I rarely get misty about anything mechanical, especially cars.
But the impending disappearance of the Swedish-made Saab motorcars has caught me by surprise.
It’s bad enough that General Motors, in its attempt to become the new, leaner, meaner G.M., has trashed Oldsmobile, Hummer and Pontiac. It’s tragic that its only truly innovative brand, Saturn, is being shuttered.
As if that weren’t enough, now they’re dumping the Saab.
SAAB actually stands for Svenka Aeroplan AB, a reference to the automaker’s aircraft manufacturing roots. From its first conceptual drawings in the 1940s, the Swedish car manufacturer has taken a different approach to the automobile.
It was among the first carmakers to consider the importance of aerodynamics in the design of its automobiles. The Swedish automaker’s first vehicle, the 1949 Saab 92, had the lowest drag coefficient of any production car at the time. It’s relatively sleek design was rivaled only by the Porsche 966, and it exceeded the aerodynamics of the Ferrari F40.
Are They Really That Way?
Swedes have an underserved reputation for being droll and utilitarian. They are better known for their pragmatism than their glitter. Consider the offerings for which they are best known; Volvo, Ikea and the ubiquitous Swedish meatball. (Does anybody really know what’s in the sauce?)
Lest we forget, the Swedes also brought the world the likes of the glamorous and enigmatic Greta Garbo, late ‘60s Bond bombshell Britt Eckland, and everyone’s favorite farmer’s daughter, Inger Stevens. Saab was the Swedish blond anyone could take for a test drive.
Saab was an early leader in turbo-charging. It created some of the first prototype flex fuel performance cars that combined power with the use of biofuels. In spite of its association with G.M., Saab continued to push the edges of the technology envelope for relatively affordable production cars.
Over the past several months, G.M. has been in talks with the Dutch luxury automaker Spyker to purchase its waning interest in Saab. The Amsterdam-based, Russian-backed manufacturer, whose motto is Nulla tenaci invia est via, roughly “for the tenacious, no road is impassable,” turned out 43 hand-built motorcars in 2008, including the sleek C8 Laviolette priced at a mere $322,000.
According to news reports, negotiations with the Dutch automaker twice have failed, and G.M. is set to shut down all Saab assembly lines including its Moraine, Ohio, plant, home of the 9-7X SUV.
Other investor groups, such as Wyoming-based Merbanco, Inc., have expressed casual interest in purchasing Saab. But most analysts believe the investment group won’t be able to cobble together an offer that will keep G.M. from pulling the plug.
Saab’s sad saga is following the same storyline as the soon-to-be-defunct Saturn.
Racing legend and automotive entrepreneur Roger Penske had taken over the reins at Saturn. Most automotive analysts agreed it would be a perfect fit. Unfortunately, after months of private machinations, Penske and G.M. were unable to reach a meeting of the minds. As the year comes to a close, Saturn will be relegated to the scrapheap of American automotive history along with Edsel and the Studebaker.
The Two Were So Different
In the end, this was nothing more than a clash of corporate cultures.
G.M. built its core business around relatively affordable and unremarkable cars whose scant innovations only mimic rather than enthrall. Saab made its bones by incorporating cutting edge technology into mass-produced vehicles.
They were like oil and water.
When Chrysler rubbed shoulders with Mercedes, many had hoped that quality and imagination finally would find their way onto the factory floors of America’s carmakers. While Saab’s short-lived relationship with G.M. was less of a merger than an outing, the transformative potential for the American manufacturer was vast. Today, that opportunity has been lost, along with one of the better automakers around.
Chalk it up to another botched decision by the boys in Detroit.
John Cohn is a senior partner in the Globe West Financial Group based in West Los Angeles. He may be contacted at www.globewestfinancial.com
