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By: 19th December 2011 at 15:36 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-The problems at SAAB are huge and have been for some time
The problems at SAAB are huge and have been for some time.
Some of it stems from ultra unionised attitudes in many Swedish companies.
I cannot blame the US for blocking the GM engine going Chinese, but on the other hand how long would a competent modern lab take to re-engineer the engines. It then becomes an Intellectual Property battle on a no win result.
By: 19th December 2011 at 15:48 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-SAAB
Please note that this has nothing to do with the aircraft manufacturer SAAB. It's the automobile manufacturer SAAB which is in dire straits. And it has nothing to do with the engine, but rather the "chassis."
By: 19th December 2011 at 18:01 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-I may well be wrong, but isnt the floorpan etc made by Vauxhall, as used on the Vectra,and also used for the same SAAB cars?.
Jim.
Lincoln .7
By: 19th December 2011 at 18:26 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Yes !! in the end it was the worse case of Badge engineering --latter SAABs were Vauxhall ( GM ) Vectras with different bodies , some engine modifications & adorned with SAAB badges ....A shadow of their early rally winning days .
Dutch Spyker cars along with a financial house , poked their noses in for some time , but like GM they also gave up .......
By: 19th December 2011 at 20:33 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-I wonder what Erik Carlsson, aka ("Carlsson on the roof") thinks about all this.
I used to follow his exploits as a kid. Great Driver!
By: 19th December 2011 at 20:48 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Yea paul..the days of proper rally cars ...Sad !!
By: 19th December 2011 at 22:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-They aint rally cars, this is http://www.topspeed.com/cars/ford/1986-ford-rs200-evolution-ar513.htm, and I`d give a b....k for one :)
By: 19th December 2011 at 23:00 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-The fact remains, it's very hard for a small to mid-sized independent automaker to survive.
It's been that way since then end of WWII, and we've seen the ranks of automakers shrink accordingly. The UK used to have several, but one-by-one they were either swallowed or folded. At least you still have Morgan.
Porsche only survived because of high prices and fanatics who are willing to pay them.
By: 20th December 2011 at 00:10 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-They aint rally cars, this is http://www.topspeed.com/cars/ford/1986-ford-rs200-evolution-ar513.htm, and I`d give a b....k for one :)
All very nice but what did it win as a rally car apart for a reputation of killing people?
By: 20th December 2011 at 01:12 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-All very nice but what did it win as a rally car apart for a reputation of killing people?
yep pretty much simmilar to the metro 6r4 very high performance go cart with little more than a one layer fibre glass shell
By: 20th December 2011 at 01:24 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-nicest saab our family has ever had was a white with bottle green interior saab 96 v4 (realy nice car ) that used the ford v4 engine ( tricky to work on sometimes as you had to remove the rally bracing bars to effect some jobs )we also had a few 99s i blew a starter motor once ( again a nightmare to replace as i needed to strip all the surrounding engine parts )
the biggest trouble for saabs market place sales was getting involved with other car companies
i personaly feel once saab departed from its individual marketing base evolved from aircraft manufacture to mass car manufacture it killed thier traditional market
after all why pay a premium for what is basicaly a vectra
as a traditional saab family none of us would buy the newest sh*te !!
By: 20th December 2011 at 01:35 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-travelled many a mile in one of these , if i remember correctly it was also columb change , have to say it was one of the very few cars that as a kid left a lasting impression !!
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By: AutoStick - 19th December 2011 at 15:03
As from today the SAAB Motor company is officially bankrup. The Chinese put up a buyout/rescue package , but a previous owner ( GM ) will not allow the Chniese to use GM engines, underpinings or designs .....So the Chinese told the Americans/SAAB to get stuffed.....Bye Bye SAAB!!