Photo Credit: Saab Automobile AB

Saab Automobile AB has mentioned the speculation around the leaked next generation Saab 9-5 photos that emerged not that long ago.

They are emphatic in their communication by stating that the real product, still displayed in a semi-revealing photo above, will be much more impressive than the photos we saw recently.

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile AB

The final Saab 9-5 production model rolled off of the assembly line this week at the Saab factory in Trollhattan, Sweden.

The Saab 9-5 Sedan first debuted in 1997 as a MY ‘98 model, has been in production for 11 years and this model represents the end of it’s production run.

It’s first year of production, the 9-5 hit the 3 millionth Saab model to be produced, and as it’s demand spiked over its lifetime, it set a new level of unparalleled safety for Saab Automobile.

To learn more about the 9-5’s history, please take a look through the Saab History 9-5 archive for more information.

A sincere thank you to the folks at the Saab Automobile AB factory and press team for providing this photograph to Saab History today.

Image Credit: Saab Automobile AB

Saab Automobile has launched a print ad, perhaps in a series, emphasizing safety for the 9-5.

The bold headline really packs a nice punch and should be, in my opinion, continued here in the United States.

Very well done, here’s hoping we see more of this!

Photo Credit: Motor Trend

The next generation Saab 9-5 that we saw in the midwest last week here on Saab History, is actually part of a larger fleet of vehicles testing the vehicle which was recently seen by Motortrend in Colorado.

The previous generation that sees its final production model sedan roll out of the factory this week, made it’s first North American debut at a Saab Owners Convention in 1997. I was originally hoping that this model would also make a North American debut at the 2009 Saab Owners Convention which is also taking place in Colorado. One can wish right?

The Wall Street Journal & MSN report that there will be no funding for General Motors from the U.S. Treasury or elsewhere after July 10th.

The question now is, since Saab Automobile’s funding as of today, continues to come from General Motors, what will this mean for them in lieu of any more funding?

We originally heard that Saab Automobile will be funded until the end of December of GM, but now that GM is in bankruptcy court, will that change?

Official: No Funding for GM After July 10

WNEW YORK - Warning that the demise of General Motors Corp. would have a disastrous ripple effect over the entire U.S. economy, an attorney for the automaker called Wednesday for the speedy approval of GM’s plan to sell the bulk of its assets and emerge from court oversight as a new company.

GM attorney Harvey Miller said in a bankruptcy court hearing that the automaker’s only option to the sale is liquidation. He noted the Treasury Department will cut off funding for the company’s operations after July 10 if the sale is not approved by then.

No other investors have stepped forward with an alternate plan or to supply the more than $50 billion in financing the Treasury will have put into GM before all is said and done, Miller said.
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“The economics in this case don’t change if this sale doesn’t get approved, they just get worse,” Miller said, adding that the resulting liquidation would place the future of GM’s hundreds of suppliers in danger, as well as send the U.S. into an even deeper economic crisis.

Detroit-based GM’s government-backed plan for a quick exit from Chapter 11 hinges on the sale plan, which would allow the automaker to leave behind many of the costs and liabilities that have made it unprofitable.

But hundreds of parties including bondholders, unions, state officials, consumer groups and individuals have filed objections to the sale, threatening to hold up the process.

TTELA, Trollhattan, Sweden’s own local newspaper reports that Saab Automobile hopes for increased sales with the 9-3x addition coming this fall, says Annicka Troedsson.

The sales as we know during Saab’s reconstruction period were quite dismal, but they have picked up globally as well, particularly since the recent news about Koenigsegg’s memorandum of understanding with Saab Automobile.

However, it’s going to take some serious funding to be secured so that the production will grow and sales will significantly increase.

Here’s their article below.

ROLL IN … Saab hopes much of its 9-3X, which will be available after the summer. According to information manager Annicka Troedsson Saab’s total orders increased slightly in June.

Lousy sales for Saab has lost half of the Swedish market during the reconstruction

TROLLHÄTTAN Worst development of all.

