Monthly Archives: December 2011

Can you help? Moving cars around the world (and back again)

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One of our regular readers, Sapan, lives in the United States and owns a Saab Turbo X. You’ve seen it before, in a post where we covered how he bought his first Saab :-)

Sapan has written to me overnight, with the following query. As it’s not a task I’ve previously investigated, I thought I’d open the question up to readers here and see if anyone has had experience with short-term vehicle relocations across oceans.

I am going to Europe for a month or so and I wanted to bring my car there to drive.

Here are a few factors I see as potential issues

  • Transportation (Someone Reliable and trust worthy)
  • Can I even drive my car in Europe for that amount of time legally? MOT Laws etc? Do I need to pay VAT Etc? Insurance etc.
  • Transportation back as well (Again this would be solved if I found a worthy carrier).

You may ask what my main goal is? Well, plain and simple, it’s tackling the Nurburgring.

I also want to visit both Maptun and Hirsch. Get my car ready to go fully functional with stock items and then head for the Nurburgring and see how fast a time I can set!

I know this sounds pretty crazy but I am just testing the waters to see if its even financially feasible at the moment!

This sounds like a more-than-worthy automotive quest, to me.

As mentioned, I’ve not looked into anything like this before, however a quick Google search of trans-atlantic car carriers did produce a few companies that might be worth looking into. If those companies are worth their salt, they might also have answers to the regulatory approvals you need to get along the way.

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If you’ve embarked on an adventure like this before, maybe you can help Sapan get his Turbo X to The Ring and back again.

Comments are open.

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We at Saab intend to survive

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Yesterday the newspapers had stories of impending doom, predicting a bankruptcy filing by Saab some time later that day. This journey we’re on is quite literally hour-by-hour at the moment, so I’m sure there were reasons for the papers to believe that the story was feasible at some point. But please don’t believe for a moment that anyone here at Saab wants to throw in the towel.

As you’ve seen via today’s news, our Chinese partners, Youngman, have transferred some funds to our accounts to help us fulfil some of our obligations. We are still working on securing vital funding needed to pay staff wages and continue with the reorganisation process, a process that we will petition for the continuation of this week.

Our discussions with our partners and stakeholders continue and our executive team are still working around the clock to see this company survive and continue into the future. We know that if we can clear the obstacles immediately in our path, that we have the people and the product to succeed. Clearing those obstacles is what we’re working on right now.

As always, thanks for your support. We know it’s been a roller-coaster and it may continue that way for a little while yet. But please know that we’re determined to succeed, and as you can see from the payment received today, we have supportive partners working with us to make sure we have the best chance possible to do so.

News: Payment transferred

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News from the front office in Trollhattan:

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Saab confirms that the first payment of the funding, which was promised by Youngman, now has been transferred to Saab’s account. The efforts to secure the remaining funding, needed to pay salaries and continue the voluntary reorganization, continue and the work is moving progressively forward.

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Tim and Jennifer Snap Up a Saab 9-5

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Just a little bit of final follow-up……

Here’s how it feels to enter a competition and WIN a brand new Saab

The Snap Up a Saab competition, run by Saab of North Olmsted, was won recently by a guy named Tim Greer. Tim, his wife Jennifer and their two kids are now the proud owners of a new Saab 9-5 Aero, their chosen prize from the Saab range.

Tim was a contestant in week 1 of the four-week competition, driving a Saab 9-4x during that time. Saab of North Olmsted is part of the Collection Auto Group and Tim heard about the competition because he’s on their email list, having been a customer for some years now. I spoke with Tim and Jennifer last week about their experience.

“I couldn’t believe that they were letting people test drive cars for a week, and then win one. I signed up, probably within three minutes of getting the email.” said Tim.

Whilst this was Tim and Jennifer’s first experience with Saab of North Olmsted, it’s not their first Saab.

“When we got married, a Saab was actually the first vehicle that we purchased together. We got a white 9-3 Convertible with a blue top…..” said Tim.

“….which I loved!” said Jennifer. “Unfortunately our family grew and it wasn’t practical anymore, just because it was a convertible. I’d love to eventually get one of those for our daughter, for her first car.”

