What Not

Mercedes-Benz SLS

After the free breakfast given to all the salesmen of participating dealerships, I walked through the show while things were still being put together. There were a number of nice displays, but a lot was still in disarray. For instance, our Volvos were all parked against the wall in no particular order while the Mercedes-Benz display was almost complete. But there’s no need to lose hope. I’m sure everything will be in place by the time of the show.

I looked around for the new SAAB 9-5 but only found three cars at the display. It wasn’t finished, so I’m hoping that Mr. Spyker can pull a few strings and make it happen. In any event, the convertible looked very nice. Did you notice the slogan on the SAAB post? Waste leads to haste. Does that refer to the waste gate on the turbo?

There were a number of other interesting cars on display. Buick has the new Regal GS on a pedestal and it looks pretty nice. I couldn’t get close enough for an inside shot, but the exterior looks very good. Hopefully, this will help Buick sales to pick up. Lotus had their new vehicles, but the one that stuck out was a 1970’s model. And the Equus was there for Hyundai. It’s not my “cup of tea” but it seems to be a luxurious car that might compete in the Asian market.

More tomorrow after my 11 am to 5 pm shift. I hope to see you there!

After many months of speculation, SAAB is officially owned by Spyker. Victor Muller and Jan Ake Jonsson (along with a large group of lawyers, etc.) signed the papers for the transfer of ownership from General Motors to Spyker on February 23, 2010. This marks a new direction for the Swedish car company as they have been with General Motors for 20 years. Hopefully, the new owner will allow SAAB to be what is has always wanted to be: a safe, comfortable, sporty car unlike any other.

Now we await the completion of the sale of Volvo to Geely Automotive in China. The jury is still out as to what will happen after the sale. Will Geely allow Volvo to continue down the same path? What changes will come about in the future? If the new C30, C70, and S60 are any indication of what Geely wants, I think we’ll have a winner.

But, as always, we will see.

Where's my owner's manual?

What happens if you have a question about your car and the owner’s manual is missing? Some people go to the dealership and purchase one for $50-80. Others visit eBay and save a few clams. But what happens if you only want to spend $20? Not going to happen, right? Until today, I would have agreed. Owner’s manuals just don’t grow on trees. But today I found that they can be downloaded.

• SAAB (2000-09)
• Volvo (1965-2011)

Very nice.

After all the waiting and picketing and the many worldwide convoys, it happened. GM and Spyker signed a binding agreement today for the sale of SAAB. I’d normally write more, but I’m still sick today. So I’ll let you read what happened. Happy happy.

The SAAB factory workers rally in Trollhattan, Sweden (saabsunited.com)

This is the question that has been on my mind during the last year. Why couldn’t they agree with Koenigsegg or Spyker? I realize that there are a lot of particulars that have to be addressed. But what could be stopping them from selling the brand to one of these eager bidders? Apparently, 51 SAAB dealers have the same questions in mind. They’ve organized into a group which is holding GM to their promise to sell the brand. Now that that doesn’t seem to be happening, they are pushing for GM to sell to the highest bidder or face a legal challenge from them.

The dealers may have little legal recourse against GM. After all, the company has been trying to sell Saab for more than a year. Yet, the dealers seem to raise a reasonable issue: Why can’t GM accept the highest offer on the table? Isn’t taking some money for Saab, better than spending money to wind it down? It’s probably not that simple. If GM sells Saab to a bidder that it knows lacks the experience or financing to keep the company going over the long term, then GM could be liable to suppliers and car buyers with warranties for doing the deal, according to one person familiar with GM’s thinking. “They could come back to GM and say you [are] responsible because you knew the buyer had no chance of making it work,’’ this person said.

Saab Dealers Tell GM to Negotiate or Else…

That explanation makes a bit of sense from an otherwise senseless situation. To them, it’s more than the money. There has to be a viable company who can purchase and then handle the aftereffects of the sale. But even still, if you were GM, wouldn’t you want to have an extra $400 million in your pocket if the next company fails?

I’ve been thinking about the possibility that GM will not sell SAAB. With the way GM has been acting lately, it is a possibility that can’t be easily dismissed. So, what if SAAB does die; what then? Would any of the bidders consider buying the rights to the name? Would any of them consider building the brand from scratch? Sure, it would take time and plenty of investment, but are there any companies who look beyond dollars and sense to the idea of saving the brand regardless? Probably not. But it’s a nice thought.