Wagoner: 'Saab is not for sale'

[nadepalma]

SOURCE: AutoCar

Wagoner: 'Saab is not for sale'
12 November 2008



General Motors does not intend to sell any of its brands except Hummer, company CEO Rick Wagoner has confirmed.

Asked whether the company was going to disperse its brands, Wagoner told Automotive News: “Our focus right now in this regard is exclusively on Hummer. We want to see how that plays out. We are getting some interest in it.”

Wagoner said that the company has not had any offers for Opel-Vauxhall or GM of China.

“We’ve got some other assets that we’re looking at selling,” he said, “but not brands.”

That means Saab, whose future within GM has at times looked distinctly uncertain – and which has had the launch of its critical new 9-5 model pushed back until 2010 - will stay as part of the car maker’s portfolio.

The Detroit car makers are lobbying for financial assistance this year, authorised by the current ‘lame duck’ Congress, before Barack Obama becomes president on 20 Jan 2009.

Wagoner made clear that GM is willing to sign up to the same business restrictions that the banks have accepted.

“We’ve studied the taxpayer protections that have been employed with the financial sector support payments,” he said, “and those seem to be reasonable expectations, whether that’s warrants or restrictions on executive compensation.”

MORE HERE

[KAD]

This is good news. I like Saab and I think, if GM fixes the brand, that it will fit great into GM's brand lineup.

[Quickening]

Hopefully we can believe him. Saab could easily ride the way of high MPG, eco friendly movement. If GM would just give it the proper products. And cut the American marketing team, and rely on the European one.

Saab has so much technology when it comes to BioDiesel, BioPower, Turbo'd, Hybird cars. They even have their own organic clothing line...

[gardnet1]

Saab may not be sold but it might be auctioned off.

[civilzues]

Thats really good. Saab/Saturn dealerships would be awesome to see!

[nadepalma]

Originally Posted by civilzues

Thats really good. Saab/Saturn dealerships would be awesome to see!

That won't happen in the US - but they are paired that way in Canada.

I say enough is enough with Saturn. Just dump the brand strategy for it, adopt the Opel crest and image, and then at least you can justify the prices for the Astra, etc.

And having Opel/Saab stores may not be all that amiss from what they have in Europe.

But that's just me - and its an old rant from where I'm seated.

[sigma]

Originally Posted by nadepalma

That won't happen in the US - but they are paired that way in Canada.

I say enough is enough with Saturn. Just dump the brand strategy for it, adopt the Opel crest and image, and then at least you can justify the prices for the Astra, etc.

And having Opel/Saab stores may not be all that amiss from what they have in Europe.

But that's just me - and its an old rant from where I'm seated.

Yup I kind of agree... although I think you could position Saturn as a subcompact, compact car company. Dump the midsizers and just bring over Golf and Jetta competitors. Offer all the variants, the convertibles, the wagons, the sedans, the coupes and the hatchbacks.

[Quickening]

Saab should be coupled with Saturn or Cadillac depending on location. Yet in the past year, Houston area, a major metropolitan area lost all three of its Saab dealerships...
They were stand alones though.

[sigma]

Originally Posted by Quickening

Saab should be coupled with Saturn or Cadillac depending on location. Yet in the past year, Houston area, a major metropolitan area lost all three of its Saab dealerships...
They were stand alones though.

Austin still has one...(go figure - but the second largest car market in the country doesn't).

[nadepalma]

Originally Posted by sigma

Yup I kind of agree... although I think you could position Saturn as a subcompact, compact car company. Dump the midsizers and just bring over Golf and Jetta competitors. Offer all the variants, the convertibles, the wagons, the sedans, the coupes and the hatchbacks.

I think that there was a time when positioning Saturn as you have outlined would have worked - but not today. After billions of dollars in investment, sales have climbed only a small amount. There isn't enough to justify keeping the brand around to me.

Intead, just end the gimmick and bring over Opels - as is. Some of the models they could build here, but to the specs as they havae them overseas.

