Internet Project > Global Brands > SAAB Automobile-by Hüseyin Can Yenilmez

HISTORY OF SAAB AUTOMOBILE

Svenska Aeroplan AB (1948–1969)

Saab 96

Saab AB, "Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget" (Swedish for "Swedish aeroplane corporation"), a Swedish aerospace and defence company, was created in 1937 in Linköping. The company had been established in 1937 for the express purpose of building aircraft for the Swedish Air Force to protect the country's neutrality as Europe moved closer to World War II. As the war drew to a close and the market for fighter planes seemed to weaken, the company began looking for new markets to diversify.

Saab-Scania (1969–1989)

The Saab 99 was launched in 1969 as an all-new design.

In 1969, Saab AB merged with the Swedish commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania-Vabis AB to form Saab-Scania AB, under the Wallenberg family umbrella.

General Motors and Investor AB (1989–2000)

Saab 9-5

In 1989, the Saab car division of Saab-Scania was restructured into an independent company, Saab Automobile AB, headquartered in Sweden; General Motors and Investor AB controlled 50% each. GM's investment of US$600 million gave it the option to acquire the remaining shares within a decade.

General Motors (2000–2010)

Saab 9-3 Evo

GM exercised its option to acquire the remaining Saab shares in 2000, spending US$125 million to turn the company into a wholly owned subsidiary.

Owing to fading fortunes across its entire business due to a slowing economy in 2007, GM announced that the Saab brand was "under review" in December 2008, a process which included the possibility of selling or shuttering the car maker.[19] As the talks progressed, GM's support receded, and Saab went into administration, the Swedish equivalent of America's Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Saab's managing director Jan-Åke Jonsson said that this was "the best way to create a truly independent entity that is ready for investment".[20] For its part, the Swedish government was reluctant to become involved, with Maud Olofsson, industry minister, stating: "The Swedish state and taxpayers in Sweden will not own car factories.

Sometimes you get the impression that this is a small, small company but it is the world's biggest automaker so we have a right to make demands."[21]

On 16 June 2009, Koenigsegg announced its intention to purchase the brand from GM.[22] The bid was backed by a group of Norwegian investors and the Chinese car maker Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co Ltd (BAIC). The following month, both parties announced that GM had consented to the deal. There were outstanding financial details, but a loan from the European Investment Bank was expected to cover them. The loan was approved in October, but on November 24, 2009, Koenigsegg announced that it had "come to the painful and difficult conclusion that it could no longer carry out the acquisition"[23] much because of the constant delays and the difficulties coordinating the involved parties: GM, the European Investment Bank, the Swedish National Debt Office and BAIC.

SAAB 9-5

SAAB 9-3

It was announced on 14 December 2009, that the Chinese automaker would acquire the intellectual property rights and production equipment for the previous generation Saab 9-3 and Saab 9–5 in a deal worth about US$197 million, which was enough for the company to run for three months.[24][25] BAIC expressed its intention to create a new brand around the purchased technology and admitted to the purchase of "three overall vehicle platforms, two engine technologies and two transmission systems."[26] Following the collapse of talks with Koenigsegg, GM announced that the brand would be eliminated in 2010 if it failed to secure a buyer before the close of 2009.[27] As talks with several firms failed, including the Netherlands-based boutique sports car maker Spyker, GM formally announced its intention to wind down the Saab brand.[28] Undeterred, a new offer round materialized. Earlier bidders Spyker and Merbanco revised their offers and were joined by a submission from Luxembourg-based Genii Capital, which boasted the support of F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone.[29] GM continued accepting bids until a self-imposed deadline of January 7, 2010. Acknowledging that the chances of reaching a deal with any party were very slim, they pledged to evaluate each offer with due diligence.[30][31]

Spyker/Swedish Automobile (2010–2011) 2010 – purchase of Saab On 26 January, General Motors (GM) confirmed it had agreed to sell Saab to Spyker N.V..[32] subject to regulatory and government approval; the sale was completed on February 23, 2010.[33] General Motors would continue to supply Saab with engines and transmissions, and also completed vehicles in the shape of the new Saab 9-4x from GM's Mexican factory. The deal included a loan from the European Investment Bank, guaranteed by the Swedish government. It comprised US$74m in cash up front, payable to GM by July 2010, and shares in Spyker to the tune of US$320m.

