Hi all,
It’s been a quiet few days here on the site, basically because there’s no communications coming my way, nothing to say, and permission needed before I relate that nothingness to you anyway. All communications are now the domain of the receivers appointed by the court to determine the future of Saab and its three bankrupt entities.
I heard a few days ago that my employment with Saab Australia will technically finish at the end of this month, which is totally understandable.
As such, my stint here at Inside Saab and with this wonderful company called Saab, comes to an end. It’s a sad, distressing time for everybody concerned, of course.
On a vocational level, working with an OEM automotive manufacturer and for Saab in particular has always been a dream for me. In April, that dream came true when I started at here at Saab. A few days after I started, that dream began unravelling, but that’s a story I don’t feel like re-living right here, right now.
On a personal level, I’ve made so many good friends over the years writing about Saab and it’s sad to have to say goodbye to such brilliant, classy people. It’s been nearly seven years since I first switched on the lights at Trollhattan Saab, my first Saab blog. Since then, I’ve corresponded with thousands of people and met many of them face to face at Saab events all over the world. I’ve made so many good friends amongst the excellent people who were associated with this brand.
As has been intimated in news reports, there is an opportunity under Swedish law for Saab to be sold as a whole, by the appointed receivers. I sincerely hope the right people with the right resources and the right attitude jump through this small window of opportunity. The extremely talented and dedicated people at Saab deserve it.
I’ll sign off for now. Those who are interested will probably find me on the web elsewhere. Writing about Saab and cars in general is as normal to me as breathing.
Thanks so much to everyone who has supported the work I’ve done over the last few years. I’ve been in touch with many of you personally already, and will continue to do so. Thanks so much to Saab for having the courage to do something like this on an official level. We never got the chance to do it for real thank to events of the last months, but we did do something good here, something that would have worked.
Have a wonderful, safe Christmas.
Hi Steven,
”Sometimes you can re-awaken a dream another day”.
My very best thoughts & wishes for you & your family in the future.
Sure, you will ‘pop up’ on saabsunited.com from time to time.
My very best Regards
Terry H,
PS, It ain’t over till………..
PPS, Merry Xmas to you all down there & a brill New Year [from the UK]
Hoo-roo Swade – hope to hear from you again soon.
I think most things have been said already. While the company we knew is bankrupt, the Saab spirit lives on. And so does the online Saab community. I am sure we’ll be seeing more from you in the future. In the mean time, you know where you can find a friendly bunch of Saabers at our site. Good luck to you and thanks for the great time here at Inside Saab.
And thank you Steven. It’s been a crazy journey. I recall calling my congressman here in the states on behalf of Saab and your fly on the wall posts from the signing ceremony like it was yesterday.
I’m sad for you and the thousands of other proud Saab employees who gave so much for it to all come to this. I’m sad for myself because now the 9-5 SportCombi I was hoping to one day drive will now, likely, never be built.
But mostly, Steven, thanks for being there with us along the way.
See you on the other side.
Thanks Swade, it’s been a pleasure. Griffin up!
Thank you so much. Good bye from me and Trouble in Texas, too.
Swade, it’s been a pleasure to read your work through the most challenging times Saab ever faced. It’s sad to know that all of the work on this blog and the comments attached will someday blink off for the last time. But know that for Saab enthusiasts worldwide, yours was the voice that encouraged us to think positively in the face of adversity time and again…and when that fat lady approached the stage and wasn’t yanked away at the 11th hour, you ended it with class.
I hope to bump in to you at a Saab event and thank you personally. But for now…thank you electronically and best wishes for wherever this road takes you.
Same here.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Thanks for everything!
For all the good writing, all the interesting videoclips and for anythiong I might have forgotten.
Fingers crossed for you to be back here or elsewhere reporting about Saabs way back to being the healthy and successful company it deserves to be.
Thank you for your work, and I share in everyone’s best wishes for whichever company is fortunate enough to hire you.
Thank you Steven Wade! I wish you the best luck! I hope Saab has a further life and starts up again in a healty shape and make great cars with new technology. I hope that you and most of the Saab staff soon can go back to what you love to do.
Thanks for all of your efforts! It has become my morning routine to check on the latest Saab news, with the hope that the White Knight finally arrived to save Saab. Maybe something good will still happen! Best of luck, and thanks!
Thank you swade, it’s because of YOU and SU how I became such a fan of Saab.
Thanks Steven and best of luck. I’m sure it’s not the end for Saab. Have a Merry Christmas anyway.
So sorry to hear this. Thank you for the years of brilliant writing you have provided so far. I will be watching and reading anything you write. Few are as gifted as you, and few are as honest as you, not to mention brave. I hope to meet you in person some day, and I hope to be reading your articles on a new Inside Saab some day soon.
