Date: Sat, 03 May 2003 07:18:06 -0400 From: "Kenneth S." <nimrodnopsams.com> Subject: Re: Saab Depreciation: Greater than most?
Dexter J wrote: > > Salutations: > > davehinznopsamcop.net wrote: > > > > Someone who looks an awful lot like Globaldisc <globaldiscnopsamcom> wrote: > > > Been watching Saabs on Ebay for awhile...recently saw a '95 900s 2-Door w/60K > > > go for less than $5K, a '98 w/78K 4-Door go for $6,800. OK, I don't expect > > > Saabs to retain their value like BMW or MB....however these numbers reflect > > > deprection that's even greater than what you see in an Audi. What is it with > > > the second hand/used Saab?...maintenance costs/mechanic/part availability > > > contributing to the equation here? > > > > The good news is, you get a 3 year old car from a lease or someone who wants > > the newest/shiniest car, and you get a car that's good for several hundred > > thousand more miles, and another decade if you choose to keep it that long. > > > > Dave Hinz > > Brother Dave has it right.. Indeed, that may be at the heart of the problem > with SAAB as a going concern.. > > You buy a SAAB (and sometimes a MB) because you are looking for something > you will be running to the scrap yard yourself after an amazingly high > number of kms and usually long years of service.. Assuming as was said - > nothing goes seriously wrong.. > > It goes counter to the traditional American and subsequent Japanese > approach to the auto business where you are picking up a car every three > years and your concerns are related to trade in and lease numbers.. > > The traditional European approach over here had always been selling as much > quality as they can manage with a straight face on the premise that you > were in fact buying a car for a much longer haul than is (was) considered > normal - again - over here.. > > Now - I don't much go in for that 'exclusive club' stuff myself as I have > always preferred sleepers over hot rods myself.. However - I see how that > works for a bunch of folks.. Bentley owners for example.. > > Anyway - depreciation is a bitch no matter what you buy - therefore I > always try to buy things might make that depreciation spread out over as > long a number of years as possible.. I don't really think about it's resale > value as when I'm done with a machine - well - it's earned it's oil changes > with me.. :) .. > > Hey - a question gents - anyone got the front ride height numbers for a > 80's 9000CD T?.. I need to check something.. > > -- I'm not at all sure about the comments above -- particularly about the idea that the reason for high depreciation of Saabs is that consumers like to trade in their cars every three years. If true, this factor would apply to all manufacturers' vehicles in the U.S. However, rates of depreciation in the U.S. are substantially different between different brands of vehicles. I don't know if anyone from Saab monitors this news group. However, if they want to build up the company's long term future, they should address this issue. If there is a well-functioning market in your product (and the market for used cars in the U.S. surely IS such), then there are great benefits in listening to what the market is telling you. I saved money as a result of the high depreciation rates of Saabs when I bought my 1996 900 SE as a used vehicle a few years ago. However, there must be many people who are reluctant to buy new Saabs because of an anticipated high cost, as a result of heavy depreciation.
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