A Letter to an Ohio Senator

Senator Brown,

The Automotive industry has taken a big hit in the last year or two. At Leikin Motor Companies in Willoughby, Ohio, we have seen the rollercoaster effect caused by the economy of the last two years.  While things are beginning to pick up, it’s nowhere near what it used to be. I am sure that you are interested in helping the people of Ohio to weather the storm. However, I’m not sure that things are going quite as smoothly as they could be.

To be honest, I’m not very excited about the government getting involved with the likes of General Motors and Chrysler. Yes, we should do what is possible to protect jobs in our own state and country. But it seems that companies such as General Motors (GM) have not been managing their resources very well. And that has caused many of us to invest in cars made outside of the USA instead.

Take, for instance, the recent news regarding the SAAB brand. GM has had twenty years to make something of this Swedish car company. But instead of making it better, they have stripped it of anything they could and invested the technology in their other brands. From what I have seen, they have not managed SAAB well. During GM’s ownership of the brand, quality and reliability ratings have suffered.

And yet, the brand still has avid enthusiasts like myself who still enjoy the brand and would like it to see it continue into the future. I’ve owned six SAABs during my lifetime and have enjoyed them immensely. It just seems tragic that General Motors (which is currently funded by the American people) is allowed to trash SAAB without our permission.

Is there something you can do to allow this brand to continue to exist? I (and many others) would appreciate any pressure you can put on General Motors to keep this worthwhile brand in operation by selling it to someone like Spyker, Koenigsegg, or Merbanco. It sure would make things brighter for those of us who still appreciate SAAB vehicles.

Thank you,

Andy Rupert
Internet Manager

Leikin Motor Companies
Willoughby, Ohio