The Garage has returned from the New York Auto Show. We kick off our coverage not with the news that will grab headlines in mainstream media, but instead we will focus on what many predicted would never happen: that Saab would even exist when the New York Auto Show came around this Spring. Saab not only exists, but had a stand at the show. The Garage was honored to have been invited to a special reception after the show to learn more about the future of Saab at the Cooper Classic Car Gallery in tony Greenwich Village.
Done Deal: Spyker owns Saab
Finally, after months of negotiations, the deal between General Motors and Spyker is done and Spyker now owns Saab. While deals of the transition period have yet to be revealed, at least Saab fans around the world can breath a sigh of relief knowing that their brand will live on.
GM press release after the break
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Saab is Saved!
Whew! When it seemed extremely unlikely that Saab had any chance of survival. Spyker and GM announced a binding agreement for Spyker to buy Saab from the General. The future of Saab has been in question ever since GM announced a formation of a new company with four core brands-Chevy, Buick, GMC and Cadillac. Saab was put up for sale, and it was a known fact that without a buyer, GM would shut down the company. Saab’s future looked promising when Koenigsegg agreed to buy the company. When that deal collapsed, Saab loyalists and fans had good reason to panic.
Dutch exotic car builder Spyker made it clear they wanted to buy Saab, but this time around GM was being eerily silent to the media. Meanwhile, the rights to the pre-2003 9-3 and current 9-5 were sold to BAIC, a Chinese company. Worse, GM then announces plans to “wind down” Saab operations, even though the company indicated they were still reviewing offers.