All New 2010 SAAB 9-5 - Completely Redesigned |
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Article Date: Tue, June 8, 2010
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A funny thing happened on the way to bankruptcy court for General Motors. As part of a bid to have its red-stained slate wiped clean, it moved to
divest itself of a number of brands in its bloated portfolio, with Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer and Saab
all earmarked for sale or closure. However, only one brand inspired
sufficient passion among both owners and those with the financial
wherewithal to rescue it from GM's 'wind-down' apple polishers. Oddly
enough, it was the tiny Swede that successfully swam out to the life
raft. Saab, the marque with the smallest and oldest product lineup,
lowest volume, and the poorest brand recognition among American
consumers somehow found a way to survive.
How, exactly, did this come to pass? For starters, unlike any other of
GM's death-row divisions, owners and fans rallied in dozens of
countries, urging anyone who listened to "Save Saab."
Now, we're not naïve enough to think that a band of loyalists were all
it took to change the course of automotive history, but it's telling
that there were no pitchforks and torches – or even a handful of picket
signs – produced over the axing of the other brands. Saab remains a
seldom understood, much loved brand, and we know that the displays of
unity from Saab's scorned faithful stoked the fire of unlikely suitor
Victor Muller, CEO and owner of Spyker Cars, as his team waded through a
stomach-churning series of negotiations. After watching from the
sidelines while bids by other small automakers and investment groups
fizzled, the Dutch businessman and his team eventually pried the
battered brand away from GM – but not before Saab had been partially
liquidated.
While Muller clearly has an affinity for the Swedish marque, he insists
it wasn't boyhood sentiment that drove the purchase – it was the
company's robust Trollhättan operations and a raft of promising,
almost-here product that pushed his team to persevere. That stream of
shiny new tin begins with the car you see before you: The 2010 9-5.
Click through to the jump to see if Muller and Company have good reason
to be optimistic.
As Muller told us, GM finally started to 'get the picture' with Saab in
2005, back when it decided to develop the stunningly canopied Aero X Coupe.
Despite never making it to production, the arresting 2006 concept (only
the second showcar in Saab's entire history) actually gave Saab a
much-needed fresh design direction, the production adaptation of which
can be clearly seen in the new 9-5.
"My youth was very much influenced by the little Saabs that were in the
street. So maybe that was the extra push to win Saab and not let it go
down. I was so motivated, so passionate about not letting it slip away
into oblivion."- Muller on acquiring Saab.
View the full article at http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/08/2010-saab-9-5-first-drive-review/
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