• Sweden edition
Business & Money

New bidder in the Saab saga shows its hand

Published: 3 Feb 12 15:43 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/38908/20120203/

Less than 24 hours after Chinese firm Youngman reportedly placed a bid for Saab, another interested party has apparently joined the race to snap up the bankrupt carmaker.

Mao Hai, vice president of Beijing Automotive Investment BAIC, told the website ttela.se that the Chinese automotive giant is keen on buying up what remains of Saab possibly in a joint deal with Panasonic, to produce electric cars.

”Yes, we are considering it, but it's also a rather complicated business,” he said.

It would not be the first time that BAIC has shown an interest in the Swedish firm, after it purchased tools for older Saab models in 2009.

So far however there has been no official word from Hans Bergqvist and Anne-Marie Pouteaux, the official receivers dealing with the Saab case.

"As we have previously made clear, we will not comment on details of individual stakeholders or bid during the sale process.”

According to the financial newspaper Dagens Industri, Youngman’s bid is between 2.2 and 3.2 billion kronor ($327 - $475 million).

Representatives from the Chinese company are reported to be in Sweden already to begin negotiations, while there have been no indication yet of what BAIC may be prepared to pay for Saab.

Much will depend on whether either of the interested parties would want to buy the carmaker in its entirety or just certain parts of it and it is still unclear even if a decision were to be reached soon, how quickly production could restart at the plant.

Deliveries have now been at a standstill for nearly a year and it would take a while to get the process up and running again.

”Even if we were to play with the idea that things could be resolved in a couple of weeks, production not be started earlier than mid-summer,” said Fredrik Sidahl, general manager of the branch organisation representing car suppliers, FKG.

TT/The Local/gm (news@thelocal.se)

What do you think? Leave your comment below.

Fark It! Digg This  Share everywhere
Send to a friend Printable version Twitter This

Your comments about this article:

The comments below have not been moderated in advance and are not produced by The Local unless clearly stated. Readers are responsible for the content of their own comments. Comments that breach our terms and conditions will be removed.

19:39 February 3, 2012 by scrawler
lol...............................................
19:41 February 3, 2012 by james7
Why doesn't the Swedish government help a Swedish or scandinavian company, or possibly a German automaker buy Saab to preserve the jobs and keep them in Sweden? The US government helped the US auto companies and it worked. The Swedes need to be more socialist!!
21:01 February 3, 2012 by skogsbo
Because Saab has been american for years? And most people won't buy one now anyway.
23:47 February 3, 2012 by Coalbanks
Lost jobs will cost more than bailing out the current version of SAAB.
11:04 February 4, 2012 by Ballcocks
By all means sell of what you can to the highest bidder in order to claw back a fraction of the money already poured into this black hole, but to talk of restarting production?. Surely this only gives false hope to the fantasists and feeble minded.
13:25 February 4, 2012 by Abe L
It's not given false hope, SAAB made excellent cars, it just had the wrong management. Swedes can't lead global enterprises, but their engineering skills aren't often much better. The Americans never figured out what to do with it either. However, in the right hands with people who know how to market a car brand to a larger audience with different models for the various price classes of cars, it can definitely compete. There is a large market for quality, efficient and cheap cars. There are plenty of small and cheap Asian cars on the market, but they all lack in quality.

The Swedish government just needs to make sure that not more of Sweden's industry ends up in Chinese hands.
20:51 February 5, 2012 by Escort
On and on goes the broken record. The vultures are picking over what remains of the dead carcass that is Saab. They went of the radar 20 years ago and won't make a comeback now. What the Swedes should be doing is trying to secure the long-term future of the living (i.e. Volvo), which is by no means certain. I, along with many others, are more than a little uncomfortable with the direction in which the Chinese are taking that company.
10:49 February 9, 2012 by sureiam
Swedes ; Business skills go hand in hand with social skills and for Swedes need 100 years to be "socialists"............ After living in Sweden for some years "not surprised at all, why all productive Industries / factories are failing in the "God damn country"!!!!!!!!
ADD YOUR COMMENT   (YOU MUST LOG IN OR REGISTER TO MAKE A COMMENT)
Business & Money headlines
Saab CEO 'spied upon' during Swiss Gripen talks

Saab CEO 'spied upon' during Swiss Gripen talks

The CEO of Swedish defence contractor Saab claimed on Friday his phone had been bugged during talks with Switzerland about Saab's sale of 22 Gripen fighter jets. READ (1 COMMENT) »

Three Swedish banks downgraded by Moody's

Three Swedish banks downgraded by Moody's

Moody's Investors Service on Thursday downgraded its long-term ratings on three Swedish banks, believed to be at risk if the European financial crisis deepens. READ (9 COMMENTS) »

Police suspect theft after surprise cash 'windfall'