2011 – bankruptcy On February 25, Spyker Cars N.V. announced that it had agreed to sell the sports car arm to focus on Saab. Spyker intended to change its name, in May, to include the Saab name.[34] In early 2011, Saab began to run out of money, and Spyker were not able to cover the losses.

Both companies stopped paying bills, and on March 30 several suppliers refused further deliveries to Saab's factory in Trollhättan. Initially Spyker CEO Victor Muller blamed the media for the problems, and claimed that Saab had no problems with funding.[35] On April 5 all production was halted at Saab's plant in Trollhättan.

Spyker CEO Victor Muller tried to obtain funding from several different sources. On March 30 his former sponsor, Russian banker Vladimir Antonov applied to Swedish authorities, EIB and General Motors for permission to become a shareholder in Saab. His request was denied by the EIB, citing concerns about his business practices.

On May 3, a joint venture between Saab and Chinese carmaker Hawtai was announced. This deal quickly unraveled and on May 12 Hawtai walked away from Saab.[36] Plans for a new joint venture with Chinese carmaker Youngman and Chinese automotive retailer Pang Da followed shortly. After months of negotiations the companies agreed to a joint US$140 million takeover of Saab Automobile and its UK dealer network unit from Swedish Automobile, with Youngman and Pang Da taking 60 and 40 percent stakes respectively.[37][38][39]

On 6 December, GM announced that it would not continue its licenses to GM patents and technology to Saab if the company was sold to Pang Da and Zhejiang Youngman, stating that the new owner's use of the technology is not in the best interest of GM investors. Because of this, Saab started working on a new proposal which would not change the original ownership structure and would not include a Chinese partner as an owner of the company, but instead as a 50% owner of a new daughter company.

On 19 December 2011, with no alternatives left after GM continued to block any form of involvement with a Chinese partner, Saab officially filed for bankruptcy after a three-year fight for survival. Under Sweden's bankruptcy laws, a party that files for bankruptcy can be bought out of bankruptcy.

On 16 April 2012, a meeting on Saab's bankruptcy was held at the District Court of Vänersborg.[40] The official receivers in charge of the Saab liquidation valued the assets at US$500m and the debt at US$2,000m. After subtracting the value of the assets, Saab leaves a debt of US$1,500m.[41] 2012 – US$3 billion damages claim On 6 August 2012, Spyker, represented by the law firm Patton Boggs, filed a lawsuit against General Motors in the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Michigan claiming US$3 billion in damages for the actions GM took in the fall of 2011 to stop the various proposed deals between Spyker and Youngman concerning Saab Automobile where Youngman claimed to be ready to invest several billion dollars in Saab Automobile to guarantee its future. More precisely, under the Automotive Technology License Agreement (ATLA) between GM Global Technology Operations Inc (GTO) and Saab, GM refused licensing of the platforms and technology in Saab cars if any Chinese party were to be involved in Saab's ownership structure.

To solve this issue, Spyker and Youngman came up with a deal where Youngman would provide Saab with a loan of €200 million which would be converted into an equity interest in Saab only after Saab ceased using GM technology in its vehicles. Despite this, GM maintained that it would still refuse licensing of platforms and technology needed for production of Saab cars in Trollhättan and also threatened to cease 9-4X production at GM's plant in Mexico, should the deal go through.

Consequently, the deal finally collapsed and Saab was forced to file for bankruptcy. According to Spyker, the actions taken by GM were not legal. Since Saab had been in receivership since the bankruptcy, and would be until the deal with Nevs was closed, Spyker and the receivers of Saab Automobile had entered into an agreement where Spyker would bear the costs of the litigation in exchange for 90% of the claim if the case is successful.[42][43][44][45] 2013 – claim dismissed In June 2013, the district court dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that General Motors was within its rights to block the sale.[46] In October 2014, the district court of appeals upheld the dismissal.[47]

National Electric Vehicle Sweden (2012–2014)

