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  1. #1
    Frank
    Administrator nordwulf's Avatar
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    Closed Saab dealerships

    I have seen a few closures this year but was surprised to see Saab of Santa Ana in California closed their doors. I bought 3 Saabs there and it always was a pleasure working with them. They closed the other Saab dealership in Mission Viejo last year so that leaves Orange County without a Saab dealer.

    Any more dealers who have closed recently?

  2. #2
    Scott Hutchings
    Too much to do, no time! SaabScott's Avatar
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    I heard that Turpin in Ottawa closed.
    Very surprised not to hear of more closings in Canada given the situation with Saab here.
    President, The Saab Club of Canada
    www.SaabClub.ca

  3. #3
    Frank
    Administrator nordwulf's Avatar
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    My nav system showed a dealer in Winnipeg, MB. I was going to drive by it but it seems it doesn't exist anymore. Saab's CA website shows they only have a service location in Winnipeg right now.

  4. #4
    Frank
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    New Salem Saab closes its doors after 50 years

    From their website:

    In 2011 Fred Carl’s New Salem Garage d/b/a New Salem Saab hit a huge milestone that very few other Saab Dealer’s in the Country can match. New Salem Saab celebrates its 50th year as a Saab dealer, which is a monumental accomplishment and we are very proud to have achieved this mark.

    However, I write you today with troubling news. On August 12, 2011, Fred Carl’s New Salem Garage, Inc. d/b/a New Salem Saab will be forced to close its doors forever. In the past four years the Saab Franchise has been experiencing the most challenging period of time since their inception and introduction in 1947, which troubles continue to this very day. This fact has dramatically altered the ability of our exclusive Saab dealership to sustain a profit since 2008 when the financial, housing and automotive industries collapsed.

    As a result and by no fault of my dealership, or its personnel, the unthinkable is about to occur; we must close. We are beside ourselves in disappointment and frustration. As all of you know, my team has feverishly tried to reduce expenses and the size of our operation and its business plan for the last several years. Although this allowed us some additional time, the continual disruptions of the Saab brand and its operational difficulties put us at a disadvantage that is uncorrectable with Saab’s current state of affairs. We are sorry and saddened to express this news to you.

    The Carl family truly appreciates your friendship and business over the years. We have successfully maintained your Saab for your family for a very long time. We still love the Saab brand and would like nothing more for them to recover from their difficulties and continue to grow; Saab is still a Swedish wonder. Although we have lost our personal battle, we will continue to cheer and support the brand in hopes Saab’s resurgence is long, strong and soon.

    Every great book has an ending. This is ours. Neither by intention nor plan was this the ending I had envisioned. There is not much I would have done differently if I had to do it all over again. The knowledge and experience I have gained over the last 20 years and especially the last 5 will serve me well in the future. For this experience and knowledge will again be applied to our personal future endeavors. We hope to see you all in the community in the very near future.

    Sincerely and truly yours,

    Darryl F. Carl
    President
    New Salem Saab *** 1961-2011 ***
    SaabHistory has a few pictures and a short audio interview with Mr. Carl.
    » New Salem Saab – Oldest Continually Family Owned & Operated Saab Exclusive Dealership In The North East » Saab History

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    First Saab delivered to NSS, picture credit New Salem Saab (1961) as posted on SaabHistory.

    Heritage information from their website:

    New Salem Garage – “where and when did it start?”

    Just post WWII in the hamlet of New Salem NY, nestled just under the Helderberg mountains Dewitt Carl opened a Texaco Mar-Fax station selling service, gasoline and used cars where he and his family cared for the local automotive needs as primitive as they were. Servicing such early and long gone but not forgotten nameplates like Hudson, Tucker, Willies and Ford Dewitt, his wife Hazel and their children; Pauline, Arlene, Fred and Glen worked the American dream with the entrepreneurial spirit to the fullest extent. Long hours, big sacrifices and life tests that helped make this company what it is today.

    How so you ask?

    Well to start, working 12 plus hours a day, seven days a week sometimes with just family alone. No vacations, no sick time just work, work, work. Building customers one at a time over a period of years, being honest empathetic and caring of needs along with raising a family of six.Sacrificing many life joys in being there to raise the family, available for education and playtime or just talk time. In a way the business consumed who we are and thus began the era of a Saab family whose dedication and commitment to the brand is three generations strong and certainly not about P&L anymore.

    Where did Saab come in?

