Northern Territory News, CARSguide Saturday, November 28, 2009 — 11

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SAAB ZERO: Australian sales have dipped 34 per cent this year

SAAB NEARS

END OF ROAD‘Warranties will continue to be honoured, servicing arrangements remain unchanged

’By NEIL McDONALD

ONE of Europe’s most respected

carmakers Saab is on the brink of

collapse.

Its future is in doubt after suitor,

Swedish sportscar maker Koenigsegg

cancelled plans to acquire the strug-

gling brand.

Scott Whiffin, a spokesman for Saab

Australia, which operates under GM

Premium Brands locally, said the com-

pany and the 14 local dealers were still

digesting the news.

‘‘It wasn’t something that was being

anticipated,’’ he said.

‘‘What’s happening now is that the

General Motors team at the pointy end

of this process have said they’ll take a

couple of days to work it through.

‘‘So we won’t see any next-step type

developments until at least next week.’’

Whiffin said the local operations

would continue business ‘‘as usual’’.

‘‘Warranties will continue to be

honoured, servicing arrangements re-

main unchanged and there will be no

issues with receiving spare parts,’’ he

said.

The decision by the Koenigsegg

Group AB has shocked GM executives.

US reports are suggesting that when

GM meets next week the 60-year-old

brand will be wound down.

‘‘We’re obviously very disappointed

with the decision to pull out of the Saab

purchase,’’ GM president and chief

executive Fritz Henderson said.

‘‘Many have worked tirelessly over

the past several months to create a

sustainable plan for the future of Saab

by selling the brand and its manufactur-

ing interests to Koenigsegg Group AB.

‘‘Given the sudden change in direct-

ion, we will take the next several days to

assess the situation.’’

Koenigsegg head Christian von

Koenigsegg said delays in completing

the deal ‘‘have led to risks and

uncertainties that prevent us from

successfully carrying out our business

plan for Saab Automobile’’.

Saab has struggled globally and

locally, with sales plummeting in recent

years.

Local sales have dipped 34 per cent

this year with the company selling just

653 vehicles.

Globally it sold just 93,300 cars last

year with Europe accounting for the

bulk of sales.

Along with Saab, GM has been

offloading its underperforming brands.

In September a deal to sell its Saturn

division to the Penske Automotive

Group fell through and GM axed the

brand.

It has decided to hold on to its

European Opel group but the sale of

Hummer to Chinese heavy-equipment

maker Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy In-

dustrial Machinery Co is still pending.

GM acquired a 50 per cent stake in

Saab in 1989, buying up the balance in

2000.