Saab 9-3 Aero Sedan MY14 in silver colour

On 13 June 2012, a press conference was held announcing that the main assets of Saab Automobile AB and its subsidiaries Saab Automobile Powertrain AB and Saab Automobile Tools AB as well as the Saab factory had been acquired by a Chinese consortium called National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS).[48] Saab Automobile Parts AB was not included in the deal and the Swedish National Debt Office would continue as an owner of that company.[49] NEVS' plan was to build only purely electric vehicles with an electric version of the current 9-3 model available in 2013/2014, as well as to continue development of the replacement to the 9–3, the Phoenix. GM continued to refuse licensing of the technology in the Saab 9-5 and 9-4X, so these models would not be produced. The rights to use the Saab trademark had not yet been granted by Saab AB and Scania AB and negotiations on that matter continued.[50][51]

On 26 August 2012, Scania AB let the Swedish press know that the griffin logo used in both Scania's and Saab Automobile's trademark would not be allowed for use on future Saab cars with NEVS as the owner of Saab Automobile. Scania believed the logo is of high value in China and feared that it would end up in the wrong hands through the Chinese interests behind NEVS.[52] On 3 September 2012, NEVS announced that it had finalized the acquisition of Saab Automobiles assets. NEVS would be able to use the name Saab on future cars but not the griffin logo.

Production of the 9-3 would initially focus on a turbo-charged petrol variant, but an electric version - initially aimed at the Chinese market - would start production in 2014.[53]

SAAB

SCANIA

On 8 January 2013, NEVS announced a deal with Qingdao Qingbo Investment Co. Ltd, for a 22% stake in the company. In return, NEVS/Saab would receive SEK 2bn, along with a production facility for models sold in China. Cars sold in North America and most of Europe would continue to be made in Trollhättan, Sweden. The possibility of using Fiat/Chrysler sourced drive train components for non- electric models was also being examined.[54][55] On 12 August 2013, the Saab plant at Trollhättan reopened its doors to welcome back employees for preparations and restructuring of the production line. Production of the existing 9-3 would commence shortly with a new electric motor, while Saab finished the preparations for the new 9-3 Phoenix.

On 19 September 2013, the first Saab-branded vehicle produced by NEVS rolled off of the assembly line. The first pre-production model was mostly aesthetically identical to the previous Saab 9-3 and mainly used to test new components and assembly line equipment. NEVS announced a facelift of the exterior to be shown on a finalised production model. On 29 November 2013 NEVS announced that full-scale production would commence on 2 December 2013, having replaced the 20 percent of parts originally sourced from former Saab owner General Motors.[56] Production of the gasoline version of the Saab 9-3 resumed in December 2013,[57] and on 10 December 2013 NEVS started selling their Saab 9-3 Aero to Swedish customers directly from their homepage,[58] but on 20 May 2014 NEVS announced that production had been stopped, 100 consultants had had to be laid off and 53 blue-collar and 19 white-collar workers had been given notice that their contracts would not be prolonged after the summer. According to NEVS, this was due to Qingdao Qingbo Investment Co Ltd not fulfilling their commitment to finance NEVS operations which had forced NEVS main owner Kai Johan Jiang to fund operations for several

months through private funds as well as through assets in NEVS parent company National Modern Energy Holdings Ltd. On 27 May 2014, NEVS communication officer Mikael Ă–stlund confirmed through a video interview that NEVS was in talks with two large automobile companies regarding funding of operations and co-development of the Phoenix platform.[63]

On 9 June 2014, Swedish media reported that a number of companies had filed debts from NEVS at the National Enforcement Agency in Sweden for a total sum of 10.4 million SEK.[64] On 28 August 2014, NEVS itself filed for bankruptcy protection.[65] On 29 August 2014, Saab AB announced it was cancelling the licensing agreement that allows NEVS to use the Saab name. NEVS' financial problems were cited as the reason.[66] A spokesman for NEVS said that the company expects to renegotiate the agreement after a solution to the company's financial problems is reached.

By June 2015, NEVS had acquired two new Chinese partners, an IT company and a development authority for the city of Tianjin. Both state-owned. In late June, NEVS began construction of a factory in Tianjin, with the goal of manufacturing electric cars for the Chinese market. As of this point, NEVS has not re-acquired the rights to the Saab name, and it is developing a new brand for the Chinese market. There was no indication that restarting production at the plant in Trollhättan, Sweden was planned.[67] On June 21, 2016, NEVS announced they will no longer use the Saab trademark, instead using their company name on its car, which will still be based on the Saab 9-3 platform.[68] The first NEVS car went into production in 2017.[69]

NEVS 9-3 EV (2017)

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_Automobile

Annual Vehicle Sales Chart (SAAB)

Europa Statistics

Source: https://carsalesbase.com/europe-saab/

US Statistics

Source: https://carsalesbase.com/us-saab/

Do Saab still make cars?

