Light on the horizon for Saab?

Good news today! What will happen with Saab? Will it become Turkish or Indian? Here a link to an article from BNR (dutch) about Saab becoming Turkish.

At Saabsunited we`ve found an article about Mahindra to take over Saab;

Dec. 30 (Bloomberg) — Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., India’s biggest sport-utility vehicle manufacturer, is interested in buying at least parts of bankrupt Swedish carmaker Saab Automobile, two people familiar with the situation said.

Mahindra, based in Mumbai, is in the process of reaching out to the two court-appointed administrators who are overseeing Saab’s bankruptcy to possibly buy parts of the carmaker or the whole company, said the people, who declined to be identified because the plans are private. Mahindra has yet to hold discussions with the administrators, the people said.

Roma Balwani, a Mahindra spokeswoman, declined to comment, while Chief Financial Officer Bharat Doshi wrote in a text message that he was in a meeting and wasn’t available to talk. Saab filed for bankruptcy Dec. 19 after running out of cash. General Motors Co. sold the Trollhaettan, Sweden-based company in February 2010 to Dutch sports-car maker Spyker Cars NV, which later changed its name to Swedish Automobile NV. Saab first halted production in March, unable to pay suppliers. Chief Executive Officer Victor Muller said this month that several parties had expressed interest and that Saab still has a chance to emerge from bankruptcy. At least one Turkish company is also interested in investing in Saab, one of the people said. The Turkish government wants the country to have a car brand of its own, and is trying to help a manufacturer take over at least parts of Saab, the person said. Hans Bergqvist and Anne-Marie Pouteaux, the attorneys handling the bankruptcy, didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment.

By Ola Kinnander
Bloomberg News

Link to the original article on the site of Bloomberg.

Save the Saab Museum!

The text below is from Saabsunited of today:

Today is the last day that the Saab Museum is open to the public, if it will open after new years is depending on the will of the receivers and if a potential buyer is found that is willing to take over the museum itself. It is our belief that the museum should be separated from Saab the company!

We want to save Saab Car Museum… if we have to! This is a very important phrase, because we might not need to. But as I have hinted before we have been working on different backup plans for many months drawn different conclusions from that. I have today had a long and very constructive talk with Karl Ask chairman of the Swedish Saab Club and we agree completely on how things needs to be done if we as a world-wide community are to make a contribution of this size.

No individual organization or small club has even a chance to actually save the museum, it needs to be a united action by people, clubs from all over the world if this is to work! Even so we might not be able to do it.

Here is part of the plan which might be the way to save the museum, note the word “might”…

1. Start an association “Club”, for example called the Saab Cars Museum Association (SCMA)
2. Anyone who wants to join in and contribute to saving the museum needs to become a member of this association and pay a membership fee which will be used to cover the running-costs of the museum.
3. Clubs around the world will need to commit to aiding the association with funds to preserve the cars and cover costs, details about how this will be done is private information for each club.
4. A 5 year pure business plan needs to be established on how to cover costs
5. A 10 year plan to display the vision of the association needs to be established
6. Rules and regulations needs to be established
7. The people who will do the actual work will need to display their interest.
8. An temporary management group of the association needs to be established which will run the association for one year until a more permanent team can take over.

This is a joint effort by the whole Saab Community world wide. SaabsUnited is NOT a leading factor in this but only a small contributor and a part of the big picture.

To do this we will need the support of EVERYONE! If you are willing to join in this cause, we want to know. That is why we have created an e-mail where you can declare your intention to join the cause and become a member of the association once it starts. The membership fee is not yet established but should in my mind be in the regions of €50,- / $65,- per year. The people working on this project will do so completely without payment and no company will be involved or any purpose of profit making for anyone except to cover ongoing and future costs for the association.

Please declare your intention to help out at museum@saabsunited.se


Of course we support this plan. We encourage everyone to send an e-mail to museum@saabsunited.se!

