[Closed] Saab are they going to be saved ?

I cared when I had a Saab, not anymore.
My first Saab was great, 2nd one very average and kept going wrong.
I am not an architect (as the Manic Street Preachers almost said once)

What are you basing your hopes of Tata saving Saab on?

Tata, it'll be a scam.

Tata have denied it but said in their statement "mahindra have"

nice

[url] http://business-standard.com/india/news/tata-denies-reportsaab-bid/467004/ [/url]

If Saab disappears, the only sympathy I have is for the employees who are out of a job and the impact on their families.

Once upon a time they made something 'significant' (apparently) in the form of the Saab 90 Turbo or whatever it was.

Other than that, it's just a company that makes (made?) average cars, neither here nor there in the scheme of things.

There's something that I like in Saab missing from other manufacturers.
I think it would be a shame to see them go.

There's also something in me that thinks if I were in charge, I could sort them out 🙂

I've posted it several times over the last year or so, but I think they never fundamentally understood their own appeal.

Now that Audi are driven by people who would have previously driven a BMW, there should be room for Saab, but not if they can't get away from the fact they're Vectras underneath.

The difference is they were cars designed by engineers, that slowly changed over time, sorry to see them go 🙁

If the deal does come off it could be just what they need.. Jaguar and Land Rover have gone from strength to strength under Tata..

but not if they can't get away from the fact they're Vectras underneath

I thought the problem was that they were supposed to be Vectras underneath, but they aren't.

Hence GM cutting them off because they persisted in doing their own thing, were a liability in terms of management and aren't finanically viable.

Sign a deal with the devil get shafted!

GM claiming rights to anything SAAB develop so no-one is going to buy them.

Shame, I've loved all of my SAABs

No offence to any SAAB fans but save 'what'?

They stopped making nice cars well over 10yrs ago. Even then they borrowed alot of tech.

You can't live forever thinking oooooo the saab 900 Carlsson

They haven't made money in 20 years apparently so I doubt anyone wants anything other than the name.

It's a shame for the people in Sweden who will be out of work, but not that much more IMO (I like Saabs but if they can't make a car and sell it for a profit then it's game over sooner or later)

Its not even on the same page as what Volvo or JLR were.

Now that Audi are driven by people who would have previously driven a BMW, there should be room for Saab, but not if they can't get away from the fact they're Vectras underneath.

They won't be Vectras underneath if Tata buy them! That was only because GM owned them. Think of them as the new Rover, some Indian designed and built car with a Saab badge on?

Anyone want to to tell me which bits of my 9-3 hatch are (or aren't for that matter) Vectra then?

"Anyone want to to tell me which bits of my 9-3 hatch are (or aren't for that matter) Vectra then? "
Most bits are Vectra infact even the part numbers are the same. (ex saab warranty man here)

There's something that I like in Saab missing from other manufacturers.

Admit it - you're an architect aren't you?

There's something that I like in Saab missing from other manufacturers.

You are either retired or a taxi driver?

[i]robh - Member
Anyone want to to tell me which bits of my 9-3 hatch are (or aren't for that matter) Vectra then?[/i]

It's just what lazy smartarses say. As Top Gear *spit* showed, they were supposed to just rebadge Vectras but the Saab guys weren't satisfied, so changed loads, including the whole interior (developing their own Satnav!) It was their downfall in the end.
Its about the driving experience and I'd bet anyone who says a Saab is a Vectra hasn't actually driven either. (I could be wrong, but don't really care 😉 )

I realise a lot of small parts are the same, but to say it's just a Vectra, is the X Type just a Mondeo?

I understand why SAAB got into a realstionship with GM, but GM have made it impossible for anyone else to buy the brand.

Imperfect, sure, but build (I have to say) really nice, solid looking and solidly built cars - have had an old style 900 which never set the heather on fire with performance but drove great - in fact drove better the more you hussled it - and could carry five adults plus kit for a weeks skiing holiday with no a glance.

now got a 'newer' 900 (pre 9-3) and some of the nice touches are missing (heated seats, heated windscreen washer lines) but it's solid, decent economy and looks nicely understated - and still quite elegant I have to think, how much can you say of its brethren cars from 1996?

... I am not an architect ...

Admit it - you're an architect aren't you?

You are either retired or a taxi driver?

Close - a Product Designer.

I think that counts - your standard attire is a black polo neck?

