The End Of Saab

[cabinetman]

It's the end of the car maker, unless they get bailed out. Not good news for my BIL...he has one.
http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_new...to-saabs-story

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[dbhost]

My dad likes those cars... I never cared for them much. Too weird under the hood. I remember looking at one once, the drive belts were up against the firewall, and the ignition switch was in the center console by the shifter...

[cabinetman]

My dad likes those cars... I never cared for them much. Too weird under the hood. I remember looking at one once, the drive belts were up against the firewall, and the ignition switch was in the center console by the shifter...

That's not too bad. My Porsche's had the ignition to the left of the steering wheel on the dashboard.

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[dbhost]

That's not too bad. My Porsche's had the ignition to the left of the steering wheel on the dashboard.

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What model? I haven't been around a lot of Porsches, only owned one. A 914-6. Drove a 924 as a sort of company car when I managed a service station that processed cars for the owners used car lot... A fun car when it ran right, but that Bosch injection was no fun to work on...

[cabinetman]

What model? I haven't been around a lot of Porsches, only owned one. A 914-6. Drove a 924 as a sort of company car when I managed a service station that processed cars for the owners used car lot... A fun car when it ran right, but that Bosch injection was no fun to work on...

I had two...a 911SC, and a Euro 930.

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[LCHIEN]

not likely to upset too many people. Saab didn't really ever sell all that many even in their best years. A Quirky car that consistently ranked low on reliability, only eccentrics could love it anyway.

[toolguy1000]

never much cared for saabs myself. looked at one 30 years ago. salesman walked me out to the car commenting extensively about how well built the cars were. opens the driver's door and the weatherstripping is hanging from top to bottom in the doorway, blocking entrance. i turned to him and said, "doesn't make a real good first impression, does it?" passed on that one and was surprised at what happened recently.

my youngest son wanted a car for college. he very thorougly researches whatever he spends his money on. comes up with a saab 9-3 at a local dealer and, after trying to talk him out of it, we go for a test drive. i'm blown away! tight handling, great ride, snappy performance, excellent shifter and outstanding fit and finish. i got in the car wanting to dislike it and got out of the car a solid fan. 45000 miles later, our opinions haven't changed. too bad if it goes belly up. our one first hand experience has been decidedly positive.

[Dal300]

I remember an old Saab my brother in law had.... 3 cylinder, 2 stroke, noisy, smelly and rough riding.
It sure was a great little car to go zipping around in on the beach or on mountain roads.
He eventually wore it out and we had to try and rebuild it, which was nearly impossible job. Crank shaft and rods were all connected together and not capable of being separated. Timing was a complicated mess, carbs were impossible to find.

I gave up after about a year and I think he kept it in the back yard as a dog house.

[vaking]

I would not rush to judgement about end of life, etc.
At first about the warranty. I do not have a Saab but if I did - I would not have accepted the statement about GM suspending warranty repairs on Saab because Saab is bancrupt. If I bought that car in 2010 from GM dealer as GM car then the fact that GM sold Saab after that and now Saab is bancrupt does not impress me at all. I signed a contract with GM when I was buying a car, what GM did after was nothing but an attempt to get rid of the liability. I can easily see US judge throwing the liability for warranty repairs right back at GM.
Different story is - I have seen GM refusing to honor warranty on its own cars (Chevrolet) because GM itself went through bancrupcy and came out of bancrupcy as a new company. So supposedly liabilities (like warranty repairs) created by GM before bancrupcy do not transfer to new GM after bancrupcy. So in my opinion - if anybody bought Saab after GM emerged from bancrupcy but before it sold Saab - GM will likely still have to honor warranty. Although I am not a lawyer.
As for Saab as a company being dead. From what I have read - management at Saab had been brainless always. Engineeing at Saab was kind of at enthusiast level. There were cars that were great and owners loved them. There were cars that were lousy. There was no consistency. This is exactly what differentiates industrial manufacturer from an artist. It is acceptable for an artist to make one masterpiece and to screw up next attempt. Industrial manufacturer has to make product consistently good. It might not be a masterpiece but it has to be consistent. If Saab had been in business for 50 years and they had not figured out that car manufacturing is not an art form - they had it coming. They had some good engineering ideas occasionally and from what I understand there are some companies now that would be willing to pick this up. Saab name is tarnished, Saab manufacturing is located in some of the most expensive areas in Europe (in terms of cost of labor force). I doubt there will be many hands at that auction.

[Cochese]

I would not rush to judgement about end of life, etc.
At first about the warranty. I do not have a Saab but if I did - I would not have accepted the statement about GM suspending warranty repairs on Saab because Saab is bancrupt. If I bought that car in 2010 from GM dealer as GM car then the fact that GM sold Saab after that and now Saab is bancrupt does not impress me at all. I signed a contract with GM when I was buying a car, what GM did after was nothing but an attempt to get rid of the liability. I can easily see US judge throwing the liability for warranty repairs right back at GM.
Different story is - I have seen GM refusing to honor warranty on its own cars (Chevrolet) because GM itself went through bancrupcy and came out of bancrupcy as a new company. So supposedly liabilities (like warranty repairs) created by GM before bancrupcy do not transfer to new GM after bancrupcy. So in my opinion - if anybody bought Saab after GM emerged from bancrupcy but before it sold Saab - GM will likely still have to honor warranty. Although I am not a lawyer.
As for Saab as a company being dead. From what I have read - management at Saab had been brainless always. Engineeing at Saab was kind of at enthusiast level. There were cars that were great and owners loved them. There were cars that were lousy. There was no consistency. This is exactly what differentiates industrial manufacturer from an artist. It is acceptable for an artist to make one masterpiece and to screw up next attempt. Industrial manufacturer has to make product consistently good. It might not be a masterpiece but it has to be consistent. If Saab had been in business for 50 years and they had not figured out that car manufacturing is not an art form - they had it coming. They had some good engineering ideas occasionally and from what I understand there are some companies now that would be willing to pick this up. Saab name is tarnished, Saab manufacturing is located in some of the most expensive areas in Europe (in terms of cost of labor force). I doubt there will be many hands at that auction.

Easy there - any Saab sold while GM was the owner is covered under the original warranty.

[Dal300]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/21/s...or-warranties/

[LinuxRandal]

Some relative or former coworker of my fathers had the old two stroke model (60's I believe), and I really didn't know much about them, until my boss boughta later one. A machinist friend told me to get the factory repair manual or another manual (which I did), and we went over it as he said the battery was dying. What I can't get my boss to understand, is his toy car (which has been driven around 200 miles in 8 years), can not sit for four months or more without being started (batteries drain). He still complains about it and refuses to take it anywhere and now THE place that was recommended, is closed.
It seemed like a well built car and was in the years that I see people liking. But I have seen Saab (the company) compared to a mentally unbalanced person. Seems they changed who they got motors, parts etc from, and didn't stay with good ones when they had them.

Some people the car doesn't matter, it is the driver.