Tomorrow (tuesday february 23rd) supposedly is the big day. GM and Spyker will finally sign the agreement which transfers the ownership of Saab Automobiles AB to Spykercars nv. It has been a really long and exhausting rollercoaster ride for all Saab employees and fans around the world, to which tomorrow finally will come an end. Spyker and Saab will together be renamed to Saab Spyker Automobiles which will mark a new era for Saab, as well as for Spyker.
It is well documented that Saab has lost much of it's Saabishness during GM's reign, and all involved hope the brand will regain it's quirky and individualistic status it once had. There is much speculation as to how Saab is going to achieve this. Will the Sonnett return? Is a retro 92 a good idea or will it flop like the new beetle did? Also, where will the financing come from? These are just a few of the many questions people are dying to see answered.
As I mentioned somewhere above, tomorrow will mark a new era for Spyker too. Ever since the brand came to be in 2000, it has been stuggling to be financially viable and sell enough cars. Now though, Saab know-how will flow into the design process of future Spykers. Not to mention the cooperation with Lotus Engineering. I guess Spyker will benefit from Saab's financial bulk, to some degree insuring Spyker's future. (eventhough Muller stated Spyker could be placed outside of the company or annexed if it doesn't turn profitable in the foreseeable future)
A lot of questions remain but what is for sure is that this is by far the most important event in the history of our beloved Spyker (yes, even topping participation in Formula 1).
This thread is dedicated to Saab, which as of now is a part of Spyker. As this is a Spyker forum, I thought Saab deserves it's own little space here for those who care about the brand and/or are interested in developments concerning both Saab and Spyker. Since after tomorrow the deal is final, the "Spyker-Saab?? thread" is redundent and deserves a new beginning, just like the brand itself.
The very first saab, the 'Ursaaben':
My baby (which has it's new MOT and is running fine again):
And the car we should now all buy:
First news: Victor Muller mentioned in the ESM (Extraordinary Shareholders Meeting) that he would like to add some 'heavyweights' to the Saab Spyker advisory board. In Two ‘heavyweights' who could help Saab-Spyker succeed Autonews.com talks about who Muller has set his eyes upon:
I say: Griffin up!
It is well documented that Saab has lost much of it's Saabishness during GM's reign, and all involved hope the brand will regain it's quirky and individualistic status it once had. There is much speculation as to how Saab is going to achieve this. Will the Sonnett return? Is a retro 92 a good idea or will it flop like the new beetle did? Also, where will the financing come from? These are just a few of the many questions people are dying to see answered.
As I mentioned somewhere above, tomorrow will mark a new era for Spyker too. Ever since the brand came to be in 2000, it has been stuggling to be financially viable and sell enough cars. Now though, Saab know-how will flow into the design process of future Spykers. Not to mention the cooperation with Lotus Engineering. I guess Spyker will benefit from Saab's financial bulk, to some degree insuring Spyker's future. (eventhough Muller stated Spyker could be placed outside of the company or annexed if it doesn't turn profitable in the foreseeable future)
A lot of questions remain but what is for sure is that this is by far the most important event in the history of our beloved Spyker (yes, even topping participation in Formula 1).
This thread is dedicated to Saab, which as of now is a part of Spyker. As this is a Spyker forum, I thought Saab deserves it's own little space here for those who care about the brand and/or are interested in developments concerning both Saab and Spyker. Since after tomorrow the deal is final, the "Spyker-Saab?? thread" is redundent and deserves a new beginning, just like the brand itself.
The very first saab, the 'Ursaaben':
My baby (which has it's new MOT and is running fine again):
And the car we should now all buy:
First news: Victor Muller mentioned in the ESM (Extraordinary Shareholders Meeting) that he would like to add some 'heavyweights' to the Saab Spyker advisory board. In Two ‘heavyweights' who could help Saab-Spyker succeed Autonews.com talks about who Muller has set his eyes upon:
Spyker CEO Victor Muller said earlier this month that he is looking for two "heavyweights" from the car industry to join the supervisory board of the combined Saab-Spyker.
Two names that should be on the top of Muller's wish list are Wendelin Wiedeking and Holger Haerter.
The dynamic, but recently discredited, duo might relish a second chance at turning a broken brand into a success.
Wiedeking, 57, became one of the most-acclaimed -- and highest-paid -- industry executives after he saved Porsche AG from bankruptcy in the early 1990s.
Like Saab today, Porsche was in financial trouble two decades ago because of a weak model lineup and a production system that needed an upgrade.
Wiedeking secured the struggling small company's survival with innovative methods along the entire manufacturing chain such as the "Porsche improvement process" and "process optimization through supplier involvement."
Next to Wiedeking, Haerter is most closely associated with Porsche's transformation from a financial basket case to one of the most profitable carmakers in the world. The 53-year-old economist from Bad Kreuznach, Germany, made the company billions through shrewd investments such as his successful hedging of Porsche's exposure to the weakening dollar in the middle of the 2000s.
Two names that should be on the top of Muller's wish list are Wendelin Wiedeking and Holger Haerter.
The dynamic, but recently discredited, duo might relish a second chance at turning a broken brand into a success.
Wiedeking, 57, became one of the most-acclaimed -- and highest-paid -- industry executives after he saved Porsche AG from bankruptcy in the early 1990s.
Like Saab today, Porsche was in financial trouble two decades ago because of a weak model lineup and a production system that needed an upgrade.
Wiedeking secured the struggling small company's survival with innovative methods along the entire manufacturing chain such as the "Porsche improvement process" and "process optimization through supplier involvement."
Next to Wiedeking, Haerter is most closely associated with Porsche's transformation from a financial basket case to one of the most profitable carmakers in the world. The 53-year-old economist from Bad Kreuznach, Germany, made the company billions through shrewd investments such as his successful hedging of Porsche's exposure to the weakening dollar in the middle of the 2000s.
Comment