Thank you Steven for keeping the Saab fire alight, for your magnificent writing skill, your way of putting a positive and hopeful slant on the situation as it seemed to be sliding away.
I wish you the very best in your next endeavour and hope to see you around the net from time to time, and most of all, I hope to see you back, where you belong at the helm of a new official Saab blog some day soon! Merry Christmas and a Happy, Saab filled 2012!!
Swade,
My personal thanks to you for all the hard work you gave to SAAB and sharing your insight with us at both TS and SU. I’ll never forget falling upon your site when I was a senior in high school and my interest in Saab was just growing. Saab was always my favorite brand since I was a kid, even though others would make fun of me for liking such an “ugly” car. But after falling upon your site, I felt like I was at home hanging out with Saab nuts like me. You bred a wonderful culture of Saab enthusiasts and started wonderful conversations and posts, many of which I still remember, such as SOTW. You always answered my personal emails for which I appreciate as many other authors of blogs don’t even care. Your website and depth of information led me to persuade my father to buy me a new Saab. Thank you for making a personal sacrifice to feed our Saab obsession, I know all of us immensely appreciate it.
I wish you the best in whatever you tackle next.
Take care,
Mo (Mohammad)
Steven,
Thank you for all you have given to Saab enthusiasts over these past few years. You too will be missed. Have as merry a holiday season as possible and a Happy New Year.
BTW – I bought my 8th Saab last Sunday.
D A
It has it’s downsides to have your pay check before christmas nowadays
Thx for the good times, but we’ll meet again. Small world, and with internet even smaller.
Take care.
Well put as always, dear Swade. It doesn’t really matter how sad the subject is, I still enjoy your writing. And I can assure you I will continue to do so.
The community grows even more important if the company goes away, that is a given. But first, let us try yet another time to do something that might help the company live on. Rescue SAAB has sent out a newsletter, they are at it again, although it doesn’t really look like that at their website.
http://www.rescue-saab.com
Steve,
We can always hope that Saab will continue in some reasonable form, and perhaps you will be a part of that. For all of us out here in Saab Land, you were the go-to guy for news and information, the brotherhood of Saab, the wise psychologist, and the all around best public presence that Saab could have had in these trying times. Unless you’re bound contractually with a non-disclosure agreement, it sure would be interesting for many of us to hear what was going on behind the scenes. Have a good Xmas, Mate. Your friend, although we’ve never met in person, Hugh
In the last weeks with all the bad news I dreaded the moment that this “last post” of yours would appear on this site. Like numerous Saab fans around the world, I am still in denial. The only comfort at this moment is that I bought a brand new saab, just a year a go. This is my first new Saab, after two second hands and I count myself lucky to have one that will still last for many, many miles on the road. I do admire the way you have been writing about Saab and the events at Saab. You must have a lot of things to say that you can’t say, people to blame, etc. and I am deeply impressed that you have been able to keep up an optimistic fighting spirit instead! I would say, a beacon for the Saab community.
Thanks! And good luck!
Swade, I’m sorry to see this experiment end. Under normal circumstances this would have been an awesome connection between Saab and its active internet fan base. In a liquidation environment it is hard to see how it could be maintained. Perhaps the new owners will see the value and revive it.
Good luck and godspeed.
What you should do now is to take a long holiday and relax. When you come back online I am sure that the situation will be completely different. In fact, your time at Inside Saab may well turn out to be absolutely the worst period in the Company’s history. That was bad luck, but you might perhaps consider writing that book that everyone seems to want to read. I will. Your writing style is always so damned reasoned and balanced and very readable. But I don’t know how you could have kept your cool over the last six months. Best of luck! Jonathan
Hey Steve,
As it is said, “All good things must come to an end.” It’s hard to fathom that it’s happening to SAAB, the lovable and kind car company. I hope you move back to the helm of “SAABs United”. You are the best. Take care mate and all the best in your future endeavors …. writing about SAABs!
Swade! Thank you so so much for all the time and effort that you have put into bringing us (the Saab community) breaking news, event organisations, a glimpse of what it is like to be inside Saab and so so much more. Best wishes for you, your family and all the employees of Saab Automobile. I’ll keep an eye out for you on the Internet, and I look forward to reading more of your posts. Until then though, cheers
Hi Steve.
Sorry that it has come to this.
My sincerest hopes are that you will be back in a similar position soon.
In the meantime, I hope you are permitted to collect your notes and writings and write a good book about the recent years.
I look forward to reading your texts wherever they might pop up.
And I will, as ever, follow your advice and “Keep Calm and Carry On”
Tomorrow I will drive my lovely 9000CDE 2.3T to work in Malmö.
Take care, enjoy the Christmas holiday and keep saabing.
