Quoted from BBC websitse.

"GM said, due to the emergence of new potential buyers, that it would evaluate bids for carmaker Saab by the end of December.

GM said that if it did not find a "suitable arrangement" it would then "wind down" Saab. """

Tbh their cars are overpriced anyways

The Saab 93 is just a vectra in a shell suit. My works selling an 06 with 65k on the clock for almost £9k i'd never pay anywhere near that when i can go across to Vauxhall and get a similar spec'd lower mileage Vectra with the exact same engine in it

Saab's new depreciate like stones thrown into a river also so no wonder they are in trouble

SAAB have always been a bit of a niche brand in the UK, IMO they had their heyday in the 80's with their quirky turbocharged cabriolets.

With the onset of globalisation, and GM watering SAAB down to ultimate blandness, it's no wonder they've gone under. I don't really understand the American automotive brand strategy, there seem to be far to many vehicles built by the same parent company that are in competition with each other.

This doesn't really work in Europe, maybe our notion of the class system is too strongly ingrained. A premium car can't be a Vauxhall underneath. and the messy amalgamation with Subaru in the US smacks of desperation on GM's part. GM just don't get the SAAB mentality.

Its not like they will be missed....

SAAB have always been a bit of a niche brand in the UK, IMO they had their heyday in the 80's with their quirky turbocharged cabriolets.

With the onset of globalisation, and GM watering SAAB down to ultimate blandness, it's no wonder they've gone under. I don't really understand the American automotive brand strategy, there seem to be far to many vehicles built by the same parent company that are in competition with each other.

This doesn't really work in Europe, maybe our notion of the class system is too strongly ingrained. A premium car can't be a Vauxhall underneath. and the messy amalgamation with Subaru in the US smacks of desperation on GM's part. GM just don't get the SAAB mentality.

totally agree. in NA they produce this: http://www.gm.ca/ss/gm/gallery.do?model=97x〈=en_CA&brand=saab&contextDisplayMode=normal which is just a rebadged piece of of GMC junk and the 93/95 seem to have had more facelifts than the old Rover 45! no surprise they're doomed really

Mark

They should produce a medium sized premium car with a small capacity, high output engine.

That would mean low emissions and if they go back to the wonderful seats in their old cars then there would no doubt be a good number of sales to people worried about tax and maintaining some prestige in the brand.

But they aren't just Vectras underneath are they? They share very little at all.

The 9-5 is a disaster though, the current model has been facelifted to death, its essentially the same 9-5 you could buy in 1993!!

I love the 03-05(ish) 9-3 though. And Saab turbo petrol engines are simply awesome.

This doesn't really work in Europe, maybe our notion of the class system is too strongly ingrained. A premium car can't be a Vauxhall underneath.

How does this work, when a Jag is basically a Mondeo? Or an Audi is basically a posh Skoda/Seat/VW.?

The jaguar X-Type is basically a posh Ford Mondeo. It feels the same to drive and uses many bits from the same parts bin. That does not make it a bad car, far from it. It is even underdamped just like the Ford.

I hate the X Type! It's horrible inside and out

I had a Mondeo ST TDCi and i'd have another one of them before a Jaguar and they are the same underneath. One Jag X Type we had in work had Mk3 Mondeo mats in it complete with Mondeo written on them

The two-stroke Saabs were great, as were the Ford V4 engined ones. It's been down-hill all the way since then.

Edited 3 December, 200916 yr by Calomax
Missed the upper case "F" on Ford

I always find it really amusing when Skoda owners (not all) slate other brands of cars......the irony of it all takes some beating.

Oops, apologies, I meant the VW owners, albeit the council arm of VW.

But they aren't just Vectras underneath are they? They share very little at all.

I love the 03-05(ish) 9-3 though. And Saab turbo petrol engines are simply awesome.

A man who has made his own mind up rather than jump on the all too typical Briskoda band wagon....4x4's, BMWs, Mini's, Boxsters........many of you lot have no real mind of your own, but just say the 'said thing' with these brands.

Still, if slating all other cars makes you feel better about your own car, carry on. I'm sure we all know exactly who carries the weight of feeling inadequate about their car.

Lance

I drove a 900S Turbo (bout a T plate, new then) months after passing my test on the works insurance.