If they did this, at the very least it would be "justification" for paying the higher prices associated with products like the Astra due to the exchange rate.

And since ther eare only 400/425 Saturn stores as of right now, the dealership footprint wouldn't be about right for selling a more upscale, premium marque from Germany.

But again, that's just me.

Originally Posted by Quickening

Saab should be coupled with Saturn or Cadillac depending on location. Yet in the past year, Houston area, a major metropolitan area lost all three of its Saab dealerships...
They were stand alones though.

The goal was for all Cadillac stores to pick up Saab as well, but it has been a slow process. After GM focused on cobbling BPG stores together, Saab/Caddy/Hummer was next. I'm sure we'll see a further Caddy/Saab consolidation later on at some point - but have a feeling GM has a lot on their plates right now to focus on much.

[96_impala_ss]

Originally Posted by nadepalma

That won't happen in the US - but they are paired that way in Canada.

I say enough is enough with Saturn. Just dump the brand strategy for it, adopt the Opel crest and image, and then at least you can justify the prices for the Astra, etc.

And having Opel/Saab stores may not be all that amiss from what they have in Europe.

But that's just me - and its an old rant from where I'm seated.

No, A lot of people think the same. Saturn is cheap cheap plastic cars. (To the American public) They should phase out Saturn, and if they insist bring Opel here. Personally I think they would do better as Pontiacs, since Holden is nothing but rebadged Opels and the Holden developed RWD cars. Also Pontiac has a larger dealer network than Saturn, and it wouldnt cost much to rebadge them as Pontiacs than to bring Opel here and go through that hassle.

[Quickening]

BUT. GM would never get rid of Pontiacs grill. And then they are having to graft a new front to the face of the cars, get them tested again, etc. Defeats the purpose. Plus all the die-hard fans (we are down to a handful), would scream bloody murder if the kidney grill disapeared.

[sigma]

Originally Posted by 96_impala_ss

No, A lot of people think the same. Saturn is cheap cheap plastic cars. (To the American public) They should phase out Saturn, and if they insist bring Opel here. Personally I think they would do better as Pontiacs, since Holden is nothing but rebadged Opels and the Holden developed RWD cars. Also Pontiac has a larger dealer network than Saturn, and it wouldnt cost much to rebadge them as Pontiacs than to bring Opel here and go through that hassle.

And the rest of us wouldn't drive the "plastic cladding mullet special" if you paid us money. Yes, I realize Pontiac's don't have plastic molding anymore, but Pontiac as a brand image is either dead or worse. People WILL NOT pay a premium for anything with a Pontiac badge on it.

[96_impala_ss]

Originally Posted by Quickening

BUT. GM would never get rid of Pontiacs grill. And then they are having to graft a new front to the face of the cars, get them tested again, etc. Defeats the purpose. Plus all the die-hard fans (we are down to a handful), would scream bloody murder if the kidney grill disapeared.

The grill would stay intact. Besides if they import them they have to test them in the U.S. anyways so it could be done.

BTW there have been some pontiacs without the split grill

Originally Posted by sigma

And the rest of us wouldn't drive the "plastic cladding mullet special" if you paid us money. Yes, I realize Pontiac's don't have plastic molding anymore, but Pontiac as a brand image is either dead or worse. People WILL NOT pay a premium for anything with a Pontiac badge on it.

Tell that to those who bought the over priced Cobalt AKA G5. And actually, Pontiac sells more than Saturn.

[Quickening]

Saturn truly needs to become Opel. Why they are Americanizing the Insignia goes directly against GM's goal/plan. Position to go head on against VW.

Saab needs get new product. Play up its eco friendly engine, lifestyle etc. And go after Audi, Acura, Volvo. Luxury, FWD/AWD.

Cadillac focuses squarely on Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Fill the niches, and go after each and every sell of their sales.

Buick aligns more with Buick China and takes on Lexus. Doesn't try to fill every niche, but the core vehicles. And doesn't command the higher premium of Lexus.

Chevy. Jack of all trades. That goes after Toyota, Ford, Honda.