New sales in Sweden the first half of 2009 shows extremely poor figures for Saab. Compared with the same period in 2008, sales have fallen by 63 percent.

Saab percentage pin is the largest for any brand except for a couple of Luxury Vehicles which only sells a few copies each year. The market share halved, from eight percent the first half of 2008 to four percent. It shows the figures provided by trade association Bil Sweden published yesterday.

- It reflects the situation we find ourselves 
 in the recession and recovery, “said Troedsson Annicka, Communications Manager for Saab Sweden.

New owner important

She points out that it is urgently vital to get everything ready with a new owner. But the question is still uncertain, with new speculation about Fiat as a possible Saab Owner, which started again on Tuesday.

- We are in negotiation with Koenigsegg. The speculation is in the media, I do not want to comment, saying Annicka Troedsson.
Read more »

As a vote of confidence for my efforts and for the future of Saab Automobile, New Salem Saab of Albany, New York, Saab History’s first sponsor, has renewed their long standing sponsorship agreement.

New Salem Saab, the Second Oldest Originally Owned Exclusive Saab Dealer In the United States, continues a great advertising opportunity here on Saab History. This family owned and operated dealership has racing in their blood and are very excited about a Koenigsegg owned Saab Automobile and what that will mean to the marque moving forward.

I am providing you with a a great piece about their combined 150 years of on staff experience at New Salem Saab and photo of the owner, continuing the ice racing legacy.

Photo Credit: New Salem Saab/ Darryl Carl Ice Racing Saab 9000

Our experience within our franchise is bar none. New Salem Saab, a dealer in good standing, has maintained the franchise rights to the Saab brand since 1961, through three ownership changes, and soon to be a forth with Koenigsegg, a Swedish auto manufacturing company, who recently sign a memorandum of understanding for the purchase of Saab from our ailing US parent General Motors who filed for bankruptcy. This makes New Salem Saab the second oldest originally owned Saab dealership in the Country capable or repairing every Saab that was ever imported into the United States.

The current leadership from Darryl Carl stems from formal education and the experience from working within all aspects of the dealership since age 13 as well as leading the operation on his own since 1994, a combined experience of over 25 years.

Our management team is also as impressive. Our Comptroller has been with our company for 22 years and started as a service technician. Our parts manager has been with us for 13 years and started as a parts clerk.

Our office manager, wife of the owner/operator has been with the company for 9 years but has worked for a dealership since graduation from high school, a combined dealership experience of 22 years. Our assistant service manager and warranty manager has been with our company for 15 years.

Our detail manager has been with our company for 7 years. Our sales manager is the former owner/operator of a Saab dealership from Kingston, NY who recently closed his dealership due to economic times and is now over seeing our Sales operation.

His experience with Saab, including being a Saab dealer is 20 years. New Salem Saab’s combined management experience is 124 years, add our technicians; we have over 150 years combined dealership experience with Saab.

Darryl F. Carl
President / Owner / Service Manager
New Salem Saab - http://www.newsalemsaab.com
(518-862-2795 Office 518-862-2799 Fax 518-528-4083 Cell)

Saab Since 1961 - Our 48th year with Saab!
Servicing your automotive needs for 62 years now.
WE TAKE SAAB SERVICE SERIOUSLY!

SVT reports that there are students at the world famous transportation design school in Umeå, are creating design charettes on what the future of Koenigsegg-Saab products will look like for course credit.

Let’s keep in mind, it was Daniel Forsgren of the same school back in 2003 that interned with Saab Automobile and created the Saab 9-CX concept car as seen in the video here.

These students, some speaking in English for the camera, have some very interesting ideas as we can see here. Enjoy the video.

Here’s a brief translation of the coverage from SVT below.

How will the future of Saab-Koenigsegg look like? Yes, the answer to it is perhaps on of Design in Umeå for just minutes after the news of the acquisition of Saab Koenigseggs started the students on transportation design line at Design School in Umeå to sketch out the future car.

-Just when we heard the news, we received a mandate to draw a car, “says Juan Pablo Barnal Parbon in English with his Spanish accent.