    As the story goes there was a Saab dealer in Delmar from 1958 until our family purchased the franchise in 1961. I’m not sure why they sold out but I know it was an interesting transaction of more Carl family strife and sacrifice. If my grandmother were here she could explain it with the strong emotion that it really deserves. However, during the purchase the financial institutions of the day would not lend the money to my grandparents for a Saab franchise. Remember Saab was a foreign front wheel drive car with a three cylinder two stroke, which only arrived in the states in 1956. The banks along with everyone else didn’t know anything about this funny sounding little Swedish car hence there reluctance to assist in the purchase.

    Never the less our family pressed on and sold off many things to help raise the money needed including a chunk of the families savings which grandmother was “fit to be tied” over. They managed to scrap together what they needed and our franchise was awarded on March 23, 1961. We received at the time a small box of special tools and a smaller box of parts to start. The 61’ Saab arrived on the car carrier and Gramp paid the white overcoat wearing gentlemen truck driver cash for the first four cars we ever received.The rest is history as they say!

    We now can repair and service any Saab vehicle that was ever sold in the US. We are now one of the five oldest dealers stilled owned and operated by the same family in the US today. Something I intend on only making better and longer.

    Today we work in a different era with different concerns, expectations, needs and wants. The Saab brand is clearly identified from its roots as well. It was founded by sixteen aircraft engineers, of which only one had a license to drive. Money was tight and the war was over. They developed the SAAB 92. It came in one color, aircraft green. It was the beginning of automotive life, which has been continuous and exciting as well as full of commitment and sacrifice.
    Saab is my life. Customers are my commitment.
    Some pictures from the NSS website. Reproduced here as their website will probably be shut down in the future.

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  5. #5
    Jay
    Saab Addict Hirsch's Avatar
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    It's sad to see dealers that have been in business for a long time have to close their doors. Times are still tough in the car business and for a small, now-independent brand like Saab, it's got to be twice as tough.

    I guess I'm lucky to have a small, Saab only dealer in my town. Even if Saab the car company goes out of business, Just Saab will stay in business. They have the market cornered on parts in this area and the service department will stay busy. Just Saab did close their Fairfield, OH branch two years ago, it was more or less a satellite store for the Cincinnati branch as they all they did was new and (mostly) used car sales. That leaves Just Saab with two branches, Cincinnati and Dayton, OH.
    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Wulfers View Post
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  6. #6
    Frank
    Administrator nordwulf's Avatar
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    This dealership in Colorado also closed a few months ago. I can't find the fulll news article anymore but it basically was the same story as the others.

    Fort Collins Tynan's Saab closing - Coloradoan

    6/17/2011 - After 15 years in business, Tynan's Saab is closing as a result of poor sales. Tynan's Fort Collins offers Nissan, Kia in addition to its Saab sales, service and parts. The Nissan and Kia dealerships will remain open.

  7. #7
    Renato Piereck
    Spreading the Saab virus rpiereck's Avatar
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    The SAAB dealership in Anchorage, Alaska has stopped selling the brand, they still carry on as Lithia Chervolet and their service manager says they will still service SAABs and do warranty work. The nearest SAAB delership is now in Washington State, 2000+ miles away.

  8. #8
    Jay
    Saab Addict Hirsch's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rpiereck View Post
    The SAAB dealership in Anchorage, Alaska has stopped selling the brand, they still carry on as Lithia Chervolet and their service manager says they will still service SAABs and do warranty work. The nearest SAAB delership is now in Washington State, 2000+ miles away.
    Theres not one in Vancouver or anywhere in BC?
    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Wulfers View Post
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  9. #9
    Scott Hutchings
    Too much to do, no time! SaabScott's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hirsch View Post
    Theres not one in Vancouver or anywhere in BC?
    What? Are you suggesting there is another country in between Alaska and the rest of the US?

    Seriously though, if you are looking at the Saab US site, it will only list American dealers, not the ones in Canada.
    And yes, there is at least one dealer/service outlet in BC.
    President, The Saab Club of Canada
    www.SaabClub.ca

  10. #10
    Renato Piereck
    Spreading the Saab virus rpiereck's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hirsch View Post
    Theres not one in Vancouver or anywhere in BC?
    I am sure there is but I was searching for dealerships in the US. Buying a car in Canada and importing it to the US is not easy (or maybe even feasible).

    Quote Originally Posted by SaabScott View Post
    What? Are you suggesting there is another country in between Alaska and the rest of the US?

    Seriously though, if you are looking at the Saab US site, it will only list American dealers, not the ones in Canada.
    And yes, there is at least one dealer/service outlet in BC.
    I am sure there is a dealership in Russia somewhere too. Either Washington, BC or Russia is pretty damn far from here. That is what sucks about living at the edge of the wilderness (and I'm not kiding).

    All that will change soon as I move to Germany. I'm sure there will be a dealership nearby, and the factory itself won't be but 13 hours away...

 

 

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