Save Saab Museum Links

We would like you to visit Alexander Kreybig's pictures of the Saab Museum! Please follow this link http://saabism.blogspot.com/2011/10/saab-museum-trollhattan-pictures-part-1.html for page one, and http://saabism.blogspot.com/2011/10/saab-museum-trollhattan-pictures-part-2.html for page two.

These are the cars that we need to save! There is a total of 109 cars in the museum today. As you can see, there is a great deal of history here, and it would be a shame for future generations to not be able to enjoy it like we currently do. Please stay tuned to updates regarding the Save Saab Museum Mission!

Save the Saab Museum in Trollhättan!

Of course we all hope someone buys Saab complete with factory and museum. BUT if let`s say someone from (again let`s say Austria) buy`s the factory and starts making parts and is not buying the museum. What next?! Taking over the whole museum (cars, building and stock) is a very very expensive thing for us as Saab fans, I think we have to face the facts that this is not an option. Who is willing to participate in saving the museum?! But I do want to , but I cannot do it alone!!!

Above a picture of my own Saab 95, I call him my Troll.

Save Saab Museum in Trollhättan

In the HLN we`ve found this article about Saab. A rough English translation below:

Saab cars of the museum go under the hammer
© Reuters
The centerpiece of the rich history of the Swedish car manufacturer Saab destroyed, the Saab Museum in Trollhättan, is in the grab bag. The 109 museum cars will go piece by piece under the hammer. That turned out today after Mayor Paul Akerland Trollhättan, Saab themselves former employee, said on Swedish television. The municipality wanted to keep the attraction as a whole, but the annual operating costs of around 650,000 euros, according Akerland where too high. Schools and go for care, he says.

Late September, the Swedish organization bailiff Kronofogden already confiscated the contents of the museum. Kronofogden wanted to sell the vehicles of the 150 million euro debt to its suppliers of Saab stories. Before the bailiff but action could proceed, the judge agreed with a reorganization which also the Saab museum was protected from old creditors.

From last monday the bankruptcy of Saab Kronofogden owns the museum and is underway to an open auction of the contents. A spokesman for Kronofogden said earlier that the service can not take account of feelings. "Our only task is to collect debts" was the reaction. It is not known whether all candidates to contact the officer sought to purchase the historic Saab cars.

The article shows clearly Saab fans have to unite if we want to have a spot with Saab heritage for the future! We`ve got the picture above from Talija Draga (thanks!).

After China, Turkey and Austria, now we have the Indians...

Saab's bankruptcy trustee has rejected a serious stakeholder unheard. It says Lars Carlstrom representing a major Indian automotive group that has expressed interest in Saab.
related
...
Late in the afternoon spoke Lars Carlstrom with one of the lawyers responsible for Saab's bankruptcy, Hans L Bergqvist, at the law firm Delphi in Gothenburg.

- I was in contact with them because I represent a major Indian automotive group, which is interested in Saab. An interest I have built up a relationship with for a long time.

rejected

But then ensued, according to Lars Carlstrom, a dialogue in which Hans L Bergqvist first questioned Charles's person, and then placed himself entirely opposed to the interest he represented.

- He asked me if I was the same Lars Carlstrom previously represented Vladimir Antonov. When I confirmed this said Hans Bergqvist: "Then we are not interested."

TTELA have previously reported that Lars Carlstrom was responsible for the Antonov Convers Group in Scandinavia, a post he resigned last fall after it became apparent that Vladimir Antonov was wanted by police in the Baltic states because of the investigation into the tangle that correlate with Antonov banks. Lars Carlstrom is very upset about both the fact and manner of interest in Saab was rejected.

Cancelled meeting

In a correspondence TTELA noted the confirmed bankruptcy trustee Hans L Bergqvist brief that "the meeting with you and your principal January 5, 2012 on the pretext is set."

In a response e-mails expressing Lars Carlstrom "dismay" over the desire to 'risking Trollhättan's future, as a significant player wants to see you to discuss the acquisition of SAAB. "

TTELA have searched Hans L Bergqvist in the evening without being able to reach him.

