Wednesday 7th December 2011

The Saab saga goes on: GM's still saying 'no'

Saab's future bleak as General Motors still disapproves of buyout by Chinese

---

Will the 9-5 ever make it back into production?

General Motors said yesterday that it would still refuse to approve a revised ownership structure for Saab's proposed sale to Chinese car makers Pang Da and Youngman.

Saab was sold by GM to Swedish Automobile in early 2010, but still relies heavily on GM technology licences and production contracts. And GM is nervous that a buyout of its former subsidiary by the Chinese would adversely affect GM's competitive position in China and other developing markets.

Saab hasn't built a car since April

"We have reviewed Saab's proposed changes regarding the sale of the company," GM spokesman James Cain said in a statement. "Nothing in the proposal changes GM's position. We are unable to support the transaction."

Swedish Autombile's new proposal is thought to involve an unnamed Chinese bank, and it is reported that one of the two Chinese car companies originally involved, Pang Da, has pulled out of the deal.

Saab now hasn't produce any cars since April, but it isn't giving up yet. Swedish Automobile CEO Victor Muller told the Reuters news agency that "there is always Plan B", though he would not elaborate on exactly what it was. We presume he does not mean that Ben Drew will be investing in the company...

Follow the whole Saab saga in the PH forums here

[SD1992]

I wonder what will happen to them in the end?

It would be a shame to see Saab go out the window, but I really don't know why GM are not doing anything with them.

Does this mean that the new models are going to be very cheap? What will the availability of spare parts be like?

[Noe]

Simply put - if you have an interest in business or an intellectual right / investment / technical exposure - you don't, never, let the chinese in or have it out right without a fight.

This isn't about GM not 'doing' anything with Saab .... much wider than that


Try living / spending time with chinese business people / in china and you'll get the picture very, very clearly

[SD1992]

The Crack Fox said:

Why isn't this in the 'Saab gone' thread ?

I just went to comment on the story on the PH homepage, didn't realise it would go into a whole new thread!

[sunsurfer]

Noe said:

Simply put - if you have an interest in business or an intellectual right / investment / technical exposure - you don't, never, let the chinese in or have it out right without a fight.

This isn't about GM not 'doing' anything with Saab .... much wider than that


Try living / spending time with chinese business people / in china and you'll get the picture very, very clearly

I would suspect this then means that Saab hasn't a chance of being sold to the Chinese as Saab itself does not have enough intellectual property and GM will just veto any sale that allows Chinese manufacturers to get their hand on GM intellectual property.

[UltimaCH]

Now that Switzerland is deciding to go for the Swedish Saab built Gripen fighter plane for its new air defence, who knows perhaps they could also buy the automobile sector too.

[Pistachio]

Saab Gone? thread has it all from start to the latest…..http://www.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=984175&mid=128848&nmt=Saab%20gone?

[Riggers]

Pistachio said:

Saab Gone? thread has it all from start to the latest…..http://www.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=984175&mid=128848&nmt=Saab%20gone?

I should really pay more attention to the forums

Any new homepage stories in the future will definitely point in the direction of that thread... (as the original article now does too)

[Pistachio]

Riggers said:

Pistachio said:

Saab Gone? thread has it all from start to the latest…..http://www.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=984175&mid=128848&nmt=Saab%20gone?

I should really pay more attention to the forums

Any new homepage stories in the future will definitely point in the direction of that thread... (as the original article now does too)

Top banana
We are having so much fun over there….

[mark3man]

Noe said:

Simply put - if you have an interest in business or an intellectual right / investment / technical exposure - you don't, never, let the chinese in or have it out right without a fight.

This isn't about GM not 'doing' anything with Saab .... much wider than that


Try living / spending time with chinese business people / in china and you'll get the picture very, very clearly

I'm just curious what the Chinese would inherit that they could not discover by just buying a car and examining it. That's what has happened to some of our products. IP action there is, of course, just a way of employing lawyers.
True, they would copy, but if that led to IP action in USA, it would negate sales ther. Despite everyone thinking that China is the new BIG market, I prefer to think it's the new market

[urquattro]

Sorry for SAAB and the employees, Chinese will wish to buy everything int/prop, designs, tooling etc etc for sod all squared, so good on you GM but a bit late re UK.
MG, lock/stock and barrel sold for three bags of rice, Rolls and Mini swallowed by BMW and Bentley by VAG, all sold either by liquidators for a fee or hedgefunds etc etc.
The story of capitalism and shares on an open market in UK, never seen french or german car plants sold, its different there I feel.

[ArosaMike]

mark3man said:

I'm just curious what the Chinese would inherit that they could not discover by just buying a car and examining it. That's what has happened to some of our products. IP action there is, of course, just a way of employing lawyers.
True, they would copy, but if that led to IP action in USA, it would negate sales ther. Despite everyone thinking that China is the new BIG market, I prefer to think it's the new market

I was thinking this too. They've already showed that if they want to copy they will. It's easy enough to just buy a competitor car, strip it down, benchmark and then effectively reproduce, so I don't really see what advantage the Chinese would gain buy having access to the actual IP. Seems very much like sour grapes from GM.

[MX7]

mark3man said:

I'm just curious what the Chinese would inherit that they could not discover by just buying a car and examining it.

Agree. I think there may be more to this than we are being told.

[A Scotsman]

Read this.....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/jeremy-...

Quite an astonishing article for the Telegraph which is normally somewhat to the right of Attilla the Hun when it comes to the free market and globalisation. Pleased to see though that even here the penny has seemingly dropped.