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Date: Sun, 1 Jun 2003 09:16:39 -0700
From: "pablo" <pabloNOSPAMnopsamlyhombreDOT.net>
Subject: Re: Saab merging with Opel??


"B&D" <NO_SPAMnopsamCOM> wrote in message news:BAFED749.3777E%NO_SPAMnopsamCOM... >... > This will mean, of course, that the Opel cars and Saab cars will basically > be the same with slight differences. I suppose the 9-3 is that way right > now. ... But it also seems to me to > mean that Saab as a brand is no longer going to be that funky-cool car > company. I think those are the consequences when things are overdone and executed the wrong way. Since it diminishes both identity and value of the brand, any halfway intelligent executive would try to avoid that. At this point, sadly, Saab needs urgent action. GM has been a blessing to it, otherwise it would have shut down already. But it's time it stops to hemorrage huge losses in a segment that actually should be profitable. Thus the initial hamfisted way to generate additional models, which is regrettable, but probably necessary for Saab to survive. It has to market its "chic" to a larger target audience - hopefully none too large, though, because brands lose something when that is the case (Jaguar in my opinion has lost a lot of snob appeal). But in the long term, I think platform sharing leads to better cars, not worse and less distinguishable ones unless you over-value certain things. It allows car companies to spend less on stuff that does not really make a big difference and invest in the more essential differentiators. The Audi A3 is a car I'd buy on the spot despite the fact it shares VW Golf DNA all over. If Saab become's Opel's Audi, it's a great concept sure to make new owners happy. In the meantime, the compromised platforms hopefully are executed with some smarts and creativity. ...pablo

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