Many people still think Saab makes cars, even though the business was bought out

by General Motors in 2000 and Saab Automobile went defunct back in 2011. But the Saab name is very much alive and well, as one of the world’s most innovative defence and security companies.

The Swedish company Saab is a well known defence and security company since 80 years, yet people still associate its name with the long-gone automobile business, Saab cars.

In fact, Saab began life in 1937 in Trollhättan, Sweden, as an aeroplane manufacturer to provide planes for the Swedish Air Force, just as Europe was steeling itself for another war. The company’s full name was Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget, giving the world the acronym Saab. The head office soon moved to the Swedish university town of Linköping, where this massive company has its largest operation today. It was there in 1945, amid various dreams of diversification, that a project to develop motor cars got underway.

How Saab’s aircraft manufacturing influenced its cars’ design The Saab car project was called Project 92, as 92 was the next number in the production sequence after Saab 91, the ‘Safir’, a single engine trainer aircraft. Saab’s cars actually owed a great debt to Saab aeroplane design. The company’s aircraft engineers thought they could use their knowledge of aerodynamics from aircraft

manufacturing to improve the acceleration compared to that of the German cars that were on the market in Sweden at the time.

The first car was unveiled in Linköping in June 1947, though it was 1949 before production, based in Trollhättan, really got going and those iconic bottle green vehicles hit the roads. Over the intervening years, each new Saab passenger car became instant classics of design, reliability and safety. But as the automobile name grew so too did Saab’s reputation as a defence and security company, serving the global market of governments, authorities and corporations with products, services and solutions ranging from military defence to civil security.

The end of an era: Saab cars go defunct in 2011 Unlike the defence and security business, which steadily developed into a global player, the Saab passenger car story was a more prosaic one. After the company’s 20-year merger with Scania-Vabis came to an end in 1989, American car giant General Motors took a 50 per cent share of the new Saab Automobile business before making the company a wholly-owned subsidiary in 2000. Saab cars were no longer made by Saab.

Saab cars’ future was therefore wrapped up with that of General Motors, and when the American parent company’s own fortunes began to nosedive in 2008, so did its Swedish subsidiary. A change of ownership to include Dutch car maker Spyker could not halt the decline, and the Saab cars business was lost for good when Saab Automobile AB filed for bankruptcy in December 2011.

Saab today: air, land, naval, security and civil aerospace solutions Many people think that the Saab name was completely tied up in Saab cars, but that’s not the case. Saab is still one of the biggest names in Swedish industry, as Saab goes from strength-to-strength in defence and security.

Today Saab offers solutions for air, land, naval, security and civil aerospace solutions. The company employs more than 16,500 people, and has annual sales of around 31 billion Swedish kronor (nearly 3.38 billion US dollars at time of writing). About a quarter of Saab’s sales revenue is reinvested into research and development. There are many examples of Saab’s products, but among the most iconic are the Gripen fighter system, the Saab Kockums Gotland Class submarine, and the weapon system Carl-Gustaf.

Saab cars may be gone, but Saab lives on.

Saab Cars evolution over the years        

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1937: Saab is founded in Trollhättan, Sweden, as an aircraft manufacturer 1946: The Saab cars business begins 1947: The first Saab car is launched 1955: Première of Saab 93 car, which is a huge success 1960: Saab buys AB Nyköpings Automobilfabrik, ANA 1967: Saab 99 car is unveiled 1968: Saab merges with Scania-Vabis, and Saab-Scania is born 1989: Saab cars is separated from Saab-Scania and becomes its own business, Saab Automobile. US carmaker General Motors buys 50 per cent of the Saab cars company to become co-owner 2000: General Motors takes over the whole Saab Automobile business – Saab Group no longer makes Saab cars and has no further involvement in automobile manufacturing 2011: After General Motors experiences financial difficulties, and various takeover scenarios fail, Saab Automobile files for bankruptcy in 2011, meaning the end of the Saab car business 1937 – present day: Saab continues to develop as one of the world’s most innovative defence and security companies

Source: https://saab.com/about-saab/sites/do-saab-still-make-cars/