Spyker boss Victor Muller has confirmed he's still in talks to buy Saab from General Motors, but has given no indication of when a deal might be clinched.
GM is currently winding down Saab, but has agreed to continue plans to sell the brand in the meantime.
Muller told Reuters that talks with GM were ongoing, adding it was "unclear when we will be done." He did not say whether GM had imposed a deadline for a deal to be sealed.
A spokesman for GM Europe said GM was still in talks to sellSaab, but did not say whether GM was talking to one or more buyers.
There are believed to be two main bidders for Saab, Spyker and Genii Capital, which includes F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone as an investor.
However, in recent days Genii Capital's bid is believed to have fallen out of favour with GM. This prompted reports that it might team up with Spyker in a joint deal, but this was dismissed by Muller.
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Re: Spyker still in Saab talks
A good point, well made.
True. I always thought it would have been better, though a little obvious, if SAAB & Volvo had teamed up 10 or 12 years ago rather than being swallowed up by the corps. I guess there was much more of a rivalry back then? Rivalry is replaced with desperation today and now Volvo is in the hands of the Chinese and SAAB would be grateful for such a fate.
I can see a unified SAAB & Volvo with strategic partnerships with a key Japanese company like Subaru. Would have been a much more interesting little grouping of brands. Too late now for such an ideal.
I've imagined little else for the last couple of weeks Saaby.
Re: Spyker still in Saab talks
Can't argue with that - but the VAG model has pretty much succeeded in parts sharing (so blatent) wothout any backlash against the prestige end models because VAG do understnad that although the basic are carried up the range, the finish does improve - GM don't get this and hence your £30k 9-5 had the same finish, or worse, than a £10k Corsa.
Spyker clearly understand fit and finish details and combined with Saab design (for Spyker's wouldn't be most Saab fans' taste), there is in prospect a really high quality niche player waiting to go here. Only 2 years ago Saab were selling 130k cars per annum, and that with a 10 year old 9-5 and mid-life 9-3. Imagine with the new 9-5, a new 9-3 and the 9-4x what they could achieve.
Come on GM, do the decent thing - Sell Saab.
saabsunited.com for the latest on the negotiations.
Re: Spyker still in Saab talks
Well you know what they say, "Better the devil you know."
I'm not defending the General at all, but I remember there was a bit of an outcry at the way BMW handled the MG Rover fiasco. I'm sure there's probably a little bit of resentment in Spain about the way VAG manages SEAT. Lancia fans must be doing there nuts at the way their brand has decayed over the last 20 or so years under Alfa/FIAT? Many American buyers were understandably p155ed off at the way Daimler Benz handled JEEPChrysler.
Point is, GM IS an appallingly mismanaged multi-national thug, but would anyone else have done a particularly better job of handling a unique little company like SAAB? I don't think VAG would have done much to retain the SAAB qualities that make people love SAABs anymore than GM did, although I am sure they would have invested properly in the company. FIAT, Renault, PSA etc, might have understood the individuality of the brand a little bit better but probably wouldn't have been able to invest in the company to the required extent. Ford already had Volvo and Jaguar and was struggling to cope with them. To be honest, they're all pretty much the same as each other- big companies that need to make money for the stock holders.