I just read Saab has filed for bankruptcy! Pity, but I guess it was to be expected ...

EDIT: couldn't find a suitable link to an English-language website, but here's some info in German:
http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/0,1518,608839,00.html

EDIT2: from the Financial Times website
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3eb20972-ff2d ... 07658.html

Tom

Sad news....

I'd hoped they'd get bought out by someone who realises that SAAB can make individualistic cars instead of the Vauxhall-in-a-nice-skirt models they've got these days......
However,badge-engineering and cost-effective floorpan-sharing is the way forwards now it seems........

sad news indeed.

a love of saabs is what got me into volvos really.
Honest, lovable slabs of reliability.
I never really understood my they we'rnt more popular.

Se here, 1989 Saab 9000 Carlsson for sale on RR:
http://retrorides.proboards86.com/index ... read=51280

nobody will buy it for two hundred quid.
With tax and test.

Its a lot of car for double or tripple that money, but nobody wants a saab apparently.
And it IS a real shame.

Few years time there'll ONLY be Ford, Sony and Coca Cola, and we'll all stand in line for the privalidge of buying something exactly the same as the one everyone else has got.

Well, they may get bought out yet. A new "Opel / Vauxhall / Saab" company? Foreign investment? The speculation ATM is that it may be Renault / PSA or possibly the Chinese

But as you say, it remains to be seen how "individual" these cars will be. A Saab Corsa or Saab Astra? Better let the marque die an honourable death.

Tom

trabitom99 wrote:Well, they may get bought out yet. A new "Opel / Vauxhall / Saab" company? Foreign investment? The speculation ATM is that it may be Renault / PSA or possibly the Chinese

But as you say, it remains to be seen how "individual" these cars will be. A Saab Corsa or Saab Astra? Better let the marque die an honourable death.

Tom

Agreed.

There'll always be saabs out there. i.e. the ones already built and sold.
I'd rather those alone lived on than go down the horrible horrible Cheverolet/Daewoo route.

Its NOT a Chevvy. Its a Daewoo.

trabitom99 wrote:But as you say, it remains to be seen how "individual" these cars will be. A Saab Corsa or Saab Astra? Better let the marque die an honourable death.

Tom

It lost that oppurtunity when the late 900/9000 etc were vauxhalls. I've never liked Saabs cars, but I hate the fact everything shares so much now. Individual horrible things are so much better than more of the same.

Chris_C wrote:I've never liked Saabs cars ...

I'm surprised, you being a rally fan ... Saab have (had) a real tradition there, see "Carlsson-on-the-Roof"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Carlsson

Tom

Made in Finland (All 900 turbo cabriolets were made in Finland, afaik. Those re-badged Opels are not Saabs btw)


Rest In Pieces

Even I don't like FWD layout of it, it still is unique in design and you have to be bit odd to own old Saab, so that is defineatly good thing in car, too bad it's story seem to be more or less over as Swedish government is not going to rescue it.

I thought they were RWD.

Good job I didnt buy one.

volvosneverdie wrote:
I thought they were RWD.

Good job I didnt buy one.

IF they were RWD i'd be rolling in one for sure, and pretty much the same reason that lovely 9000 hasn't sold over on RR is because they are wrong wheel drive

magnumpi wrote:

volvosneverdie wrote:
I thought they were RWD.

Good job I didnt buy one.

IF they were RWD i'd be rolling in one for sure, and pretty much the same reason that lovely 9000 hasn't sold over on RR is because they are wrong wheel drive

Suddenly it all becomes clear.
No wonder theyre going bankrupt.
Switch the drive Saab!
Its a big ask, but it might just turn your fortunes round.

No?
Ok then.

Bloody unlikely since they've been FWD all along from the first prototype 92001 and the first production model 92. Yes, even their "sports" cars (Sonett) were FWD.

Only RWD with small realtion to saab was Finnish Raceabout that used Saab motor and box, car is however not production or even sold, purely one off prototype and technical study.

http://www.raceabout.fi/

They are now making copy of Tusla it seems, without detachable top, making it bigger and uglier, well Saab would been better off making original race about, it would surely sell better than FWD Saabs in Finland without any kind of roof at all

Those Saab turbo engines would be excellent for making a mid-engined special, the box is BELOW the engine and the driveshafts come out of the sump! It makes for an amazingly compact package as far as 2.3 turbos go. Shame the engines are so much stronger than those eccentric gearboxes.