Autosavant: What Saab Needs Now - a Modern-Day 96 (and a Miracle)

[69Firebird400]

By Andy Bannister

12.08.2008

Alas, poor Saab. So much potential, such consistent failure to deliver on the part of present owner, General Motors.

Now that GM is in dire straits, naturally its small Swedish subsidiary could be an early victim of a wider cull promising very bad news for jobs and the industrial base of Sweden. The Scandinavian state’s other long-standing marque, Volvo, is also looking for a new owner after less than a decade in the stewardship of Ford.

That survived despite GM watering down the formula by basing modern Saabs on mass-market Opel platforms, including the orginal Opel-Vectra based 9-3.

One crying shame that can’t be laid at GM’s door is the fact that the car that built Saab’s reputation, the little 96 (known as 95 in its even more quirky-looking station wagon version) died at the end of the 1970s without an effective replacement.

A sort of Swedish VW Beetle (though not anything like such a sales success), the teardrop-shaped 96 evolved from the earlier aircraft-inspired 92 and 93, starting off with a tiny two-stroke engine before inheriting a lusty German Ford V4 which saw it right through the 1970s.

Link: http://www.autosavant.com/2008/12/08...and-a-miracle/

[Bravada]

Nope. Saab needs a competent, superb-handling and high-quality 9-3 compact executive (rather than Cadillac).

[johnny smallblock]

What SAAB's needs:
New 9-5
9-3 MCE
9-4x
Aveo rebadge (kidding, kidding!!!)

[Uzzy]

Originally Posted by johnny smallblock

Aveo rebadge (kidding, kidding!!!)

Call it the Saab 9-0h crap that thing's ugly.

[Ed Arcuri]

I had a friend in college who was a real nut for Saabs - or SAABs as they were known then. He had the only one in town that I know of. I liked his car and have liked Saabs since. Does anyone know whether Saab has ever been profitable?
My daughter in law had one and I found it to be quite a good car when compared to cars that cost ten grand less. Perhaps they are too pricey for their current offerings?
Your thoughts, please.
Cheers,
Ed

[Hurricane]

I don't think Saab needs a new 96. What Saab needs is a 99 or 900 that goes back to its roots.

- 3 door hatchback
- FWD
- Small, turbocharged engine
- Far safer than anything in its class
- Fun to drive
- Unique/quriky - and I don't mean just putting the ignition in the floor!

[Kennyboy]

What SAAB needs is a new line of turbocharged engines.

[Uligar]

Does anyone know whether Saab has ever been profitable?

I think to know it was in the year 1997.
The one and only year that they are a part of GM.

[MonaroSS]

I'd like to see them get back to their styling roots; as with this 900 Turbo version I chopped off the latest Opel.

[slowinthefastlane]

I hate, hate, hate the 2008+ front and back end of the 93. The 2003-2007 one was so classy and understated. IMHO, there was no need to make the 93 "aggressive".

[mgescuro]

Oh come on!!

The car GM needed 5 years ago is a new 9-5!!!
There is no excuse for a car to remain unchanged for 10 years!!! NO EXCUSE!!!

[DetroitIron]

Saabs suck. They've always sucked. The only Saab that didn't look like a four-wheeled turd was the Sonnett. Mechanically, it sucked, too. Why GM bought this red-headed stepchild was and will continue to be a mystery to me.

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

Originally Posted by Ed Arcuri

I had a friend in college who was a real nut for Saabs - or SAABs as they were known then. He had the only one in town that I know of. I liked his car and have liked Saabs since. Does anyone know whether Saab has ever been profitable?
My daughter in law had one and I found it to be quite a good car when compared to cars that cost ten grand less. Perhaps they are too pricey for their current offerings?
Your thoughts, please.
Cheers,
Ed

They are 10 000$ off right now so it is a good time to buy

[sigma]

Originally Posted by MonaroSS

I'd like to see them get back to their styling roots; as with this 900 Turbo version I chopped off the latest Opel.

Okay. That is scary good. Ugly, but a really, really good chop.

[jbernie]

Originally Posted by Ed Arcuri

I had a friend in college who was a real nut for Saabs - or SAABs as they were known then. He had the only one in town that I know of. I liked his car and have liked Saabs since. Does anyone know whether Saab has ever been profitable?

There was some commentary in amongst all the other mess of the last month or so indicating that Saab Nth America is profitable, I can't tell you if that is $1 profit or a few million but apprently at least in Nth America it is making some money.

Prior to the whole credit mess, and going back about 6-8 months the indication was that Saab as a whole was needing around 130-140k sales per year world wide to be profitable and at that time they were around 120k sales world wide. I don't have any solid numbers, but I would be inclined to think that right now Saab is not profitable as the global sales slump will be taking them a good distance away from 120k mark let alone the profitable sales mark.