A previous blog post spoke about Saab and a wish that one man with some vision would come to the fore with the financial clout to keep the unique manufacturer afloat. Seems like this might happen.
A report in todays Times says that “Wall Street veteran” (what does this really mean) Ira Rennert is trying to acquire the shellshocked manufacturer, against competition from Fiat and Koenigsegg. Rennert is the guy who bought Hummer and sold the resource-hungry company back to the village idiots at GM (making $900 million for his trouble) back in the day, so he knows a bit about bringing life to an underperformer and how GM works. Can’t see that there is much he can rape out of Saab either, as the Swedish Government are adamant that they won’t ply it with cash and GM have nothing to sweeten the deal.
The man himself must see something of value in there – I hope it’s a couple of new model ranges. Saab are one of the companies who do not deserve to die, or to be resold to another bone-idle conglomerate in a false promise-laden exit strategy ten years down the road. The right management brought in to rebuild this once wonderful firm before completing an MBO in 2020 would be a great thing. Of course this dream relies on genuine car enthusiasts at the helm; do such people still exist?
A small Saab city car, selling at say £11950 (smaller than the 9-1 concept above), would bring life to the brand in the same way that something like Mini bolsters BMWs ‘dynamic range’, and leaning on eco-credentials is a credible way forward for a company like Saab. Scandinavian design carries genuine kudos across the planet and that sweet Saab brand would be likely to attract the right minds for the challenge. Hope they get their shot at rejuvenation.
