Saab fans buy last car off the production line
Published: 5 May 12 11:01 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/40652/20120505/
Saab enthusiasts have confirmed that they have collected the funds required to purchase the last Saab 9-3 manufactured in the now defunct Saab factory in Trollhättan in western Sweden.
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"We, the fans set out on a mission to buy a car, and not just any car, we set out to buy the last of a production series, the last Saab 9-3 Griffin," a post on the Saabs United blog on Friday explained.
"And we have done it. Today we passed the amount required."
More than 600 diehard Saab fans have assisted in the collection of the money which will be duly converted to Swedish kronor and transferred to a Swedish bank in order to pay the invoice from ANA, the firm responsible for selling the vehicle.
The Saab 9-3 will however not be destined for a life on the open road and will in due course be donated to the Saab Museum in Trollhättan.
Saabs United stated that the donations page on their website will be kept open for a "little while longer" promising to donate any extra money left over after the purchase of the car to the Saab Museum.
Saabs United was begun in February 2005 and was previously owned by Steven Wade, an Australian who later secured a post at the Swedish firm after the takeover by Spyker. It has since been taken over by Tim Rokka.
Saab Automobile petitioned for bankruptcy in the Swedish courts in December 2011 following the failure of a Chinese consortium to complete a takeover.
India's Mahindra and Mahindra, and China's Youngman, are the latest Asian firms to be linked with a prospective buyout of the loss-making Swedish firm.
Peter Vinthagen Simpson
news@thelocal.se
+46 8 656 6513
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That's a real wonderful insentive to allow Swedes to buy cars of their choice and keep the workers at Volvo and hopefully very soon make the possibility of the SAAB workers in Trollhättan back to work again when the company should have its new ownership.
The workers will be able to pay their income taxes and revive the economy which will int urn generate more revenue to the government. What A CONCEPT!
Denmark's Ferrari like prices will do nothing positive for Sweden. SAAB has also been a pioneer in turbocharging and ethanol technology, allowing the efficient use of smaller engines for fuel efficiency. Enjoy your rides on public transportation.
I get your argument but its short sighted. All of the inputs you mention are predicated on an oil economy which is reaching its sunset. To keep it short, your solution benefits the current generation to rob scare resources from future generations. Not taxing fossil fuel vehicles is selfish and shortsighted. Preparing for a post oil economy on the otherhand is wise....but wisdom and austerity no longer fuels long term financial planning for countries....the world is run on quarterly reports with about as much forward thinking strategy as that if little more.
Don't think that is it as much as this....
Volvo and Saab are both sensible people's cars. However, they never had the sex appeal of BMW or the Status of Mercedes. As the prices increased of Saabs and Volvos sensible people went and bought Hondas and Toyotas.
Don't get me wrong there are a lot of great things about Saab and Volvo especially the dependability of older models. However, they have lost their relative market niche...since Sweden is making efforts to become a green country Saab and Volvo should really focus on becoming not only the most sustainable driven cars but the most sustainable built cars. That is a niche for Saab and Volvo to climb to the top in...
As most likely in the next 20 years in the more enlightened countries owner's of fossil fuel cars will be looked at as self centered and ignorant..sort of how most of the world looks at American's now, due to their massive consumption habits and lack of understanding of the overall world they live in.
Maybe SAAB will some day, under a new owner less moronic than General Motors, produce cars that are built up to a standard, not down to a price. I wish them well.