National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB acquires the main assets of Saab Automobile

[Katsura]

Though they've taken over the Trollhattan plant, I don't see how using the SAAB name benefits an electric car company marketing their products in China. Whatever old brand equity the nameplate has in that country would not translate to selling more electric cars.

The SAAB name would be far more valuable to somebody applying it to a new entry-level line of cars for their existing luxury mark. Daimler-Benz comes to mind; fighting off their closest competitors, VW-Audi/Porsche and Mini-BMW, with one or two entry-level SAAB models to their M-B brand. Of course Daimler would need to express an interest and have the vision to create an extended line up. Their efforts with Chrysler and "Dr. Z" reveal a unique level of incompetence for the task. Not very encouraging at all...

Still, the price for buying the SAAB brand name continues to fall. Anyone could pick it up cheap, getting cheaper all the time.

China? Since Saab went on sale there, they never sold more than 1000 car a year - most years it's been around 600 and the last 2 years the sale number was like 30/33 for the WHOLE YEAR in the WHOLE COUNTRY.

Saab is only appreciated by the very few enthusiasts, like most of the rest of the world, being a super materialistic culture, Chinese loves their Germans Germans Germans and few Italians. The rest buys Japanese cars en-mass.

NEVS don't stand a chance to push Saab branding, NOT a chance, mark my word for it - indeed I am surprised they even bothered to acquire the brand and logo.

The only way they may succeed there is if they somehow use their relationship with the communist Party and get the EVs in as government cars. What does that say about the product?

On Chinese Saab forums I have yet seen a single positive comment about NEVS. Most Chinese Saab fans are doing what are are doing - hoarding parts for their cars to prepare to run them for as long as possible and waving goodbye to a brand they once loved.

Funny how my comments about this has been censored at SU. Some mods there have *way* too much personal connection with the former staff @ Saab.

I like Saab because of their cars, not because of their staff - I extend my good will to them, but if they no longer make cars that *I* want, then there's really no reason for me to feel like a part of that SU Family.

I think I'm eyeing up that Volvo S60...

[nordwulf]

I don't see why they want to use the Saab name and brand in China either, other than showing customers it is an established brand with 60 years of history. I don't know much about the Chinese market but it seems Saab brand recognition would be non-existent.

The future for Saab fans is enjoying their current cars for may years to come but many will go to other brands. Volvo is an obvious choice and I have been looking at their cars more often as well. The S60 gets high praise from the automotive magazines in the US. And they offer European Delivery as well, something I would really like to do again some day. While I would love to buy a new 9-3 or 9-5 right now, perhaps it is better to switch brands and buy a car that has full warranty and actual dealers for support.

Following NEVS is not going to be high on my list.

Funny how my comments about this has been censored at SU. Some mods there have *way* too much personal connection with the former staff @ Saab.

I like Saab because of their cars, not because of their staff - I extend my good will to them, but if they no longer make cars that *I* want, then there's really no reason for me to feel like a part of that SU Family.

SU is a sponsored blog with direct links to Saab. It is not a forum where you can discuss everything. I can understand where they come from but objectivity about many subjects is geared towards their direct links with Saab and their advertisers. That's not necessarily bad for a fan site but something to keep in mind. The advantage is they did have a lot of insider information from Saab before NEVS.

[Katsura]

Frank, I understand...

In any case, SU is like all privately owned sites, they can ban anyone they want, censor any comments as they see fit.

It just means I am not that bothered voicing my opinions there and is looking for an alternative home

[nordwulf]

Many of us were interested in Saab because they made cars we wanted to buy. The fact Saab was Swedish, employed a bunch of great people and had a great design and engineering philosophy was a great bonus in making these great cars. The factory, most of the employees and the process of manufacturing cars is not that unique. And that's pretty much all that's left. Saab engineers and designers made great cars because of the company. The whole was greater than the sum of its parts. The least interesting parts are left. The Saab soul is gone from the factory in Trollhattan.

I liked Saab because they made cars I wanted to buy. NEVS is going to make cars (if they make it that far) I don't want to buy. It's that simple.

Cherish the past and our Saabs but look to the future. And it is a big automotive marketplace with great companies that will make very cool cars.

Any discussion about NEVS is welcomed here on SW, we are all entitled to our own opinion. I just stated mine and respect anyone with a positive opinion about the future of NEVS. That's what a discussion is all about.

[SaabWorld]

The stars lit up the Stockholm evening of 26 January 2010. The atmosphere at Café Opera was hilarious as a family concert with Tomas Ledin. Victor Muller stood in the broad-striped suit, and drew an inflammatory speech as saliva spattered. Spyker had signed an initial agreement to buy Saab. But that's only one thing: Muller refused to tell where the money came from.