/Hans H
Hi Swade,
Thank you for pouring your heart out on SaabsUnited and Inside Saab over the years. Amazing to see one truly follow their passion.
A big thank you from Caroline and myself- we’ve gotten so much from your writings in SU and Inside Saab. Beyond getting just the start of an amazing glimpse behind the scenes at Saab- connecting with the Saab community and as I’ve said before, we now have a turbo x and took our dream trip in the 900 convertible as a result of…well, you sharing your passion with others. We wish you all the best for whatever may be next and look forward to continuing to follow you throughout.
Merry Christmas!
Ryan and Caroline
Swade,
When I started reading your blog, Trollhattan Saab, I was a young pup who had just gotten out of college, gotten his first real job, and could hardly wait until I was able to save up enough to get my first Saab – an Imola Red ’99 9-3 SE HOT. Now, several years later, i’ve had two kids and have moved on to an ’07 9-5 Aero Sportcombi (you know, for the kids…the extra 55 hp was not a factor at all….promise.) During all this time, i’ve read your blog every day – and the world of Saab hasn’t been at all boring since then. Thanks for your dedication, and keeping all of us Saab fans out there up to date, and quite literally, inside Saab.
Chris in Oklahoma
Swade, Thank you. For everything since TS through SU and IS. I am indebted to you for your insight and inside stories that made us feel like “insiders.”
-Joseph
Sad day.
We will miss you!!!
Once again – good luck Steve.
Thanks for all the great writing and making owning a Saab such an experience.
Hello Steven,
You are a class act and I look forward to reading more of your writings as the future unfolds. If that means waiting in anticipation while you decide upon a suitable course to steer for you and your family that is only but fair given the time and effort you have put into keeping us all informed about the company and the people you hold so dear.
I first came across your work in the latter years of Trollhåttan Saab and have followed it on through Saabs United to Inside Saab. It has also been a pleasure to converse on occassion via email. I sincerely wish you all the best and hope that you and yours have a merry Christmas and a happy, healthy, bright and brave New Year.
Kindest regards,
Ron.
Thanks a lot and Goodspeed Steve.
Swade, all your hard work and dedication to the SAAB brand will not be forgotten. You are an exceptional journalistic talent, and you will land on your feet within short order. If SAAB is indeed purchased whole, the new owners would be lucky to have you back.
I, too, add my thanks for all you have done here and groundwork laid for Saab to increase its interaction with fans and customers via social media. If a company or consortium steps forward to buy Saab as one piece and get things going again, they would be very foolish if they do not continue to reach out to their fanbase as has been done by you, Steven.
Hopefully by the time the repairs on my Sonett III are done in January, there will also be good news for Saab. Although it now seems less likely, I hope someday our paths cross in person. Happy driving, mate!
Thanks for everything Swade, I hope to see you back on the “airwaves” again soon, along with Saab!
Griffin up!
Thanks for everything for now – hoping to hear from you soon again, and maybe to meet up somewhere, sometime… Merry Christmas to you Down-Under!
Keep your head up Swade.
You can be very proud of what you have done, both personally and professionally. The situation was not of your doing and you need to remind yourself of that in the coming months. Your SU and IS work touched many thousands of drivers, becoming quite special. Keep blogging, please.
Steve,
We have not always agreed on directions and outcomes for Saab, despite a common passion for their products, but your commitment and passion has always shone through, as has your balance in the face of considerable personal criticism from certain other automotive websites.
Best wishes to you and all at Saab,
Mark.
Thanks for everything you gave us, mate.
I hope you won’t hold a grudge if I secretly expect to see you here again doing what you do best soon: after so many twists and turns I guess I’m still expecting one more.
And cheers!!
We all know what you did for Saab’s place online and in our hearts, but the real joy was having your words at our screens everyday!
See you soon!!
Swade, Thanks for every little news Item you have written about our beloved car company in the last seven years, but it’s not over! We will be at it again in 2012!
Cheers
Happy Holidays
Rob
Mtl Canada
Hi Swade, thank you for all your engagement within the Saab family and all the best for you and your family! Hoping to hear good news soon!
Thank you Swade for seven wonderful years. I’m looking forward to reading more about Saab and cars in the future!
Thank you Swade; it’s been a pleasure to read your work here and elsewhere. You are a very talented writer. Thank you for your work for Saab.
Best wishes and I hope to see you online soon.
Steve, over the last couple of years we have had the pleasure of knowing you and meeting you. On behalf of myself, but also from the Board and all the members of Saab Club Nederland, I’d like to thank you for all your efforts, your wit and the commitment you showed.
You inspired us all and that won’t be forgotten easily. I do recall many a moment where we had a laugh, discussed matters and coordinated. It is a pity that a site like this is coming to an end. It is a pity the brand itself is again in danger.