As mentioned earlier, Tim drove the Saab 9-4x during his week in the competition, which he was quite impressed with. Tim’s brother had a Saab 9-7x, Saab’s earlier model SUV, and Tim compared the 9-4x very favourably to its older brother.

“The handling, the way it sat on the road….. I’d much prefer the 9-4x to the 9-7x.” he said. “It’s the best of both worlds.”

Despite this, they chose a 9-5 Aero for their prize. Jet black metallic with a shark grey interior. The model choice was largely Jennifer’s to make, as she would be driving the car the most.

“I just love the idea of having a car that handled well, is luxurious inside, but also has four-wheel-drive. We live in Cleveland and we get loads and loads of snow. To be able to have that utility is great.”

Tim and Jennifer have two kids, aged 3 and 4. Jennifer: “They have been talking about ‘The Saab’ ever since we entered the competition. To them, it was a given that we’d bring it home. I don’t think they had any thought in their mind that we wouldn’t win. They were really excited because it had TV’s in the back and when we won it, the first thing they did was take off their shoes and jump in the back. They were treating it like a formal dining room.”

This was, of course, a promotional competition and Tim and Jennifer promoted the company a LOT during their time driving the Saab 9-4x. Many other contestants did, too, providing a lot of publicity for both Saab and for the North Olmsted dealership.

They worked quite hard during that week in the competition, emailing and calling friends and getting people engaged in the competition, to see the car and to vote for their efforts. Whilst the competition built momentum towards the end of the four weeks, it had a slower beginning, something that Jennifer thinks would change if they ran it again.

“When it started, I don’t think people realised so much what was involved. Once it got going, people got a better idea of what was happening. I think they ran another one now, they’d have a lineup with people trying to enter.” said Jennifer.

The final saw 5 contestants gather at Saab of North Olmsted. Each was given a key that was randomly selected. Only one key would open the doors of a Saab in the showroom, indicating the winner.

“We didn’t talk a whole lot. I think everyone was pretty nervous. I don’t know if I was more nervous because I was going to be on live TV, or because I had a chance to win a car.” said Tim. “There were a few sweaty palms there.”

In TV terms, it might have been a bit of an anti-climax that Tim was the first to try his key – no added tension from a couple of unsuccessful attempts before the winner is revealed. For Tim, it was happiness, then confusion, then a whole LOT of happiness.

“When we picked our keys, the dealer told us that when someone wins, we should be prepared because it was going to be loud. They set up the scene so that I could see the car as I hit my button. I saw the lights go on and I heard the locks pop, but no-one said anything. Because it was quiet for that first few seconds, I thought something had gone wrong, that it had gone off accidentally. Then we heard a few alarm beeps and that’s when everyone started cheering.”

Here’s the live recorded video of the win. Skip ahead to 8m30s to see the action.

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I have to feel a little sorry (and a little bit amused) for the other four contestants being ushered away so quickly. Tim going first really did take some of the air out of the room.

But what an exciting moment!! And what a conclusion and reward for a week or so’s hard (but fun) work, driving and promoting the new Saab 9-4x.

Tim and Jennifer picked up their new Saab 9-5 Aero last Friday. On behalf of Saab Automobile, and I’m sure I speak for Saab of North Olmsted as well, I’d like to congratulate them on their win and wish them many happy years with their new Saab 9-5.

I’d also like to thank all of the participants in the Snap Up a Saab competition, who I hope had a wonderful time participating.

Who's driven a Saab 9-7x? (one of Inside Line's worst cars ever)

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I’m sure the powers that be in the marketing department would prefer it if the Saab 9-7x and 9-2x were never mentioned, ever again. In fact, I had to get the images of the 9-7x featured below from an image search as the model isn’t listed as one of Saab’s heritage models on our media web page.

The 9-7x has reappeared, however, in an interesting list on Inside Line, and I don’t mind covering one or two of those less palatable models in Saab’s history.

Inside Line has posted a Top 100 Worst Cars of All Time list and the Saab 9-7x, thankfully the only Saab to make an appearance, comes in at #49.

49. 2006 Saab 9-7X: The only Saab ever built in Moraine, Ohio, was a gussied-up Chevy TrailBlazer. It’s definitive proof that GM’s ownership of Saab was completely misbegotten.

