A Requiem For Saab

Hugh Pickens writes "The NY Times reports that auto enthusiasts across the country are dismayed by the news that General Motors is planning to shut down Saab, the Swedish carmaker it bought two decades ago, after a deal to sell it fell apart. Even with its modest and steadily declining sales, Saab, an acronym for Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget, or Swedish Airplane Company, long stood out as a powerful brand in spite of itself. 'It wasn't designed to be a fashion statement,' says Ron Pinelli, president of Autodata, which tracks industry statistics. 'It was designed to provide transportation under miserable weather conditions.' Many Saab owners consider the brand's glory days to be the 1980s, when Americans began buying cars again after a recession and energy crisis. 'The cars were communicative,' says Pinelli. 'They didn't try to numb the experience like cars do today.' The cars had odd touches and appealed to those who appreciate the unconventional. Swedish engineers assumed drivers would be wearing gloves, so they designed big buttons for the dashboard. Though the cars were compact, with long hoods and short rear ends, there was plenty of headroom inside. Now Saab, a brand that once had one of the clearest identities in the industry, seems headed for extinction just as automakers are searching for more distinctive designs to help set them apart. 'It's a shame that Saab is a victim,' adds Pinelli."

I guess you could call it a ...

[Anonymous Coward]

Saab Story.

*rimshot*

Saab cannot die!

[someme2]

It's GPL! If you like it that much, just fork it and the community will... wait, oh, I see. Sorry, never mind.

What about the Saab Defence division?

[schwit1]

Can Gripens be had cheap?

Slaabs can't die fast enough...

[aoeu]

Strongly concur, I refuse to work on these POS. The owners also tend to be pieces of work. Kudos to GM for doing us all a favor by buying the brand and putting it down. No offense to the workers in Trollheim. Peace?

What this thread needs . . . .

[Anonymous Poodle]

Is a decent car analogy.

Let the EU buy it then.

[p51d007]

GM owns it (which was dumb in the first place), so let the Swiss buy it back from GM.

Re:Let's just be clear on what they mean here

[Anonymous Coward]

I have one of the last SAAB 900 Turbos manufactured out of Trollhatten

Uhm ... Trollhatten is a famous island mountain in Norway. It translates as "The Troll's hat". Trollhättan, on the other hand, is a small-ish Swedish town. It translates as ... uhm ... "The Troll's hat". Err ... never mind.

Re:GM is the Computer Associates of the car indust

[Fear the Clam]

They take brands past their prime and run them into the ground

That description fits the New York Mets as well.