Hi Jae. Are the almost nobody making money selling cars some of the Japanese makers, who are now cutting deeply into Detroit's truck margins with their own SUVs and trucks ? I think Toyota, Nissan and Honda might still be making money selling cars, albeit small.

I agree that someday energy prices will rise in this country significantly enough to cause the market to shift to more fuel efficiency, but no one can really predict when this might occur.

In reading the article quoting Wagoner, I thought his comments were a bit tepid, as in Saab needs to sell more cars in the US, and needs more products. The US has always been by far the world's largest auto market. I would have expected a CEO to use the opportunity to plug the marketability of today's products a bit more aggressively, as in " today Saab has excellent products, but we have not gotten that message out effectively. We're going to change that, and also expand their product line with" ..... yada, yada, yada.

Of course I do not know the full context his remarks were made in.

It would be good for Saab if they could shake that oft used "quirky Swedish automaker label" - but with something other than "loss making Swedish automotive unit" as in paragraph no. 1 of that article. This almost implies that Saab's forte in the auto business is loss making, and not the production of upmarket autos offering performance, safety, and luxury.

Read all the recent comments on the 9^5 board about Saab drawbacks, but I think the biggest issue is a continued perception problem of being "quirky", and expensive to own due to less than stellar reliability.
GM has the marketing resources to alter that perception, if they really choose to do so.

posted by 198.81.26...

• Leave it to GM........., andy , Sat, 11 Jan 2003 12:53:09
  • Oh, come on..., b.flippo, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 10:27:05
  • I remember an article in Car&Driver..., Noel, Mon, 13 Jan 2003 17:09:53
  • Remember, Saab IS GM, (link to an article below), Atul, Mon, 13 Jan 2003 12:11:24
    • Re: Remember, Saab IS GM, (link to an article below), Steve L, Mon, 13 Jan 2003 17:30:22
  • RE: I'm with you. Concerns about SAAB styling or.., Dave D, Sat, 11 Jan 2003 15:58:17
    • The train has left the station., Terraplanem, Sun, 12 Jan 2003 15:10:22
    • I thought that the IS300 was a rip-off of the 9-3,.., StanleyB, Sat, 11 Jan 2003 20:13:07
    • I agree, good points! I hope GM doesn't run Saab into, KB88900T, Sat, 11 Jan 2003 19:18:19
    • well since I and many others, AdamB , Sat, 11 Jan 2003 16:39:43
      • You partially misunderstand me,..., Dave D, Sat, 11 Jan 2003 21:32:54
      • If Saab is doing what it needs to do to stay alive ..., J, Sat, 11 Jan 2003 16:54:44
        • Perhaps, Dave D, Sat, 11 Jan 2003 21:51:06
          • look at what happened to MG,, OHMSS, Mon, 13 Jan 2003 11:28:29
          • I second that! If SAAB continues this, I may want..., Taylor, Sun, 12 Jan 2003 02:21:32
  • GM says Saab autos should focus on US, Eli5, Sat, 11 Jan 2003 13:28:15
    • Re: GM says Saab autos should focus on US, dtech, Sat, 11 Jan 2003 21:39:08
      • meant to post: A Saaburban or Trail Viggen SUV? nm, dtech, Sat, 11 Jan 2003 21:42:07
    • Re: GM says Saab autos should focus on US, DTECH, Sat, 11 Jan 2003 14:09:04
      • Almost nobody is making money selling cars., J, Sat, 11 Jan 2003 16:09:17
        • Re: Almost nobody is making money selling cars., dtech, Sat, 11 Jan 2003 19:24:26 <-- Viewing This Message
          • Another big market..., CWilson, Sat, 11 Jan 2003 20:21:28
            • China is a huge up and coming market, Randy Thatcher , Sun, 12 Jan 2003 14:36:52
            • Hey, if they can sell Buicks well there..., Craig, Sat, 11 Jan 2003 20:58:27

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