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BAIC admits Saab interest
30 November 2009
BAIC's general manager has admitted the company is still interested in buying Saab.
Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corp had been a minority partner in the failed takeover planned by Koenigsegg.
Now, asked whether BAIC would consider approaching GM to buy Saab outright or as part of a consortium, its general manager Wang Dazong said: "I would just say, 'stay tuned a little bit.'"
However, GM is understood to be concerned at the prospect of handing its intellectual property rights over to a rival car maker - a problem which undermined BAIC's interest in Opel/Vauxhall earlier this year.
Regardless, Wang underlined BAIC's determination to become a global car maker.
"For us, I don't see a need to buy a plant. I don't see a need to buy a building. I don't see a need to buy a robot. So what's left? You figure it out," he said.
"I cannot control GM's timetable. I would just say we are very dynamic and impatient people. We want to do things fast."
Asked what he liked about Saab, Wang said: "Saab, as I said before, has a pretty good brand. It has global recognition and a good history. From my dealing with them, it has pretty good people and a pretty good technology depth as well."
GM's board is due to meet tomorrow (Tuesday) to decide whether to seek a new buyer or put Saab into liquidation.
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