Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 12:40:14 -0500 From: "J. Harris" <insectonopsamspring.com> Subject: Saab at the crossroads
FYI, The Feburary issue of Automobile magazine offers the following Saab info (loosely paraphrased from page 24): 9-3 Crossover (an "answer" to the Audi Quattro) arrives Spring 2004, 9-3 Convertible due Summer 2004, 9-3 Aero/wagon Summer 2005 (Aero gets a 250hp V6 turbo), 9-5 Epsilon-based Sedan arrives 2006, 9-5 Wagon due 2007 (with a clamshell bonnet?), 9-1 or a 9-2 "small" hatchback is due 2007/2008. The Crossover may use a Cadillac SRX derivative platform; if problematic then the Crossover gets a Lambda matrix? Peter Augustsson (formerly of Volvo, now CEO Saab [joined GM in 1998]) sees 200,000 unit sales in near-future; Saab needs 165,000 units to breakeven (2002 unit sales at 130,000). Saab lost $80 million in 2002 first quarter! By the fourth quarter it had lost $300 million; deeper in the $red$ than Opel (which is 8X Saabs size). Anyone think Ivestor (or whatever the Swede-investment group is named) might step in an rescue Saab? -- J.E. Harris '01 9-3 SE '97 900 SE '88 9000T R.I.P.
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