It was a great drive, and loved the kick and visual boost gauge. Sadly, the GM powered versions were quite flat IMO. They lost all that was great about them, and the 'vectra ones' saw the ignition move to the dash and poor build IMO :eek:

and the 'vectra ones' saw the ignition move to the dash

Are you sure about this?

Are you sure about this?

Dad used to work at a main holding yard (well airfield actually) for GM stuff and asked me if I knew why some had it by the handbrake, and others on the dash. He saw enough each day to know

Loved the old ones and would still like an old 900 Turbo 16S but won't miss the new ones as just expensive re-badged Vauxhalls. Nothing wrong with a Vectra but if I have £25K it wouldn't go on a SAAB.

Dad used to work at a main holding yard (well airfield actually) for GM stuff and asked me if I knew why some had it by the handbrake, and others on the dash. He saw enough each day to know

Seems to be mainly a 9000 & 9-5 thing - http://www.saabscene.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t31632872.html http://www.saabsunited.com/2009/06/back-in-time---first-thoughts-on-the-saab-9-4x.html

How does this work, when a Jag is basically a Mondeo? Or an Audi is basically a posh Skoda/Seat/VW.?

what I mean is that the European Market and especially the UK don't like their premium cars to be a reskinned lesser model. That's why Jaguar are going to axe the X Type which has never attained the sales that Jag expected due to it's dubious parentage.

True, VW are experts in parts sharing, but to say that Audi is a posh VW/ Skoda / Seat is Ill informed at best. The majority of their cars use a totally different platfrom to the rest of the group and there is a noticable difference in manufacturing quality control.

Ford wanted more sales of the Modeo but how. They decided to do a an upgraded model rebadge and re skin it and charge far more. Obviously it was intended mainly for the American Market. The market in the US was not impressed they are even more sensitive than GB buyers so it flopped Sales in GB were not enough for Ford even though it sold more than any other Jaguar at the end sales were poor. In truth it is a very nice car to be in. It covers miles effortlessly and the diesels are not bad at al giving good economy and reasonable performance. The 3.0 V6 petrol is quite quick on paper being a sub 150 mph o- 60 about 6.5 sec. It is gutless however, having low torque. let the revs drop and it wont pull with any alacrity and also due to this it is poor in economy. Handling is very soft and soft for the Sport and Sport Premium being underdamped. It is awkward to drive quickly across difficult A and B roads worse on unclassified, the four wheel drive mechanism sometimes oversteers sometimes understeers. It is superb as a motor-way cruiser and here is its forte. It is well appointed and has far more kit than the German competition but is not in the same class so far as quality is concerned. many of the parts are strait from the Mondeo such as the front subframe engines and so on and lots of other bits though Jaguar has modified that latter. Driving it, if one could with ones eyes closed, re markedly similar little difference! Does that really matter, no not really, both it and the Mondeo are very good cars and the Jaguar has a very loyal following amongst its owners, blind, partisan, like all other mark enthusiast, yes, just like here and on every other car forum. New they are or were exceptional value for money and now are even better value used. Great family car, massive boot, you could stash your mother in law in there and never know it!!!! He He

Dad used to work at a main holding yard (well airfield actually) for GM stuff and asked me if I knew why some had it by the handbrake, and others on the dash. He saw enough each day to know

Oh yes, the original SAAB solution was a ignition lock that also locked the gearstick in reverse position (no steering wheel lock). In the really old models (pre 1968) the gearstick was mounted on the steering wheel column and the ignition lock in it's "usual" place. With the SAAB 99 (1968) the gearstick became a floor stick and consequentially the ignition lock was moved. Didn't knew it had moved again, but sounds logical if the new models are built on common GM platforms.

It hasn't moved, well not on UK models anyway. The ignition remains down by the handbrake.

The 9000 had a move to the dash, by SAAB, GM moved it back to the centre console.

All 9 3's of all variants remain in the original location.

Looks like you will be able to buy a Chinese built 9-5 soon as Saab have sold it to them. isn't a 9-5 Chilli Chicken with boiled rice?

I thought Saab had been bought by konisegggggggggg(spl lol)?

My Dad always had saab's & I thought they were great, fast reliable & safe, The last one he had was a 9-5 aero with a dump valve that the previous owner put on it was so quick but not so good at going up muddy fields so he bought a land rover.

Koenigsegg pulled out of the deal a few weeks ago