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, Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:14:04
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I'm happy about this, but let's put down the aquavit, Svedka, lutfisk and kippersnack and think for a minute.
The reported $75 million in cash capital is not enough to develop a car that we would buy in the American market at today's exchange rates. The dollar is worth crap and will be worth less as time goes on due to the US deficit spending. That means the SAAB has to charge more per car than they charge now to make a profit after the currency issues are settled. BMW and other foreigner manufacturers make cars here in the US and don't have currency exposure. And they have higher volumes in unit sales.
SAAB, if successful, will probably become an expensive high end boutique sports sedan, available only in Europe, something like yesterday's Jaguar in modern times. A cheap Aston Martin, if you will. You can dream and drool, but don't touch. A sister car to today's Spyker spyder style sports cars, but nothing that you and I can buy. It will be the next notch in Spyker's gunstock, not the salvation of a 52 state national market in the US. Great cars? Maybe, but not a car at volumes sufficient to replace a GM supported SAAB in the US market. And not likely to be available to us anytime soon.
That said, I would buy another SAAB in a minute, hopefully a 2012 Spyker/Saab (SAABker? SpyAAB? SAABer?) Maybe a 320 HP V6 AWD sedan/hatchback 5 speed that retails for $45,000 to compete with Japan and Germany. With the fit and finish of an Audi. Or a Hyundai, the competition is that tough.
I wish them the best, but I can't imagine that Government Motors would sell a viable business that could eventually compete with them in the US. They probably waited until they could take the money from the weakest bidder.
Sorry if I'm a downer on this, wish I could see it differently.
posted by 69.126.68...
, Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:14:04
, Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:00:56
, Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:38:17, Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:13:00, Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:01:02, Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:14:59
, Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:23:45, Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:46:21, Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:18:02
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