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Every internet list contains some contentious entries and this one from Inside Line is no different. The Saab 9-7x shares this dubious “Worts 100″ honour with some cars that I really like, including a couple of Ferraris, the Porsche 914, the AMC Gremlin and the Ariel Atom. Then again, there’s also the Rover SD1, the Aston Martin Cygnet and a whole fistfull of Chevys and Cadillacs to confirm the list’s credentials.

Was the Saab 9-7x really one of the worst 100 cars of all time?

Back in 2008 I had the opportunity to drive a 9-7x Aero in Detroit. The Aero at that time was the one with the 5million horsepower engine out of the Corvette.

It wasn’t the most pleasant truck I’ve seen, but it was far from the worst. It had a pretty well appointed interior and was a comfortable place to hang out. The engine had a magnificent, sonorous note and the only thing that kicked you in the guts harder than the sound was the speed. It was genuinely fast for a vehicle of its size. The 9-7x had no major (or minor) systemic issues and as far as I’ve been able to trace, was subject to only one recall (which affected 850,000 GM vehicles).

So what was the problem?

Simple. The Saab 9-7x was the wrong decision, the worst decision, for the Saab brand.

Whilst the Saab 9-7x did sell well (it was the second best selling Saab in the US for each year it was available) and whilst it did expose Saab to some new customers, the vehicle was crucified in the press.

When the Saab 9-7x was released, the motoring press had only just finished laying into Saab over the similarly ill-begotten 9-2x, which was a rebadged, re-nosed and improved Subaru Impreza WRX. It didn’t matter that the 9-2x was actually a great car to drive and was genuinely improved by the changes made to the regular Rex. The makeup was thin and people saw straight through it. Moreover, all this happened at a time of huge growth in web based automotive blogging and reporting, complete with all of the acid-laced mockery that the birth of social media brought with it.

The Saab 9-7x simply added fuel to the fire.

GM had long been a kicking post for badge-engineering skeptics, and rightly so. When they pushed out a warmed-over Chevrolet and asked people to accept it as a European luxury SUV….. well, it was little wonder that most of them were sold to GM employees in Michigan.

It’s ironic that the 9-2x got the bigger kicking of the two. The Saab 9-2x had the comparative advantage of being a wagon with a turbocharged engine and genuinely good performance. The 9-7x had little other than the badge. It wasn’t that Saab didn’t try. Many modifications were made to make the 9-7x perform and handle better than its forebears. The bottom line: it just wasn’t a Saab.

Is the Saab 9-7x one of the worst 100 motor vehicles of all time?

Objectively, no. Not at all. It’s a reasonable looking vehicle with great performance and better-than-acceptable comfort. It’s probably the best vehicle GM ever made on that particular platform.

Subjectively speaking, however, it was a PR disaster and for some people out there, it was another reason to view Saab in a negative light.

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Have you ever had a chance to drive the Saab 9-7x, or did you own one? What did you think of it? Comments are open.

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Saab gathering – Paris, France

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UPDATE:

There’s a great collection of images from this event at Saab Actu

As mentioned in today’s Saabosphere entry, Saab fans gathered in Paris to put on a show of support for the brand.

Around 100 fans in 60 vehicles braved the chilly 4 degree temperatures in order to share some Glögg* and some good natured Saab fellowship at Place des Invalides. Of course, most attendees were from France, but there were also some cars registered from the Netherlands and even from Poland at the event.

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As a Saab person, it’s heartening to see this kind of support shown for the company at such a critical time in its history.

My thanks to all who attended.

I’m sure more photos will appear at French/Belgian sites: Saab Actu, Saablog-in and Saabsunited.fr.

* Glögg – mulled wine, common in Sweden during the festive season.

Saabosphere – links we liked this week

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First things first – I’m looking forward to seeing some photos from France today, as French Saab fans gather in Paris in a show of support for the company.

This is an initiative of Saab France as well as supporter websites, Saab Actu, Saablog-In and saabsunited.fr. It’s wonderful to see gestures of support like this, done the right way.

I know from a few messages here and there that some other gatherings were in the planning stages and if they do end up happening, please do let me know. I’d be happy to pass the word around so that interested parties can attend.

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Moving north…….

I got a message from a Belgian Saab fan overnight, about the Saab 9-5 SportCombi and Saab 9-4x being shown at his local dealership yesterday.

