GM sells Saab

Though you may not have realized it, Saab Automobile AB has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Motors since 1989. Well, if all goes according to plan, Saab will be back in Swedish hands by the end of the third quarter of 2009.

According to the General Motors media website, Koenigsegg, a supercar manufacturer based in Angelholm, Sweden, has emerged as the leading partner in a letter of intent to purchase Saab from GM.

Saab's time with the General could be the best example of how globalization didn't really work as designed. Saab vehicles were always known for their quirkiness, and the longer they remained in the GM stable, the less quirky they became. Saab engineers and designers were forced to adapt to the GM global vehicle platforms, until eventually, the only quirky thing left about Saab was the placement of the ignition lock in the center console. Unfortunately, an SUV was emblematic of the disfunction: The 9-7X was nothing more than a re-badged Chevy Trailblazer, with little Saab to be seen. It was the biggest, heaviest, most expensive Saab ever produced, and the first production Saab with a V8 engine. It was discontinued in 2008 after lackluster sales.

Good luck, Koenigsegg, and long live the real Saab.

Photo © Jason Fogelson