The Second Coming of Saab

Saab PhoeniX Concept Car

People love a good comeback story, the kind where a person overcomes seemingly impossible obstacles, and Saab right now might be shaping up to be that kind of a story. Many people decided the brand was deader than dead three years ago when talk of bankruptcy and winding down the brand  was first brought up by General Motors management. After languishing for a while, the Swedish automotive brand finally seemed to succumb to the many factors that caused its demise. Many kind eulogies were written for the brand and then everyone seemed to move on.



But like a phoenix, (or maybe a zombie, depending on how things turn out) Saab refused to stay dead for very long. Now it promises to rise from the ashes of the company so many wept over, hopefully stronger and ready to thrive in the modern automotive world.

Saab PhoeniX Concept

At first, plans were to relaunch the brand with only EVs (electric vehicles). That plan was an ambitious one, one that seems to have been placed on hold. Rather than let consumers continue to think that the Saab brand is dead, the company will release a new generation of the iconic 9-3 sports sedan, but it will be gasoline-powered like in the past. Rumor has it that this new 9-3 will be based on the architecture of Saab's PhoeniX concept (but sadly the scissor doors probably won't make the cut--pun intended). In the next few years, expect to see electric Saab models rolling down a road near you.

How is it that Saab has been brought back from death? Despite what most people think, when a company goes bankrupt and closes that doesn't mean the products are dead forever. If that were the case, Jeep would have been history a long time ago. The Swedish company National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB (or NEVS) is partially responsible for this reboot. The company is owned by National Modern Energy Holdings, which is based in Hong Kong. A significant portion of the company is also owned by some private Japanese citizens, with the alliance surviving the current tension between the governments of China and Japan.

Saab PhoeniX Concept

China has been weighing in on electric car technology with a mandate for quite a few electric cars on the country's roads in the near future. This has helped fuel an interest in bringing more EVs to China. The US so far is the largest EV market in the world, so expect to see quite a few of these EV Saabs coming to America in the near future as well. I would imagine a fair amount of the new 9-3s will be landing on American shores as well, considering the US was a vital market for Saab back in the day. Still, with NEVS being based in China, and with the country's growing appetite for cars, Saab should be expecting to see a huge upswing in growth in China (just like Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo are all experiencing).

Of course, everything is up in the air right now. Relaunching a car brand is not an overnight process, especially with part supply chains, readying factories, negotiating with assembly workers, training, testing, etc. I'm sure the public's response to this news will play a factor in deciding if Saab is back next year, so let's all make sure to let NEVS know there's still a viable market for a combustion engine 9-3!

Saab PhoeniX Concept Wheel - I love how it looks kind of like a turbine!

Saab files for bankruptcy protection. What's next?

The soap opera that has become Swedish automaker Saab, continues to unravel. The automaker is expected in bankruptcy court today in Sweden where it will find if they are shielded from creditors while a buyer for the company is found.

General Motors, former owner of Saab until their own bankruptcy let them shed the automaker, has been blocking the potential sale of Saab to a Chinese automaker. GM's basis is because they do not want the sharing of GMs platform technology with another competitor that could potentially undercut them in the Chinese market that GM has seen huge success with. And unfortunately, Saab depends on GM's help in that are in order to be able to build cars or at least until Saab has the funds to develop their own technology again. And that really isn't going to happen any time soon.

All the while dealers in the US and around the world have been patiently awaiting cars to be able to sell to customers, and with each passing day, its looking less and less likely they'll see them. So is this the swansong for Saab? Unfortunately it looks like it may very well be. I have always been a fan of the brand and would hate to see them go away, but I think the time has come to envision a world without new Saabs.

General Motors the first global automaker to sell 1 Million cars in China in one year

The General has turned the emerging Chineese market into the glordy days of the U.S. market of old. GM has announced today that they have become the first global automaker to sell one million, yes 6 zeros. One million cars in China for 2007. The one millionth car was a Buick Park Avenue.

Source: GM

Press Release:

General Motors Achieves New Milestone in China

First Global Automaker to Sell 1 Million Vehicles in Single Year

Shanghai – General Motors became the first global automaker to sell 1 million vehicles in China in a single year today when GM China Group President and Managing Director Kevin Wale handed the keys to a Buick Park Avenue to Mr. Zhang Jianping at Shanghai GM's corporate showroom in Shanghai.

"Becoming the first global manufacturer to sell 1 million vehicles in China is a demonstration of the strength of our product, our people and our partnerships," said GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner. "China is a very important market, and we're extremely proud of the contribution we have been able to make to the growth and development of its automotive industry. It's been an extremely beneficial relationship for both sides."

GM sales in China first surpassed 100,000 units annually back in 2002. Since then, GM sales have enjoyed steady growth, topping 500,000 annual sales in 2005, thanks to its growing lineup of brands and vehicles. The milestone million mark featured GM's best-known and strongest brand in China, Buick.

"I'm extremely honored to be the one millionth customer in 2007 for General Motors," Mr. Zhang said. "This is my second Buick and I appreciate the performance, safety and durability of Buick. In addition, I was very satisfied with the fuel economy of my first car. After comparing other products in the premium segment for my next car, it made perfect sense to choose the Park Avenue."

"From day one, GM and our partners have been committed to continually rolling out new and upgraded models, with specific engineering done in China for China to satisfy the needs of Chinese vehicle buyers across the country," Wagoner added.

This year, GM and its joint venture partners have begun offering several new products, including the Cadillac SLS luxury business sedan, Buick Park Avenue premium sedan, Chevrolet Captiva SUV, all-new Chevrolet Epica intermediate sedan and Wuling Hong Tu minivan.

According to Wagoner, reaching the new sales mark in 2007 is especially significant as it is taking place in a year in which GM has celebrated several milestones in China. Both Shanghai GM, the automaker's flagship manufacturing joint venture, and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC), GM's engineering and design joint venture with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), marked their 10th anniversaries earlier this year. SAIC-GM-Wuling, GM's mini-vehicle joint venture, also celebrated its fifth anniversary.