I've had three SAABs, as company cars, from 02 until last year. A 93 Sports Saloon and two 93 Sportswagons, I have to say that I liked all three cars but noticed the cuts between the two Sports Wagons (55 plate & 58 plate) the newer one had standard things missing that were on the older car - Mats, Front seat back pockets etc.

I loved the 9-5. Brilliant to sit in, OK to drive, good over potholes and on motorways, liked the green instruments and heads up display. Shame they got rid of it. New ones cheap as chips now from Saab central stock.

And I'm not an architect.

I think that counts - your standard attire is a black polo neck?

I've had three saabs, my current one is an 11 year old 93 aero Hot which is sadly being sold in a few weeks, I was hoping to get the new SUV they nearly launched, nevermind, I'm a very sad graphic designer, not quite an architect but close enough to be the cliched Saab driver.

Wouldn't an Architect seek a car with precision, style and quality?

SAAB died in the 90's. I was worried that Subaru was going the sameway but it seems to be flourishing now.

Saab may have died in the 90s, but nobody has stepped up to replace them.
Alpha have come close as have Subaru, but for different reasons. Volvo have also filled some of the gap.
But if someone offered me a company car, I'd be a bit stumped at the moment.

Wouldn't an Architect seek a car with precision, style and quality?

"Most cars with precision and quality also lack charisma."

yup.

Hmmm - you'd probably chose an old land rover, a really old Saab, a Karman Ghia, Citroen DS, or some such.
Most cars with precision and quality also lack charisma.

This, but including Citroen GS or CX, Volvo P1800, Audi A6 Allroad and very old BMW 3 series tourings. Although if my office is anything to go by it's range rover sports and porsches these days.

I on the other hand stick to stereotypes and have a mid 90s Saab 900 convertible. It's great, when it works. 😥

Most cars with precision and quality also lack charisma

Cars can't have charisma. You pretend they do to try and compensate for the fact that that they are in fact rubbish but you've already invested too much emotion to admit it.

What next? All GP's drive a certain marque?!

Sadly when SAAB is revived it won't be SAAB it will cars with the name glued on in various parts. There will be too much of a gap between original/designers and new SAAB that the patient will be oxygen starved and revived wrong...

It'll always be 'in the style of SAAB'...just like Sainsburys readymade chop suey is a pale immitation of proper Chinese..

Cars can't have charisma. You pretend they do to try and compensate for the fact that that they are in fact rubbish but you've already invested too much emotion to admit it.

all cars are shit, cars suck, why are people on a bike forum so keen on cars. just think you could sell youre car and by a nice new bike.

You appear to have mistaken STW forum posters for cyclists.

Whether you like it or not Molgrips, cars communicate to others something about their owner.
It's why when offered a company car, the company will have a say in what it is. Many companies only offer BMW/Audi/VW/etc simply because of the image they portray (i.e. stable or yuppie or exec).

If I turn up in an old VW Bus, it communicates something totally different (but sometimes equally desirable).

It's just the way the world works and it has come about because creative people like investing emotion and effort in things in order to make them their own. This includes cars, houses, clothes, etc, etc.

It's why I like buying bikes which are made in the country of origin. It's not because it makes them better, it's because the company owner has taken the hard route. That decision shows emotional and creative investment. I appreciate that and can roughly put a price tag on it's value to me. Others don't care, or find something else that represents that instead (Brant/Sam/Cy coming on here, Investment in racing, innovation, class leading customer services, etc).

I didn't see the Top Gear Saab thing (although I'm going to try and find it). But it sounds like they were invested in what they were doing. It might not have been profitable, but for me, it was evident in the end product even recently, despite what others are saying on here.

all cars are shit, cars suck, why are people on a bike forum so keen on cars. just think you could sell youre car and by a nice new bike.

- This topic is in the chat forum
- Cycling doesn't take up 24hours of your day you know.

You're starting to sound like TJ...

There are similarities, I'll be proud to admit, but some key differences 🙂

Cycling doesn't take up 24hours of your day you know.

This forum does make me laugh, so many expert opinions with little or no experience of the subject matter. 🙄

so many expert opinions with little or no experience of the subject matter

That sounds like SAAB's management team.

That sounds like SAAB's [b]ex[/b]-management team

You never know, imagine Chinese made rebadged Saab's as Youngmans.

What do you drive? Well I've got a very powerful youngman.

Right, I don't want to know about your sexual preferences.