in the end she decided to keep the car. I was very unhappy but I understood why she would keep the car.
I decided to look for another Viggen but could not fine a suitable one. Then nearly 14 months later in early 2011 she called me again. She asked me if I was still interested in the car. I replied 
The Turbo X is also a car that we have owned from its very first day. It’s one of the 90 cars that were delivered here in Germany. The car is equipped with all you can get from the factory, except for the sunroof. Over the last 2 years I got everything for the car that you can get from Hirsch. The car now has only 23,450 KM on the clock because I don’t really drive that much.
To the Colors of the Cars.
The Sonett: Was Red, now Burnt Orange, Interior leather Black
The 96: Dorado Brown, Beige velours
The 900 Turbo S: Scarabee Green, Leather Black
The 900 Convertible: Black Metallic, Leather Black
The 9000 Griffin: Scarabee Green, Leather Beige
The 9-3 Viggen: Lightning Blue, Leather Black with blue accents
The 9-3 Turbo X: Jetblack, Premium Leather Black
So I hope that’s enough info about these particular cars. We still have some more that are not listed here. 😉
And for the Octoberfest I think I will take the Turbo X and show him where he was born. 😉
Click any of the images in this post to enlarge
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It’s been a bunch of months now where the focus seems to have been on the business of Saab rather than on the cars. It’s a pity, too, because the cars are better than ever.
It was really pleasing, therefore, to receive an email a few days ago from a guy in North America named Glen M. It’s always great to hear customers’ stories about their new vehicles, what they’re doing and how much they’re enjoying them.
I’ll let Glen tell the story:
My family recently purchased a 2011 Saab 9-5 2.0t with 6 speed transmission to replace our 1999 Saab 9-5 wagon. We had been waiting for the new 9-5 SportCombi, but we had plans to head across the country to Canada for the summer and needed to update our automotive machinery.
We picked up the Saab roof racks and a Thule cargo carrier and made our way across the country in triple digit heat with punishing humidity. The new 9-5 was an absolute joy to drive, tracking straight and solid. Flawless performance after 15,000 miles and would gladly take it on the road again. That thing practically drives itself.
I am looking at snapping up an Aero version, but would like to get the wagon.
This is my third SAAB now. I still miss my Edwardian Grey 1989 900 SPG. The new 9-5 has been an absolute revolution and advancement in the state of the art for SAAB. I’ve attached a few snaps of our cross-country adventure. I did not go to any great lengths to pose her, but I had noticed the light playing off the sheet metal when we had stopped at Jocelyn Park at sunset, and I couldn’t resist.
Also, for the record … my absolutely favourite view of this car is the rear three quarter. Sublime. Hunkered down. Biomorphic. Unlike anything out there on the market today in this class and far better in my humble opinion.
Before I give you the details on the October 1st events happening in Italy, let me recap the Flying Saabs event that was recently held at an airfield in Verona.
It looks like they put a lot of effort into preparing for this event and got a good attendance as a result – so congratulations to the Saab Club Italia for putting it together. Nearly 70 people attended the event, travelling from all over Italy to be there, plus an international attendee from Switzerland.
It was a two-day event and Saab News covered the Sunday proceedings, which for some attendees meant parachute jumping and gliding (it was called ‘Flying Saabs’ for a reason, after all) and for others, it meant throwing their classic Swedish metal around the test track set up at the airfield.
The full report (and HEAPS of photos) are at Saab News.
Congratulations, again. It’s not all to report from Italy, though. See below the photos for Italian plans for a Saab Octoberfest event.
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Saab Octoberfest – October 1st
I’ve received the following details from Saabway Club (the other Italian Saab Club) about a gathering planned for October 1st, in conjunction with the Octoberfest activities that will be happening here in Trollhattan, organised by Saabs United.
Anyone in Italy who would like to attend should get the full details here.
The Event will be held at Autodromo della Franciacorta (a region between Milano and Brescia). This is the same location we had for the Saab Support Convoy. Let’s hope it could bring us some luck as it succeded last time! 😉
The program is as follows:
11:00 – Meeting at the track where we’ll find a reserved place to put all our Saabs together in the central parking.
12:00 – Lunch at track’s Restaurant.
15:00 – Possibility to race on Go-Karts and set up a Mini Saabist Kart Grand Prix.
Autofficina Sonia, our Saab Service partner in Milano which is also Hirsch dealer, will make free checkups of the cars with Tech2, they will also make free test drives, inspections, DPF rigenerations, Saab software updates, personalize car software settings and maybe give the possibility to try Hirsch software.
There will be also a list of parts and accessories with special price for the day (details into our forum’s link).
Again, if you’re looking to attend, check out the forum page for this event.
One of our Saab Cars North America staffers, Stephanie Moore, attended the 2011 Saab Owners Convention in Parsippany, New Jersey. Steph shot a little film there, and we put together a few bits to commemorate the occasion.
Thanks to all who said hello and made Steph and the rest of the SCNA crew feel so welcome. We’ll see you next year at the SOC in Iowa.
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