I was sold on Saab when I took a hairy ride through the mountains of Vermont on tiny gravel roads in a 96. My first Saab was a 99, then an '83 900. I was devastated by the introduction of the 9000. I thought it looked like a Honda, and was not the unique "Saab" look. I'm now on my third 9000, and think it is a great car. Much stronger and more reliable than the 900. Also a better drive. I've heard great things about the 9-5, but the lack of hatch back and money have prevented me from taking the plunge.

Is GM good for Saab? Probably. They give Saab the chance for more development, and the deep pockets for more models. I think all of us fear that GM will ruin the uniqueness of the car and the clever engineering the Swedes have put into the brand. So far, I think that is a mixed blessing and the verdict is still out on whether the brand is being killed. The real knowledge is looking at the pipeline of coming developments.

Is Saab good for GM? I think this may be the bigger question, and important to the survival of both. Saab has had some very good developments in the past, and perhaps present.

Saab gave GM some great turbo expertise. They were also developing the variable compression engine and some other unique concepts that may or may not fly. But the overall advantage is that Saab has some great experience in wringing a lot of performance per mpg out of a car. GM would be wise to look at those concepts and look in that direction for future developments in the long and short run.

So, I don't really know the answer to your question. I think it is up to GM as to whether they take advantage of the uniqueness and qualities that Saab has to offer. Seems to me that they have to some extent. I just hope they keep their eye on the long haul. Otherwise I'm afraid they may be one of the car companies that does not make it.

posted by 70.226.11...

• Was the GM Takeover of SAAB Positive In the Long Run., Henry from Wisconsin, Sat, 26 Nov 2005 09:57:22
  • Not clear yet, give it another 3-5 yrs..., Noel, Sun, 27 Nov 2005 18:06:13
  • Don't know if we've seen the long run yet., EricG, Sun, 27 Nov 2005 17:16:40 <-- Viewing This Message
  • Re: Was the GM Takeover of SAAB Positive In the Long Run., aaron, Sat, 26 Nov 2005 13:06:07
  • No. They destroyed the brand., PJ 88 T, Sat, 26 Nov 2005 12:42:49
    • Re: No. They destroyed the brand., taurus-sho, Sat, 26 Nov 2005 19:23:11
  • Re: Was the GM Takeover of SAAB Positive In the Long Run., taurus-sho, Sat, 26 Nov 2005 12:08:23

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