But Saab lives on, we all know that. And it is because of your efforts that people gathered, picked up the courage to stand together and show their support. We all now are in a way the custodians of the brand. But there is only one Swade.
Cheers matey, hope to meet up whenever.
Hard to believe its come to this. Nevertheless, a huge thankyou to you Swade. You did something original and it connected thousands of people across the world who are somehow obsessed with these iconic cars and all they convey. Thankyou for everything you poured into all your blogging work, its been a class act from the get-go. To use a cricket analogy, you’ve carried your bat across several innings and finished up not-out while many around you fell by the wayside. Well played.
Hi Swade,
So sorry that it had to come to this. You have been a true hero in every aspect , and it´s has always been a treasure to read this site.
Still holding on to a straw that this might happen again.
Until then. Hope to see you at SU.
/Daniel B
Thx. for the good work Steve . Merry Christmas and a happy new year ( Hopefully with Saab )
Thank you Swade, hope SaabUnited can let you write for them til Inside Saab is up again.
My favourite quote of the last couple of years from swade:
“Do as the lady says, people…” (keep calm and carry on)
Good luck mate. If you’re ever visiting the Lake District in England….
Swade it’s been your writing about Saab that got me completely hooked on a weblog for the very first time ever! Hope to read many more articles from you on SU – Thanks for everything, and a merry Christmas to you and your family. Cheers! -Christian
Merry Christmas to you, too, Swade. I really enjoyed reading you postings about SAAB. You did a great job to that little gem.
Swade, thanks for burning the torch for us. You’re the salt of the earth. You’ve led the way for all us SAAB faithful from the beginning. Let’s trust that SAAB continues and you can come back in some capacity. SAAB will need to get back on a rock solid financial footing, and your input on what kind of cars real SAAB fans want will be invaluable. All the best and take care!
Dear Swade,
I thank you for all your articles, your drive for the SAAB community. I hope sincerely that SAAB will be reborn based on Phoenix, and that Inside Saab can then continue. I wish you all the best and wish you and your family a merry xmas and a very happy and healthy 2012!
The first time I saw a Saab, I thought it was the craziest looking thing. The first Saab I ever saw belong to Jerry Seinfeld’s self-inspired character ‘Jerry’ on Seinfeld. For the past 20 years, since I was just a boy, I have dreamed of one day owning a Saab. First was the 9000, and since 1997, I’ve dreamed of a 9-5. The current 9-5 is so beautiful that it nearly literally takes my breath away. For fun, I often shop online for a new car, dreaming of the day when I have that solid career that pays well enough to get every option. I like to compare different makes in a class. I Read reviews, watch crash tests, and even watch 0-60mph runs on YouTube. Almost needless to say, I always end up wanting the 9-5 Aero. When my eyes catch a glimpse of a black 9-5 Aero, I must be wide-eyed like a child seeing for the first time, a huge, red, fire engine with sirens screaming and lights flashing! Energetic, amazed, curious. Now I realize, I’ll never be able to make this dream come true. To you, a car might just be a car, but to me a Saab is a passion and an expression. Goodbye Saab. I wish all of the employees of Saab well and I hope you all find quick employment, these are hard times and I hate to think that anymore people may suffer.
All the best for Christmas & the New Year @swade:disqus . You did a great, pioneering job on here for Saab, and I’m sure other manufacturers will have taken notice of the concept.
I hope you soon find gainful employment. (I know what it’s like to loose my job just before Christmas
)
Keep Calm and Carry On => Chin Up and Get The Beers In!
Many Thanks
Rob
Swade, thanks for the years of great bonding thru the Saab brand, it was a great ride, you never know we might all still be able to get back on the bus !!
Hope things go well for you and your family.
Ian/Jordy
We will see you soon here! Trust me, Saab will be back in business soon
Merry x-mas until then and a happy new year!
Thank you for all interesting things you chared whith us on SU over the years. We all will miss you and yur brilliant writing about Saab. I look forward to read your articles on your new website in a near future.
Thank you Steven
I’m gonna miss you
In deep respect
P-O
Thank you for all interesting things you chared whith us on SU and Inside Saab over the years. We all will miss you and your brilliant writing about Saab. I look forward to read your articles on your new website in a near future.
Thank you Steven
I’m gonna miss you
In deep respect
P-O Westerholm
My first – and last contribution:
Many thanks Steve for your considered and thoughtful contributions to the debate over the last few months.
You took a leap in the dark, and I’m sure it’s been a great experience.
I hope your life doesn’t take too much of a downer, I Know you made some sacrifices to do what you did.
A happy and prosperous New Year to you and yours
Neil
Thanks, for now, Swade
Cheers Swade. To use your venacular, ‘You’re a bonza bloke’.