Below something from Saabsunited:

Well its not just serious, it is very serious. We are not allowed to reveal the identity of the company yet, but we are allowed to reveal some facts about it.

They are of course based in India but acts on a world-wide basis with much more than 100’000 employees worldwide. They are a multi-billion dollar company, that work on multiple fields such as energy, logistics, real estate and of course within the aerospace and automotive industry.

In other words, a VERY serious buyer of Saab!

Nobody has been laid off!

Nobody at Saab has been laid off at the moment. Everyone has just been suspended from work, however everyone still has a duty to show up for work if called upon!

Klik hier voor een "artikel" hierover in het Nederlands.

Victor Muller has not given up on Saab!

Victor Muller has not given up on Saab.

The CEO has spent almost the entire Christmas season trying to save the car plant.

(Update: There are now reports that the Chinese Dongfeng Motor is looking at Saab's bankruptcy estate.)

Just over a week ago, Muller was forced to give up and ask for Saab, "his passion" - according to himself, to be placed into bankruptcy. This is after months of negotiations with China's Youngman.

GM ceased their attempts to move forward with these plans, and it was a very upset Saab CEO who held a press conference at the factory in Trollhattan on Monday of last week.

Since then, Youngman, whose interest in the Swedish car brand has not wained, held talks with the receivers.

Exactly what the talks resulted in is not yet known, but it is clear that many Saab Speculators have heard from him [Victor Muller] [directly]. Victor Muller has verified this information with TTELA as recently as late last week.

Efforts to get Saab back on track have been going on for nearly the entire holiday season, writes Saabsunited.com.



On Tuesday, there were new reports of Dongfeng Motor, which previously had an interest in Saab, is one of the current speculators. This report is from wantchinatimes.com, referring to China Economic Net.

Dongfeng Motor, China's third largest car manufacturer is reported to work on developing its own brand. Saab's technology is considered to be valuable in the development process.

In the battle for the estate with Dongfeng is a [yet unnamed] Turkish company.

Video of Saab`s museum

Thanks to WeAreSaab for sharing this great video! Don't forget to sign up on their page and join in on your local event on the 14th or 15th.

Is there no event in your area? Go ahead and organise a nice Saab meeting yourself!

SAAB Car Museum from Shawn Budd on Vimeo.

We are Saab!

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines. A group of Saab enthusiasts have joined forces and brought a website online. In the spirit of the original Dutch Saab Support Convoy, which was organised in 2010 by Eric van Nimwegen, Sidney Polak, Lindy Dragstra, Stephan Lampe and Roger van Keulen, the 14th and 15th of January 2012 will see meetings worldwide to support Saab.

Not being in the form of a convoy, but a real meeting where those who support the Saab brand can meet and chat. Give it a local flavour if you can and reach out to the press in your area or country. Please use this link to go the wall on Facebook. Should you be organising an event in your country on this date, then please contact us so that we can show your information on your country page! This initiative is supported by SaabsUnited, SAABforum.nl as well as Saab Club Nederland.

Video for Save Saab Museum Trollhättan!

I want to create a video to help save the Saab Museum. Are you willing to help? I need you to send in your photos and videos (that you have rights to), of your Saabs! You can post them on our Facebook wall, or email them to adspringer80@gmail.com. Thank you!

Save Saab museum in Trollhättan!

Unfortunately Saab is in big trouble, we all hope VM `ll succeed in finding a way to save Saab. Besides that there is also the Saab Museum in Trollhättan to be saved. A very important museum of the history of Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget, better known as Saab.

As fans we are afraid for the future of this museum, the spot where the most important cars are still visible for everyone.

On Facebook we have also started a page for Saab fans to unite. Our brand and the museum are both in danger.

The UrSaab is of course one of the most iconic cars in the Saab Museum. But the museum houses more recent heritage cars from Saabs rich history, that are equally important and worth saving! Like the award winning Aero-X concept car that paved the future of Saabs designs the last couple of years, including the latest models of 9-5 and 9-4x.