Two lines of thought here...
Look at the number of people here who buy/lease new Saabs every 2-3 years, versus those who hang on to their C900s or 9000s. Scott may have a sense of this. The lease/buy types are what GM/Saab wants. People like me (and others here) who buy used and keep the car for a long time are not.

Further, As Saab enthusiasts we are only a subset of Saab owners. We have a passion for these cars and don't mind (even enjoy) getting our hands dirty with DIY jobs. Given that most people aren't inclined to do their own work, this alone makes us atypical. I suspect that if you went up to 25 Saab owners at random very few would (a) be aware of Saabnet or (b) be inclined to use it. To an awful lot if people, cars are still an appliance.

OTOH, Saabs appeal to someone who likes a car that is a bit more unique than the look-alike Asian cars, are not so bland as domestics, have a European feel, and offer more for the money than other European marques. That makes us of interest, but we are still a subset the target market GM/Saab wants to attract. GM wants Saab to be an upscale alternative to other brands, and will be driven by what they think is needed to do that--which in their minds probably means going beyond the "core values" we as Saab-heads consider important.

I think a "user group" approach could be very useful for GM/Saab in helping them keep some of the core owners/loyalists. If the right decision-makers at GM/Saab could be reached with a properly framed proposal it might be something they would support. But it is a long shot IMO, and would take a long time to get to yes.

My .02 (ok, maybe .05)

Noel

posted by 69.163.4...

• An idea, awg, Wed, 10 Nov 2004 12:18:54
  • Customer is the dealer......, Mike Lynch , Thu, 11 Nov 2004 15:39:20
    • Re: Customer is the dealer......, JimBlake , Fri, 12 Nov 2004 07:28:00
      • There's a council...., Mike Lynch , Fri, 12 Nov 2004 09:56:56
        • Re: There's a council...., JimBlake , Fri, 12 Nov 2004 10:28:29
  • Re: I think they want to ask Saab haters, t_mokes, Thu, 11 Nov 2004 13:21:01
    • There is also public perception..., Noel, Thu, 11 Nov 2004 16:13:21
      • Re: geez, they may be right..., t_mokes, Thu, 11 Nov 2004 16:26:08
        • Re: count me out, t_mokes, Mon, 15 Nov 2004 13:03:47
  • We represent an enthusiastic group but hardly ....., TKC, Thu, 11 Nov 2004 06:08:29
    • Re: We represent an enthusiastic group but hardly ....., JimBlake , Thu, 11 Nov 2004 07:44:23
      • Long term users build reputation, awg, Thu, 11 Nov 2004 09:02:13
        • that is true..., JimBlake , Thu, 11 Nov 2004 12:00:38
  • Is there such a thing for any other cars?, Scott Paterson , Wed, 10 Nov 2004 12:36:42
    • Car companies do have owner panels that they utilize..., Atul, Thu, 11 Nov 2004 07:48:52
    • We are the general buying public, awg, Wed, 10 Nov 2004 18:23:01
      • Well, we are and we are not.... (long), Noel, Thu, 11 Nov 2004 07:52:23 <-- Viewing This Message
        • Re: Well, we are and we are not.... (long), awg, Thu, 11 Nov 2004 09:11:42
          • Re: Well, we are and we are not.... (long), Noel, Thu, 11 Nov 2004 11:11:09
    • There probably already is, I think it's called, Tom L, Wed, 10 Nov 2004 16:56:13
      • Reading maybe, but that is not the same, awg, Wed, 10 Nov 2004 18:16:06
      • I HOPE they're already reading. n/m, Mike in Anchorage, Wed, 10 Nov 2004 17:24:02

No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.

• Prev by Date: Car companies do have owner panels that they utilize..., Atul, Thu, 11 Nov 2004 07:48:52
• Next by Date: Second Adam..., modest mouse, Thu, 11 Nov 2004 08:08:00
• Main General Bulletin Board

StateOfNine.com

SaabClub.com

Jak Stoll Performance

M Car Covers

Ad Available

The content on this site may not be republished without permission. Copyright © 1988-2024 - The Saab Network - saabnet.com.
For usage guidelines, see the Mission & Privacy Notice.
[Contact | Site Map | Saabnet.com on Facebook | Saabnet.com on Twitter | Shop Amazon via TSN | Site Donations]

Random Saabnet.com Member Gallery Photos (Click Image)