Looking forward to reading your valued comments about Saab again very soon. Don’t suppose you have thought about giving Alfa Romeo a hand have you? God knows they need all the help they can get at the moment!
Good Luck.
Griffin Up! Cuore Sportivo
http://open.spotify.com/track/6gti6PBnOLBl4O6oeJyOQj
Hello Swade!
THANK YOU so much for your many, many good writings, for your courage and braveness and for your true and spirited engagement in Saab and all around this unique brand !!!!!!!!!
Hope to hear from you again, at SU and in other ways.
I also hope that some solution to restart Saab as a Swedish brand and car-manufacturer will be found. This is not only about cars. It is about a very special attitude, innovative approach and about integrity, philosophy and spirit. Values that are indeed hard to find in other parts of the car-industry. (which seem to be mainly focused on sales-numbers and temporary trends).
There are several tabs I keep up on my browser, including SU, Lw/S and of course, IS. So it is time to say good-bye, not to Swade, but to IS. It is certainly a frustration to all that it never had the chance to blossom to anywhere near its potential. At least we know, even in the absence of Saab or IS, that Swade will be writing something, somewhere
I would publicly like to thank Swade. Not only has he been a tremendous force and pioneer in bringing the Saab community together through his writing, but he has been very gracious in shining his considerable spot-light on Charles River Saab and our endeavors from time to time over the past few years. I’ve had the distinct pleasure of getting to hang out with him, drive with him, break bread with him, and even go shopping with Swade. It has been a priviledge.
As a barely-able blogger, I am inspired and awed by Swade’s work as a writer. The quality and voice of his writing are exceptional and genuine, and remains so even as he has, at times, pumped out seemingly dozens of posts per day.
Until we meet again, mate! Cheers!
Not sure when, Pierre, but I’m sure I’ll be darkening your doorstep again at some stage. Let’s make it during the NBA season, eh?
You’re a good writer. What are your immediate plans? Are you thinking of writing a memoir of how things went down with Saab? Thinking of doing the pundit circuit explaining the decline and fall of a pretty good company with terrible circumstances? Keep writing.
Honestly, I am wordless on despite its
great attitude, outstanding people and great products Saab could not make it –
was probably meant to die much earlier. I THANK YOU as you gave Saab’s
supporters a face and built up a group that stands against mammonism and brutal
business. And I thank you all at SU and at Inside Saab that brought a community
to life that other companies that are businesswise much more successful, will
never achieve. This spirit made and still makes Saab special. Its this spirit
of being decent, sportive, save and responsible, which is far from the show-off
from many others, that makes me proud to drive a Saab.
It makes me sad that only so few people are
interested to buy a decent, sportive, save and responsible vehicle, it makes me
sad not only for Saab, but also our societies and our world.
I still believe that in not much time from
now Saab will rise up again from its ashes as never in mankind history Saab’s attitude
to business were more important than now.
Take care Swade, take care all of you.
Bless you all and Merry Xmas
Honestly, I am wordless on despite its
great attitude, outstanding people and great products Saab could not make it –
was probably meant to die much earlier. I THANK YOU as you gave Saab’s
supporters a face and built up a group that stands against mammonism and brutal
business. And I thank you all at SU and at Inside Saab that brought a community
to life that other companies that are businesswise much more successful, will
never achieve. This spirit made and still makes Saab special. Its this spirit
of being decent, sportive, save and responsible, which is far from the show-off
from many others, that makes me proud to drive a Saab.
It makes me sad that only so few people are
interested to buy a decent, sportive, save and responsible vehicle, it makes me
sad not only for Saab, but also our societies and our world.
I still believe that in not much time from
now Saab will rise up again from its ashes as never in mankind history Saab’s attitude
to business were more important than now.
Take care Swade, take care all of you.
Bless you all and Merry Xmas
Merry Christmas Swade, it was an honor to meet you at last year’s “Swedish Car Day” in Boston, and I certainly hope to have the pleasure of chatting with you “live” once again. I still have a glimmer of hope that a forward-thinking group will bring Saab out of bankruptcy and re-build this amazing company. When that happens, they’d better bring back Steven Wade, the successor to “Mr. Saab”! Happy Saabing my friend!
Mark
Swade,
You’re an extremely passionate and forceful advocate and an elegant, gifted writer. Any company, large or small, would be lucky to have you on their team so I don’t think you’ll be a free agent for long. It’s easy to spark engagement for a thriving, vibrant company but it’s incredibly difficult to galvanize support for a small struggling company and make it spread like wildfire.
That’s exactly what you helped do, in almost a textbook example of how to run a successful grassroots media campaign. I say that with utmost respect and admiration as someone who has worked both sides of the journalist/PR divide.