Exactly the same thing is happening right now: The electric vehicle consortium Nevs captured one in a crowd, their mouths as soon as the word funding is discussed. If one puts it mildly: It does not feel good. It might be possible to cost billions of dollars to start high-risk project with an electric car manufacturing. And yet is not the final contract is signed.

An acute uncertainty is the Saab brand, which is vital for the new electric vehicle consortium Nevs business plan. But there has been hampered. According to a source familiar with claims defense company Saab AB and Scania right to approve a new owner of the Saab brand to use. However, the administrators and Nevs do not think it necessary that authorization.

A source says now that Scania and Saab AB is prepared to take the brand issue to court. It's not very good.

The whole affair may thus be in danger. We should remember that Nevs yet just signed a preliminary agreement - the final signing is supposed to happen later this summer.

Let me discreetly remind that it has been already written several similar initial agreement to buy Saab: Koenigsegg and Hawtai are some eager buyers at press conferences showing off big smiles - and then hardened into ice when they had their Saabköp sink down as soufflés .

Let's go back to money. And give some thought to the second major project that Nevs protagonists, Kai Johan Jiang and Karl Erling Faithful, financed in Sweden: Namely, a test facility for bioenergy in Sveg, where they bought in by 80 percent.

According to sources, there was delay in funding - which came from Chinese state. Among other things, it took 1.5 years to get 23 million. The same sources say that all of Sveg were aware that it is very focused on technology transfer to China. Now that a full bioanläggning be built in Sveg is the quiet of a pine - it is said that the demand safer political decision.

If you express it mildly electric car market is also dependent on political decisions.

Behind Nevs is now part of the Chinese state energy company State Grid. At the same time the Chinese government for its large electric car venture and is in desperate need for new electric car technology. (Just as they were in need of bioenergy technologies). It is argued that no government money is included in Nevs funding, but if Chinese banks are behind the funding, we must realize two things:

1 Then the Chinese government involved.
2 So should not the production of electric cars in Trollhattan with costly punitive duties to export to China be first on priority list.

We have to keep asking until we are blue in the face: Who is willing to invest in this high risk project? And why?

Read original article in Swedish

[nordwulf]

Most assume NEVS already acquired Saab but an agreement to buy Saab is the only thing there is right now. They don't own or acquired anything yet. How many agreements from companies to buy Saab were signed in the last two years and how many did go through or were successful?

SaabWorld - Swedish Automobile sells Saab Automobile AB and Saab GB to Pang Da and Youngman
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/29/bu...the-brink.html

Anyone want to make a bet if the NEVS deal will go through?

Their press release title is misleading: National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB acquires the main assets of Saab Automobile

[Nogear]

We knew it was a possibility but it's sad to see the actual news. While some may cheer about the company being sold to a new owner, there isn't much in it for the regualr Saab driver and enthusiast. The plan is to built electric vehicles based on the old Saab 9-3 with Japanese technology. And they are going to be marketed in China. They are buying the factory and technology but they are not buying the spirit of Saab. Not sure but I think it still remains to be seen they are allowed to use the Saab name. I hope they won't.

Nothing about the deal is good for current Saab owners, dealers, importers and others. The only good thing is Saab Parts is going to continue as an independent company, as Hirsch mentioned in the other Saab Parts news thread.

Saab is dead, long live Saab!

Saab has always been at the forefront of innovation, it always identified needs and adapted with the changing times. Today it appears that it not about the gas guzzling engines and oil stained mechanic hands (although there remains a nostalgic charm in that), it is about technological sophistication and the knowledge era. Kids today know more about computers and gadgets than I could even try to comprehend. I sit dumbfounded next to my youngest 11-year old son as he types away in "Java" and proceeds by "over-clocking" my dinosaur PC. There is potential for that kind of modern tech car in the future, where a completely integrated system can be tweaked and built much like the old, traditional engines but by a new generation of environmentally-conscious, and extremely well educated population.

If you speak to some of the leadership who remain at Saab or who have joined Saab you might realize that the Saab spirit is still very much alive! The spirit can't be bought after all, it lives on in those who make the cars and those who drive them. According to an article in Dagens Nyheter, the Saab name will still be used. There is a lot of excitement in that, Saab, such an honest and special brand, being the the leader of the modern times - representing everything that we might have hoped for in the past to happen in the future. Where our kids know just what the hell is going on in the world and making a positive difference.

It is true that I am a complete enthusiast, in all ways, and particularly when it comes to Saab!