Police suspect theft after surprise cash 'windfall'

A woman is suspected of theft after she dropped a stash of 1,000 kronor ($140) banknotes in southern Sweden and then fled the scene, while local residents rushed in to gather the loot that was blowing in the wind. READ (3 COMMENTS) »

Cheap Norway nappies smuggled via Sweden

Cheap Norway nappies smuggled via Sweden

A gang of Lithuanian diaper smugglers is using Sweden as a transit country to ferry cheap nappies bought in Norway for resale at a stiff markup in eastern Europe. READ (17 COMMENTS) »

Nine of ten tourists 'happy' with Sweden

Nine of ten tourists 'happy' with Sweden

Nearly 17 million foreign tourists visited Sweden in 2011, and almost all of them enjoyed their stay, according to a new report. READ (1 COMMENT) »

Armed thieves escape after highway chaos

Armed thieves escape after highway chaos

Police are searching for the men involved in a dramatic highway robbery in Stockholm on Tuesday night, in which one car was stolen at gunpoint and an armoured transport vehicle was rammed. READ (9 COMMENTS) »

Arla looks to milk UK, German dairy mergers

Arla looks to milk UK, German dairy mergers

Swedish-Danish dairy giant Arla plans to merge with both a German and a British dairy cooperative in a bid to become the largest dairy company in the UK. READ (4 COMMENTS) »

Swedish airline Skyways files for bankruptcy

Swedish airline Skyways files for bankruptcy

Swedish budget airline Skyways Express has cancelled all flights after it and its City Airline subsidiary filed for bankruptcy on Tuesday morning. READ (3 COMMENTS) »

Sweden drifting from 'Swedish model': report

Sweden drifting from 'Swedish model': report

Sweden's historically generous social safety net isn't as robust as it once was, according to a new report, which reveals Sweden has fallen below the average for many other developed countries when it comes to various types of social insurance. READ (41 COMMENTS) »

Swedish printer in South Africa banknote fiasco

An error involving a Swedish printing press has turned into a very expensive headache for South African central bank officials who have been forced to destroy millions of dollars' worth of faulty banknotes. READ (4 COMMENTS) »

More Business & Money

Highlights from Follow Sweden

Meet Sanna, 9 years old

Sanna is one of 2 million people in Sweden under the age of 18. Sweden is seen as a good place to grow up. The law makes sure children are well-protected and defends their rights and any organizations work with children's well-being. Read more »

Strindberg, king of drama

August Strindberg's plays shocked society, dazzled audiences and revolutionized drama. A century after his death, Strindberg, with his powerful, timeless themes, is celebrated around the world. Read more »


Find a new job in Sweden now
26/05 Data architecture and delivery manager
Klarna
Stockholm
26/05 Experienced SAP Consultant
IBM
Göteborg
26/05 Healthcare & Life Sciences
IBM
Göteborg
26/05 Manager, SMB Sales (Nordics)
Google
Stockholm
26/05 Nordic Inside Sales Specialist
IBM
Göteborg
26/05 SAP Consultants
IBM
Göteborg
26/05 Web developer
Klarna
Stockholm
25/05 Ansvarig Säljare för Utomhusbelysning
GE Home & Business Solutions
Danderyd
25/05 Ansvarig Säljare för Utomhusbelysning
GE Home & Business Solutions
Stockholm
25/05 Automation Engineer
Bombardier Transportation
Västmanland

ALL JOBS »


 
Latest Business & Money news from Germany
English Speaking Therapist Stockholm
British-Australian Male Counsellor. Counselling Therapy for Depression, Mental Health, Sex, Relationship & Expat Issues
08-559 22 636 or CLICK HERE
Doctor of Psychology
Therapy in English in Stockholm Trained in California Individuals & Couples (08) 93 81 48 FREE phone consultation
Visit anxiousorblue.se
Turning Point Counseling
Turning Point Counselling centre offers the international community of Stockholm a safe space for personal development, counselling and coaching.
http://www.turning-point.se/show.asp
Swedish Down Town
Swedish Down Town PR Consulting and Productions is an innovative business company which provides valuable assistance with Public Relations and Communications in the Swedish and the international market.
www.swedishdowntown.com
QUALITY ACCOMMODATION ON SWEDISH HIGH COAST
Comfortable Fully Serviced Apartments for Leisure or Business Travel Beautiful surroundings. Internet & Sat TV
www.oldriverhouse.se
Volunteer Venture
Volunteer Venture is dedicated to promoting community tourism by welcoming volunteers and travelers to discover the cultural differences in Nepal as English teaching volunteers, orphanage volunteers, Monk teachers and many more
www.volunteerventure.org/
The Local's new Marketplace
Find products and services that are specifically focused on English speakers living in Sweden!
FULL DETAILS