Hi Mike,
Before I started Trollhattan Saab, I used to hang out on Saab Central, as you might remember. I kind of figured you were in the business, and I always took your measured tone and well-reasoned comments as an example of good interaction. You were an early inspiration for me – just like with kids, you never know just how much your behaviour influences others – so your comments mean a great deal. Thanks very much.
*sigh* Another moving-on. I hope your next blog is much more permanent
I write with such candor because I know you’ll start something else at some point. It’ll probably be announced at SU and we’ll all come over to pay a visit.
Seriously though, I can only imagine how this year has been for you–a regular roller coaster. Hopefully things will pick up after the new year and you’ll be waist deep into your next project/line of work. For now, relax and continue to enjoy yourself with family and friends.
Take care and good luck; hope to see you on the web again soon.
Jason – Los Angeles, California.
Wow, I feel very sad about this words and they made me chicken skin. I never thought myself it would go that way and I’m kind of perplexed. It must be much harder for you. I want to thank you for your commitment and engagement, thank you for so many interesting articles, point of views and balanced information.
What ever happens SAAB will be a part of my life, I drove those cars too long and will as long as possible. I wish you all the best for your future and hope to hear of you somehow as a blogger / twitterer or on facebook. If you’re in Zurich once don’t hesitate to contact me, I’d enjoy meeting you personally.
Thanks for everything Swade. Your blogs have been a part of my daily routine. Hope there is a means for that to continue in the future. Merry Christmas!
Glad it was you, Swade, to relay the past few months. Sorry on the becoming of your dream job but all is not lost. The experiences gained shall stay with you for years to come. The impression you have left on the enthusiast community will never be forgotten, and I am sure we all will follow your work regardless. Dire times, but there is always still hope. Griffin up
You’re one of the bright stars in the Saab universe. Thanks for all you’ve done for the brand and us Saab enthusiasts. Best wishes for where you will land next. Hope it’s somewhere you’ll be able to continue to bring your great perspective to the Saab effort.
I’m sorry to hear this. I’ve just fallen in love with Saab over the last few weeks, and now they are bankrupt and I’m scared to buy one for lack of parts and service. Saabs are beautiful vehicles and I am really said to see the company go down… I guess I have to stick with safe and bland Accords and Camrys, but man I wanted a Saab. I actually cried when I heard the news!
Big hugs for you Steven , be well in all your endvors , your voice has been heard around the world and a lot of people have enjoyed listining . and will contunue to enjoy Thanks , Dave , Columbus Ohio
Many thanks for your fine work and to all at SAAB. I have truly loved the SAABs i have owned and the current 2005 9-3 arc convertible I bought new. They are a level above in design and implementation. Great performance, efficiency, go in all weather, and are distinct. SAABS have soul.
I will prob go out and buy a new 2011 SAAB convertible and warranty be dammed… hope some investors are reading this. There is no equivalent car. As a BMW owner and fan I also love my SAAB.
Merry Christmas to all.
Dear Swade,
Your contributions to the global SAAB communities can’t be measured. I am sad for your departure from SAAB, it was after all your dream job.
Will you do some collaborations with the SU team ? Or just retire to Vancouver, BC ? I hear there’s a fantastic SAAB club there
Keep us updated on your goings-on. All the best to you and your family for the Christmas holiday season and new year.
Dear Steven,
I understand and feel for you and all the Saab people in this times. It is truly a sad, sad situation, which I with you believe was avoidable… But who knows, maybe from all of this something good will come….
In any case I want to extend a huge THANK YOU! to you and the people at Saab who fought so hard, for so long trying to find a solution for Saab’s future.
I hope you will continue your journey, finding something positive to focus your energy on.
For me, I will squeeze out as much I can of my V-tuned 2006 9-3ss Aero waving to all Saabs I meet on the roads, here i the big sand box…
See You Around…
/tSS
Dubai
LIke us on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/ILoveMySaab
Thank you, Swade, for all you have done for the SAABers of the world. Your objectiveness and positivity were always an enjoyable read. I wish you success and happiness in the future and hope to see you at SAABs at Carlisle in US in May 2012! Merry Christmas, my friend!
Thanks for your efforts, Steven. I’ve been your reader all these years since the Saab crisis started, this summer I bought my first Saab, which would probably be my last. I’m going to save it in perfect condition for many years. Please, don’t give up writing, we Saabers need you!
For now: a huge thank you and it was a pleasure to work with you at Saab! We’ll keep in touch!
Dear Steven, thank you for all your work, for your publications, for SaabsUnited..
Hi Steven,
Many thanks for all your info, both in TS/SU and here. I feel very sad for all of Saab, but still hope it could come back from the dead yet again – fingers crossed.
I look forward to your contributions on the web in future, and wish you and your family a great Christmas (despite everything).
Merry Christmas from Prestwick (west of Scotland).
