Saab Not Dead Yet

There May Still Be Life Left for the Swedish Automaker

It is 2010, and Saab is still not down for the count. Production of the newly redesigned Saab 9-5 will begin next week. Talks still continue with Spyker Cars, who remains very interested in acquiring the Swedish brand. A new Saab suitor has entered the picture, Merbanco, an investor group based out of Wyoming.

Ryan Emge, founder of Saabhistory.com, has organized a last-minute protest at GM's world headquarters in Detroit. Saab enthusiasts are coming from as far away as Australia to park their Saabs outside of GM's Renaissance center and display signs in support of the Swedish brand. Nobody even talked of doing such things when Saturn was announced to be on the chopping block. Saab continues to command a strong niche following.

Merbanco came onto the scene after the deal for GM to sell Saab to Koenigsegg fell apart in November. It has been rumored that Merbanco's chances at acquiring the brand have improved after it recently got some Swedish investors on board. Merbanco's CEO, Christopher Johnston, said of Saab in a recent interview with Saabsunited.com: "Saab is a special brand even in these tough times. It is suffering from low sales resulting in large part from uncertainty. There are several strengths: The people, the history, the culture, the location, the dealers, and the loyal following from customers. Saab has several exciting new products that are ready to go."