The Swedish at Volvo got the ultimate wake up call and in the end they made their comeback. Sadly, not the same can be said of their co-nationals at Saab.
Saab’s ability to handle their products, selling them and eventually making a profit isn’t likely to be used for examples in business colleges around the world any time soon.
The Spyker connection and funding, the influx of money the Dutch were negotiating along side Saab from the Chinese and some of the customer fan base; these are some of the steps to success the company is now missing.
Spyker are still actively involved in finding a way out of this mess for the aerodynamics loving Swedish brand but ever so often the light at the end of the tunnel seems to be getting dimmer and dimmer.
As for the Chinese, original plans to team up with the Hawtai Motor Group fell through, mostly because of the Asian country’s overly complicated bureaucratic system.
Some of you may remember how a while back, GM and Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery didn’t manage to save Hummer because the Chinese government didn’t authorize all of the paperwork for the deal to happen.
Pretty much the same problem is what killed off the good news about Saab signing the deal and resuming production.
A few rumors started circulating lately about how Spyker may have found another hope for their “child” car maker with the help of Great Wall Motor but that has just been dismissed as well.
Not since GM decided to discard Saab have we seen such a delicate situation for the Swedish.
While no actual deals are signed, or anywhere near their full potential, Saab may not be dying just yet since despite their sloppy management, the company is still worth a lot of money.
The brand in itself is worth a bundle but the European dealer network makes Saab a more than attractive financial proposition for the Chinese.
If they manage to get past the Government impaired bidding system their money will eventually help Saab get themselves the sort of funding they need to restore themselves to a former glory enthusiasts still remember.
In the meantime, Saab is grasping at straws for a loan for $41 million with the European Investment Bank and at the same time for the ability sell or lease any of their property holdings.
I want Saab to survive so much I’d be willing for them to be as common as BMW on our roads, even though that will imply losing some of their appeal.