PS Do tell your wife her pictures are great – especially the family outing in the 900 convertible!
Dear Swade,
A big thank you for all what you´ve done here, TS, SU and Inside Saab. I´ve been reading your blog right from the start. And I like your writing about Saabs & cars in general so much I know I´m going to miss all of this. I´m still hoping for someone to come and save Saab once again.
Cheers and Merry Christmas!
Marko – 900 T16S and 9-3 SC XWD
Finland
Swade,
Thumbs up for your work at Saab and before at your personal blogs, sharing your enthousiasm with all of us. The buzz you created back then at the original trollhattansaab.net still remains a vivid memory. Hope to read more from you in the future.
Thumbs up for all your co-workers at Trollhättan or elsewhere.
Let’s hope you all find your path after this rather traumatic twist in saab-history.
Merry christmas and a happy new year.
It was so nice to hear from you at InsideSaab and a pleasure to read all the Saab stuff here. But let’s be optimistic. This december end might be a transition, to a new form of Saab activity. See you soon !
Dear Steven,
It is so sad to read this, but if there is a tiny hope of a good buyout for Saab, I will still put all my thoughts on this very small light we have now to illuminate humbly our Christmas evening.
As now you are out of Saab we shall find you being recognisable by a Saab or thousands of Saab nearby.
Take care budy! Merry Christmas to you and your family. Merry Christmas to all Saab employees. Hope 2012 will bring you better, you deserve it and we know that each time we drive our Saabs.
Thank you Steven for everything
Thank you SAAB for everything
Have a lovely Christmas and New Year Swade ….. looking forward to re-connect with you and SAAB very soon
Carlo
Well Swade,
Thanks for a good 7 years. I found TS when I was a graduate student in Montana. My 9000 Aero was featured more than once on that site (and later SU).
All the best. I’ll be looking between the behemoths of the automotive interwebs to find your gems when they do begin to sparkle in the (hopefully) near future.
~Peter
Dear Steve,
I just came home after my company’s Christmas party where the dealer principle made a breif speech giving the state of affairs surrounding the Saab bankruptcy. He assured our staff that we will continue into 2012 with or without Saab. For myself being well aware of the circumstances over the past year it was of no surprise. We have a thriving used car business and have plans of installing another franchise in the next 30 days. My great regret is that I came aboard one year ago when we acquired the franchise, to handle the Saab end of the business for him. Having 27 years in the automotive business I knew I had a challenge in learning and understanding Saab. I thought it was a great idea and great departure from what I was used to in retailing automobiles in the metropolitan area of New York City.
I now would have the opportunity to actually sell an automobile and not just a price point. I would be dealing with a passionate consumer who had great affection for this company and it would all be about the car and not just the price.
In the ensuing months I spoke with many people. Our conversations inevitably would center around the state of the company. They did want to buy, but the dubious situation was a factor.
It is my belief that if things were different we would have become one of the largest retailers of Saab automobiles.
I followed your posts for months, it was my morning ritual. The more I read the more intrigued I became. There is no other manufacturer out there that would be bold enough to have a forum such as yours on there web site.
As far as GM is concerned in protecting there great technology I find it humorous. I sold GM automobiles. I sold cars that had beer cans inside the door panels, cars that would fail two miles from the dealership, vehicles with horrible flaws in workmanship paint fit and finish. I am sure they learned there lesson, when imports eroded the US auto industry with superior product.
I am not here to bash GM, but there was a deal out there to protect there precious technology and they just let an entire city in Sweden crippled. They deprived a loyal and enthusiastic consumer base from enjoying something different from the standard fare.
I only hope in the upcoming weeks that Saab will be sold as an entire entity and resume with there vision of exceptional automobiles. Victor did a great job, he put his heart and soul into this. I wish him the best. Thank you Steve I hope you have the chance to continue.
Dan, New York
Dear Steve, I just came home after my company’s Christmas party where the dealer principle made a breif speech giving the state of affairs surrounding the Saab bankruptcy. He assured our staff that we will continue into 2012 with or without Saab. For myself being well aware of the circumstances over the past year it was of no surprise. We have a thriving used car business and have plans of installing another franchise in the next 30 days. My great regret is that I came aboard one year ago when we acquired the franchise, to handle the Saab end of the business for him. Having 27 years in the automotive business I knew I had a challenge in learning and understanding Saab. I thought it was a great idea and great departure from what I was used to in retailing automobiles in the metropolitan area of New York City.
I now would have the opportunity to actually sell an automobile and not just a price point. I would be dealing with a passionate consumer who had great affection for this company and it would all be about the car and not just the price.
In the ensuing months I spoke with many people. Our conversations inevitably would center around the state of the company. They did want to buy, but the dubious situation was a factor.
