Discussion
VeeFour said:
They were still called a B-something. To call it an H is verging on wearing a 1970s Saab anorak and drinking weak lemon from a tartan flask.... and they were still just a revised version of someone else's design, no mater what the Saab-isti might claim.
A little unfair really considering Saab's reworking of the Triumph design, both in B and H series form are fantastic engines in their own right. Without question far better than the Ascona derived block GM transferred to for 900 / 9-3 / 9-5 production. VeeFour said:
They've come up with nothing that was their own work for about 40 years.
Actually the opposite is much closer to the truth over and above any other single automotive manufacturer. Perhaps why Saab are referred to as 'Saab the Innovator', the title to Mark Chatterton's book for obvious reasons. Work-Shy-Wanabe said:
My dad had a 900 turbo when I was young, felt like it was the fastest car in the world at the time. Seam to remember it caused lots of head scratching from mechanics when ever it went wrong!
A great misconception. Those days seasoned mechanics had little knowledge and no experience of turbo technology or life expectancy. They knew how expensive they were to replace, so the rumour mill starts. Clutch in the wrong place, despite its simplicity and ease of access, confused many.
Handbrake front calipers sounded awkward enough never mind if they were or not.
As a whole I would not say 'they went wrong'.
Not dead yet
Apr 4, 2011
Spyker says ailing Saab not facing collapse
STOCKHOLM - THE production problems which hit loss-making Swedish carmaker Saab last week were a small glitch which the company will survive, Dutch owner Spyker Cars NV said on Monday.
Saab, based in western Sweden, had to stop production for three days after suppliers stopped deliveries due to unpaid bills. The problems, which Spyker has said are now solved, raised question marks about the company's finances.
But Spyker chief executive Victor Muller, whose company bought Saab in 2010 from General Motors, remained upbeat.
'Saab is still producing and it is not on the verge of collapse,' Mr Muller told a news conference where Saab was presenting new vehicles.
He said the company would by next year have the widest and newest range in its history and output this year would be weighted towards the latter half.
Saab president and chief executive Jan Ake Jonsson, who unexpectedly announced his retirement two weeks ago, said the company had faced a tightening in liquidity in the second half of the quarter but was working to solve the problem. -- REUTERS
Apr 4, 2011
Spyker says ailing Saab not facing collapse
STOCKHOLM - THE production problems which hit loss-making Swedish carmaker Saab last week were a small glitch which the company will survive, Dutch owner Spyker Cars NV said on Monday.
Saab, based in western Sweden, had to stop production for three days after suppliers stopped deliveries due to unpaid bills. The problems, which Spyker has said are now solved, raised question marks about the company's finances.
But Spyker chief executive Victor Muller, whose company bought Saab in 2010 from General Motors, remained upbeat.
'Saab is still producing and it is not on the verge of collapse,' Mr Muller told a news conference where Saab was presenting new vehicles.
He said the company would by next year have the widest and newest range in its history and output this year would be weighted towards the latter half.
Saab president and chief executive Jan Ake Jonsson, who unexpectedly announced his retirement two weeks ago, said the company had faced a tightening in liquidity in the second half of the quarter but was working to solve the problem. -- REUTERS
Pistachio said:
Prett cool luxo barge I would say, been in one and they are so much better than the old 95 different animal completely 
Reviews seem to be implying they're suffering from the same issues as the old 9-5s too: the low/midrange variants are so-so and very much also-rans, whereas the Aero is an absolute stonker.Schplendid!
Time I had another Aero then!
RedLeicester said:
Reviews seem to be implying they're suffering from the same issues as the old 9-5s too: the low/midrange variants are so-so and very much also-rans, whereas the Aero is an absolute stonker.
Why is this logic any different for others? Don't BMW, Merc, Audi, et al, make low/midrange variants also. Or are these so called reviewers saying Saab are worse then others?
Hopeful then that the marque will continue. I have refrained from asking questions of my main dealer, other than when we bought the car a year ago, I mentioned that I had heard about the sale to Spyker and the sales manager was quite optimistic, saying that now they were shaking off the GM connection things looked rosy for the future.
Since then of course it has been up & down but we will live in hope. Certainly the dealer (where BTW they have now got the car back in for front springs - I collected it yesterday after a lengthy front wheel hub replacement - a front spring broke on the way home [opposite side to the hub replacement] and both springs are being replaced under warranty) is not full of people going round with long faces; they are all just as professional and focused as ever.
Since then of course it has been up & down but we will live in hope. Certainly the dealer (where BTW they have now got the car back in for front springs - I collected it yesterday after a lengthy front wheel hub replacement - a front spring broke on the way home [opposite side to the hub replacement] and both springs are being replaced under warranty) is not full of people going round with long faces; they are all just as professional and focused as ever.
Slade Alive said:
Why is this logic any different for others?
Don't BMW, Merc, Audi, et al, make low/midrange variants also. Or are these so called reviewers saying Saab are worse then others?
Reviewers rave about the BMW 320d. And the 335D. And the M3. There is a degree of consistency across the range. In the case of the 9-5 it would appear (akin to the previous model) the "normal" low and mid-range cars are either being utterly slated or just eliciting a "meh". The Aeros on the other hand are being feted as excellent...Don't BMW, Merc, Audi, et al, make low/midrange variants also. Or are these so called reviewers saying Saab are worse then others?
RedLeicester said:
Reviewers rave about the BMW 320d. And the 335D. And the M3. There is a degree of consistency across the range.
I'd wager those reviewers raving about 320d and 335d, won't for the majority have reviewed a new model 9-5 yet. And the new model 9-5 hasn't been around long enough to establish a degree of consistency. Give them time. RedLeicester said:
In the case of the 9-5 it would appear (akin to the previous model) the "normal" low and mid-range cars are either being utterly slated or just eliciting a "meh". The Aeros on the other hand are being feted as excellent...
I find it hard to believe Saab would have managed to move into the 21st century with a "meh" car. Especially if an Aero gets an excellent, which is a higher spec version of the 'meh' car after all. Reviewers often talk a lot of 5hit. 
And there's more...
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-11/spyker-sa...
I have a sneaking feeling Rover did this one too. So if Saab miss one payment, Mr Antonov can close the whole company down, get himself some nice building land in Sweden and ship all the tooling to either Russia or China.
Sweet deal.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-11/spyker-sa...
I have a sneaking feeling Rover did this one too. So if Saab miss one payment, Mr Antonov can close the whole company down, get himself some nice building land in Sweden and ship all the tooling to either Russia or China.
Sweet deal.
The Hypno-Toad said:
And there's more...
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-11/spyker-sa...
I have a sneaking feeling Rover did this one too. So if Saab miss one payment, Mr Antonov can close the whole company down, get himself some nice building land in Sweden and ship all the tooling to either Russia or China.
Sweet deal.
Have you ever been there man, you know, to Trollhatten? hmmmm not a lot there really, nope not a lot there, just a freakin canalhttp://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-11/spyker-sa...
I have a sneaking feeling Rover did this one too. So if Saab miss one payment, Mr Antonov can close the whole company down, get himself some nice building land in Sweden and ship all the tooling to either Russia or China.
Sweet deal.
Do car dealers operate client accounts? Even if I wanted a new Saab, I'd be reluctant to give a deposit to a dealer with the manufactures future in so much doubt.
If the manufacture goes, it's bound to hit the dealer and I'd be worried that any customer deposits they have may disappear.
If the manufacture goes, it's bound to hit the dealer and I'd be worried that any customer deposits they have may disappear.
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