At this point, I don’t know how long it’s going to be there, nor where else it might be showing. I’ll try and find out some more information as to whether or not there’s a Belgian Tour going on (you’ll recall there was a break scheduled in the middle of the Spanish Tour).

For today, however, the vehicles are at Saab Kegels Turnhout. The address is Ambachtstraat 3, Oud-Turnhout, Belgium.

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These guys have been trying to get this Saab 9-3 into the Swedish Touring Car Championship for a couple of years now. It seems they’re working again with the hope of getting things going for the 2012 STCC season.

I really wish them every success. It’d be great to see Saabs racing again.

Great photo, too!

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And speaking of great photos, there’s a wonderful set on Flickr from the 2011 Roger Albert Clark Rally, in England.

Amongst the set are some absolutely wonderful images of Saab 96s competing in the event.

Great stuff.

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And last, but by no means least, I’d like to thank everyone who commented on the “Why I want Saab to survive” post here, over the last few days.

I’m going to pass those responses on to our communications people in Sweden and make sure that all employees are able to see your thoughts. They were very encouraging and a testament to the work that’s been done in Trollhattan over the years.

Thanks very much.

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Why do you want Saab to survive?

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I re-tweeted a message from Ben Pulman, the road-test editor of CAR Magazine, earlier today:

The picture he links to is one of UrSaab, from the 1997 50th Anniversary photoshoot.

I’ve written before about how, generally speaking, motoring media professionals want to see Saab survive and succeed. There is some hope pinned to this company; perhaps the notion that some sort of different thinking still exists in a world of car design that’s getting smaller and smaller every year.

Of course, even Saab vehicles have become a bit more homogenised in the last 10 or so years, which made Saab’s sale to Spyker Cars last year an even brighter beacon for the ‘different thinkers’ out there. Victor Muller came out and said that we were going to design and build Saab Saabs again and we all took great heart from that. From what I know of the Saab 9-3 replacement that’s currently under development, he’s been true to his word, too.

Personally speaking, I want Saab to survive because I love the company. I love the history, the philosophy and of course, I drive and love the vehicles. It was an honour for me to join this company earlier this year, the culmination of 6 years work as an independent. I love working for the little car company that could and despite what appear to be dire circumstances right now, I hold on to the hope that our work may continue into the future.

We don’t get as many comments on Inside Saab as other Saab sites. That’s OK. Given that Inside Saab is a corporate site for a listed company, we’ve been limited in what we can say this year, and thus limited in the amount of discussion that we can promote.

However, I’d like to invite you to share your thoughts on why you’d like to see Saab survive and continue into the future.

Our people are extremely loyal. The few that I know who have left Saab in recent months have done so with heavy hearts. I’m sure those who remain would enjoy reading your thoughts on this subject.

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History in the shadows of a Saab today….

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A photo taken at Saab yesterday…..

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For those who are not so familiar with Saab’s history, the shadow of the Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan looks very much like the silhouette of Saab’s older, teardrop-shape vehicles dating right back to the first Saab 92 and through to the Saab 96.

A wonderful photo capturing yesterday inside today.

Work continues on Youngman deal and reorganisation in Stockholm

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So you’ve seen the press release – Our administrator, Guy Lofalk, will file documents today, to end the reorganisation process that we’re currently involved in.

The District Court has registered Lofalk’s application, which has now been posted on their website.
Saab, as well as the creditors who were present at the creditors’ meeting and those included in the Creditors’ Committee, will have the opportunity to express their views before the District Court announces a decision. On their website, the Court writes that Saab’s deadline expires on December 15, at 1 pm. The District Court intends to issue a decision on the matter on December 16, at 2 pm.

Right now, intense negotiations continue with our Chinese investors in Stockholm, negotiations that are intended to strike an arrangement that will enable Saab to continue the reorganisation process and ultimately, continue operations into the future.

This decision from Mr Lofalk is not necessarily the end for Saab. He is under legal obligation to take to this step given the current situation as he sees it. However, that does not stop Swedish Automobile from seeking to put arrangements in place that can sustain Saab through a full reorganisation, and beyond. This is what we are seeking to do right now.

Saab will seek a continuation of the reorganisation process, with a new administrator appointed in Mr Lofalk’s place.

As always, we thank you for your continued support of Saab and we will keep you informed when we can.