Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 01:38:45 GMT From: "Dexter J" <lamealameadingdongnospamlamelame.org> Subject: Re: Possibility of Saab closure
Saluations: On Thu, 13 Jan 2005 00:21:56 +0100, Axel Schaefer <postnospamerode.de> wrote: > Dexter J wrote: > >> I think the key comment in the article is this: >> "Saab has lost money in all but one of the past 10 years and GM has >> steadily reduced its autonomy over the past 18 months. Manufacturing, >> engineering and most design decisions are now controlled by GM Europe >> executives, based in Germany or Switzerland, reducing Saab's local >> management to controlling branding and marketing" >> Basically - it's lost money since GM bought it out. Which I always >> took to be for it's technology and/or some bizarre fit of corporate >> pique rather than actually producing better cars and selling more of >> them. >> On the upside, it might mean the supply of dealer diagnostic tools >> and manuals suddenly increases. >> -- > > Hi, > > here in Germany we have discussions about the closing of several Opel > plant, know it depends on the costs of work and the decision of GM where > to produce one the new Opel models. In TV there were some reports about > GM in Europe and they figured out, that the working costs at SAAB in > Trollh”ttan are 30% lower compared with Opel in Germany. So I thought it > is clear, Trollh”ttan will produces Opels, making profits and keeps SAAB > alive. > But the GM management has another point of view, they say, that there is > larger market in Germany for Opel, than in Sweden and that the Opel > buyers would be disapointed, if they close Opel plants in Germany. So > they will also think about closing down SAAB because they can?t make > profits producing just only SAAB models. > > greetings > > Axel Well, I understand where you are coming from, but I fear it is based on the false premise that current GM Management cares a tinkers' damn where it claims to build a given car. They haven't for generations now and I don't think that will change unless some sort of Great Lakes Tsunami takes out Detroit. Basically in any production brand they own outright - GM will *always* use a 5 cent part when a 10 cent part would do the job a lot better. They always have and they always will. It is why first generation GM products usually look and often run better than later models. Moreover, you can bet your bottom dollar that the *only* thing that actually separates 40% of all the GM rolling stock on the road today - is the price point for replacement parts in the dealer catalogue. In the case of SAAB, I always felt that GM joined up with SAAB in the first place to get a better handle on safety engineering and emissions as the United States started to mandate stronger rules in these areas. It was cheaper than buying a stake in Volvo - which wasn't as good at the time anyway. SAAB badly needed the minority wedding to fix the Borg-Warner automatic transmission problems that had been plaguing them for years and were going to badly impact their Scania bus business if they didn't at least appear to do something radical. GM, whatever else you have to say about them, really did make some of the toughest production automatic transmissions on the road - hunt around the Internet for TH400 transmissions. You'll be amazed what they turn up in. Why they bought them outright remains a bit of a mystery to me at least - but then what do I know about it I suppose? Anyway, at the end of the day, what I think GM is doing is eliminating all the mid-luxury models to pursue the platform engineering model promised by the Epsilon initiative. Basically - you and I are supposed to buy the same Malibu - but we get to choose between *a lot* of different packages and grill badges for our Malibu. One of which is unlikely to be a SAAB of any kind if the news reports are to believed. This is really too bad because my Opel/SAAB 900 is actually a pretty sturdy machine. In fact, I would dearly have loved to take a crack at designing an even wider and flatter 21st century 9000 on the new magnesium beam Epsilon - but I fear that my design ideas will remain locked up in illustrator files on here my computer as pipe dreams. It's OK though, I picked up a completely rust free 1993 9000 aero 5 speed last summer. With careful attention to my fellow drivers on the road and strict adherence to the maintenance schedule (plus a spare engine and whatever wrecker Aero spares I can pick up along the way) - I intend to have her follow me out to the Cemetery when I take that last GM ride in the Cadillac Station Wagon.. :/ .. Cheers brother Axel. -- Radio Free Dexterdyne Top Tune o'be-do-da-day Louis Prima Keely Smith - Hey Boy Hey Girl http://www.dexterdyne.org/888/146.RAM all tunes - no cookies no subscription no weather no ads no news no phone in - RealAudio 8+ Required - all the Time Dexter J's fab SAAB 900 for sale: http://www.dexterdyne.org/310.HTM
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