“We said at once that this might be a chance for us new designers to show us and maybe get a job at car maker, says Pablo with ill-concealed delight.

The challenge is to find the lines that combine the two makes. The strong front of the Koenigsegg with the clean lines Saab describes a student’s sketch.

-I have looked a little more on the Saab 80’s models with the old 900: an and the like from that period. Not so much retro but more trying to keep the old lines, “says Niklas Palm on its yellow sketch of the car.

Reuters reports that Saab Automobile AB are now discussing Bridge Loans to get them through this period until their EIB loans are guaranteed.

* Carmaker still expects to have sufficient liquidity

* In funding talks with EIB

VISBY, Sweden, June 30 (Reuters) - Saab Automobile could increase production to meet higher demand if it secured bridge financing from the government, the struggling Swedish carmaker’s chief executive said on Tuesday.

Jan Ake Jonsson also told journalists on the sidelines of a conference on the island of Gotland the loss-making unit of bankrupt U.S. carmaker General Motors (GMGMQ.PK) had enough liquidity to last it through the grace period under creditor protection granted it by a Swedish court.

Niche sportscar maker Koenigsegg earlier this month agreed a preliminary deal to take over Saab, backed by Norwegian and U.S. investors. [ID:LG827751]

“We are discussing bridge loans,” Jonsson said.

“If we were to get that kind of financing that would mean we could increase production. We have the demand and we would of course have to rehire a number of individuals.”

Financing for the Koenigsegg deal included an expected $600 million in loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB) guaranteed by the Swedish state, which so far has been reluctant to extend aid to what is an iconic Swedish brand.
Read more »

TTELA reports that Saab Automobile needs money, quickly because they are currently in-between owners GM & Koenigsegg and funding for existing operations is running out.

Furthermore, the European Investment Bank loans apparently won’t be able to be granted until September 22nd, unless they can make an earlier board meeting with the EIB in late July. Those EIB loans also, cannot be used for existing operations, only future product and innovations.

Here’s the article below, loosely translated by Google Translate.

Saab must have money - quickly

Saab Automobile could produce and sell more cars today, but it lacks money.

- We could go up in output relative to the orders we have, “says Saab-Jan Åke Jonsson to the Göteborgs-Posten online.

Now Saab is trying speed up the process surrounding the loan of approximately SEK 4.6 billion by the European Investment Bank (EIB), to try to get the money earlier.

There have otherwise talked about a possible payment after September 22. Only then would the EIB’s Board of Directors to take decisions. In August has been no board meeting and the July meeting, we do not have time to fully consider Saab’s loan application.

- We work with the EIB to see if we can not move the decision until July. We have not excluded it. We do not have the opportunity to adapt our operations because the money is insufficient, “said Jonsson.

Today mounted only one hundred cars a day in Trollhättan, a very low production. Without money contributions, it will remain there.

The EIB process is also the state an important negotiating partner. EIB require government guarantees and the conditions of those negotiating with Saab Riksgälden on.
Read more »

Photo Credit: Saab History

This past week, I saw a great 1992 Saab 900 4-door sedan in front of the Harbor Fish Market in Portland, Maine.

I frequent this fish market as it provides some of the healthiest local seafood in the area at good prices and it’s clear that other Saab owners feel the same!

A nice Saab Sighting Of The Week, I hope to see this one driving around again!

Saab History has recently learned that through a colleague, Koenigsegg is planning on being at the 2009 Saab Owners Convention taking place in Copper Mountain, Colorado. Koenigsegg @ Copper, sounds like there is a ring to it?

Here’s hoping Christian Von Koenigsegg & Bård Eker will be there in full force to describe what their new vision for Saab Automobile will look like by then.

Hopefully this good news will help convince those that have been unsure about attending. In the meantime, please visit both the 2009 Saab Owners Convention Photo Archive and Promotional Video as well to see what the area will look like in anticipation to your arrival.

Finally, if you have not already registered for the Saab Owners Convention, I highly suggest you visit their site and ensure that you sign up today.