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And? Posted by EGD [Email] (#663) [Profile/Gallery] (more from EGD) on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:11:57 In Reply to: SAAB still might be saved!, BAAB [Profile/Gallery] , Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:56:00 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
The European car market has a large amount of manufacturing overcapacity so no one there needs Saab to survive except for Saab aficionados like us. A Chinese-Japanese hookup will do little or nothing to change that.
The ability of this severely damaged brand to gain new customers from current owners of other brands is slim to none with the existing lineup, even at the huge discounts the existing stock is selling at. And new models would take billions of SEK to develop. That is not going to happen.
The best scenario would be for BMW or some other Euro-brand to buy Saab and inject some much needed cash but they don't need Saab's models and they don't need the Trollhatten factory. All they might need is Saab's FWD technology but that's not exactly earthshaking in and of itself.
I've bought three new 9-3 models since 2001 but all at huge discounts from sticker. Great for me but no route to longevity for the brand. I'd even get a new 9-5 if I thought parts were available and mechanics could have factory support for the technology in the car. [I'd kill for a NG9-5 wagon!]
Sadly, I can't see myself buying one even at the amazing $25-$30K discount prices, and I can't see any viable business plan that lets Saab survive except as a parts supplier to existing owners.
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