It is my belief that if things were different we would have become one of the largest retailers of Saab automobiles.
I followed your posts for months, it was my morning ritual. The more I read the more intrigued I became. There is no other manufacturer out there that would be bold enough to have a forum such as yours on there web site.
As far as GM is concerned in protecting there great technology I find it humorous. I sold GM automobiles. I sold cars that had beer cans inside the door panels, cars that would fail two miles from the dealership, vehicles with horrible flaws in workmanship paint fit and finish. I am sure they learned there lesson, when imports eroded the US auto industry with superior product.
I am not here to bash GM, but there was a deal out there to protect there precious technology and they just let an entire city in Sweden crippled. They deprived a loyal and enthusiastic consumer base from enjoying something different from the standard fare.
I only hope in the upcoming weeks that Saab will be sold as an entire entity and resume with there vision of exceptional automobiles. Victor did a great job, he put his heart and soul into this. I wish him the best. Thank you Steve I hope you have the chance to continue.
Dan, New York
Thank YOU Swade !
Kind regards.
( and this is just a very dark episode, I’m sure to see you around in the near future)
You are a class act Swade! Thank you for all you have done for the brand. Saab will be back! – Dan
You Rock, Swade.
Thank you very much.
tim
I’ve owned (5) Saab’s – 1978, 1988, 1991, 1993 (this one saved my life!), and still own a 2002, 9.5 Linear wagon. Each of these vehicles had well over 150,000 miles when I traded it in for a new Saab. As an adult, I’ve never owned another brand of automobile. I am so sadden with this news.
GM is comprised of nothing less than a bunch of ruthless crooks, who are on the same level as the folks who created the sub-prime mortgage scandel! For years GM has done nothing but engineer “guarnteed obsolense” into their products, which in turn perpetuated the great “American Dream” – consumerism. However, GM was unscrupulously savvy enough to skim all of the very best of Saab off of the top, and incorporate many of the of those fine “intellectual properties” that the Saab engineers created over the years, and are now incorporated into their line of “junk” that GM is trying to market as a safe and reliable vehicle.
I do not know how all of the bankrupty proceedings will shake out, but know that I am a loyal and avid consumer of all that Saab has created over the last 33 years.
After a horrific accident, which was not my fault, and as the fireman was pulling my body out of my 1993 Saab, he said, ” “Boy, lady you are so lucky to have been driving a Saab, you would have not made it if you hadn’t been in this great car”!
Thank you Saab, I owe you my life!
Dear Steven, now I´m really sad, very sad
((
Merry Xmas also to you and the family
Christine
Germany
Thanks to everyone for your kind words and comments. It’s been a pleasure to serve this community over the last 6+ years. We have one of the best motoring communities out there, without doubt.
Whatever the future holds, I wish you all well and hope that we can continue to carry the flame in one way or another.
I loved your writing and this blog. I hope Mahindra can manage to buy Saab—-Mahindra could sure use the U.S. dealership network for their own EPA approved pick-up truck. They are approved to sell in the U.S. (great looking vehicle—-a compact that offers a diesel engine). I really think they could make a go of Saab too—provided the Gods at GM allow it.
Dear Steven, thank you for your wonderfull work over the last few years and your strong believe in SAAB and all the phantastic people behind it.
I’m hopefully waiting for your new writings
!
“The hope dies last”, personally I’ll remain optimistic and keep the SAAB spirit alive.Merry Christmas and a happy new Year
GM killed SAAB. There is no other way to phrase that murder. GM milked the SAAB-cow and let the situation rot. That is absolutely scandalous.
All SAAB-ists have to write GM CEO to address their anger and to ask production to resume.
Thank you for all you’ve done to keep us SAAB fans updated with the true story. I wish you every success for the future.
At this time of year our thoughts are with all SAAB employees and dealers. Lets hope 2012 brings some good news for them.
Kind Regards
Jeff
Thanks so much for your commitment and great work! I’m still convinced something good will come out of this, and you should definitely be part of that. Merry christmas and a great 2012!
Thank you Steven for such personable, and yet careful reporting on this unfortunate unraveling. I too will be keeping the faith, as I am three early 90s 9000s deep at the moment. I had so hoped to keep buying Saab cars my whole life long. I still hold hope, but this is a great blow to all of our dreams I’m sure. If you ever have any need for an editorial assistant in your future work, please contact me at w3someday@gmail.com – I’ll enjoy the huge influx of spam I get for stupidly posting my address here, and yet I trust it has been a worthwhile risk!
Finally, as our good man GK likes to say, be well, do good work, and stay in touch!
Yours very truly,
Chuck
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, all.
Steve, I am holding on to my faith, misplaced or otherwise. There’s too much good in Saab and its people, especially you.
Best regards from Ireland