Sale of Saab brand from GM to Spyker is completed

[saab_o_naut]

I have been seeing reports that as of the end of last week, the sale of the Saab brand from GM to Spyker has been completed. This is most certainly very good news and all indications are that the Spyker people have the right approach to re-invigorate Saab and develop the brand to once again be a top-quality, highly regarded prestige car marque.

Craig.

[Tall323i]

It will be interesting to see what comes out of the factory after they've had time to do some new designing/development.

[the afro guy]

should be a good match i think. spyker aren't afraid do produce something different so hopefully they can get rid of that stupid saabaru idea and kick onto better things. they're not my favourite cars in the world but at least they're interesting!

[shitbmxrider]

I have been seeing reports that as of the end of last week, the sale of the Saab brand from GM to Spyker has been completed. This is most certainly very good news and all indications are that the Spyker people have the right approach to re-invigorate Saab and develop the brand to once again be a top-quality, highly regarded prestige car marque.

Craig.

When where they ever regarded as such, and not just an somewhat enreliable, odd-ball brand reserved for the few that like them? (as per Alfa, Skoda, Seat etc)

[saab_o_naut]

When where they ever regarded as such, and not just an somewhat enreliable, odd-ball brand reserved for the few that like them? (as per Alfa, Skoda, Seat etc)

Saab developed many of the technologies that current-day car makers use now and the cars have always been well-regarded. GM stuffed the brand up in the 1990's so it's that period of time that's caused damage to the brand.

BMW is an odd-ball brand too in the same way that most other Euro makes are (including Saab) if you really want to categorise imported vehicles using that sort of approach. 8-)

Craig.

[sooty]

Can't see how Skoda is an odd-ball brand? Women were not allowed to vote yet in Australia when Skoda started making cars. I'm not sure Holden senior started farming his property north of Adelaide yet, either. Skoda sold 684,000 units in 2009. Holden? Ford Oz? Anyone heard of them north of Darwin, except certain UK TV presenters?
Not a fan of the Swedish auto scene myself, but I'd hate to see them go. When brands like Saab disappear we all suffer because we'll end up driving bland beige Toyotas or silver so called sports mobiles from VAG...

[Hoadie]

Both Holden and Ford were building or assembling vehicles in Australia around the same time that Skoda started building vehicles. Holden has a history at least as long as Skoda, dating back to the 1850s.

As for Skoda being an oddball company, look at what they were building before they were bought out by VAG. Sure they've come along way since the early 90s but before that they were far from mainstream.

[sooty]

Just to get facts right: Ford started manufacturing in Australia in 1925, Holden in 1931; Skoda was making cars since 1905 though. Before joining VAG Skoda was as mainstream in eastern Europe as the Falcodores are here. Not the best cars out there, true.

[Hoadie]

Not wanting to turn this into a pissing contest, I have in front of ms a book called "The History of Holden Since 1917" and it opens:

Holden's car body building business goes back to 1914 when H.J. Holden of Holden and Frost of Grenfell Street, Adelaide, took an order for a custom built body to suit a Lancia chassis, which was owned by a publican.

It goes on to say that Holden had been engaged in the trimming of motor vehicles since 1910

[Hoadie]

Building rear engined cars into the 1980s is hardly mainstream!

[shitbmxrider]

Don't get me wrong, I like Skoda's!

Infact, a Octavia vRS TDI DSG Combi is on the shortlist to replace the XR6T, along with a 159 Ti JTDm 2.4 sportwagon(and due to a $25k price difference, the Skoda is winning!)

No denying they are oddball tho.

Not Oddball: BMW, VW, Audi, Benz, Ford EU, Opel/Vauxhall
Oddball: Volvo, Saab, Skoda, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia, SEAT, Rover, Peugeot, Renault, Citroen