After several failed attempts to sell the Saab car line, General Motors gave up and announced the death of the brand today. The fashionable narrative shall be one of big, stupid, clodhopping GM not understanding what made Saab special, slowly strangling all its uniqueness over two decades of ownership until it finally collapsed.
To be sure, there were some questionable decisions. Throwing a Subaru wagon into a Saab showroom was a bad move, as was giving it the Chevrolet TrailBlazer/GMC Envoy/Oldsmobile Bravada/Buick Rainier/Isuzu Ascender (with the ignition moved to between the seats to make it a Saab). Both of those were late in the game, though; nothing-to-lose shots.
Saabs are weird, and Saab owners are weird, and automotive weirdness has a lifespan (in this case, about 62 years). The Saab 9-3 and 9-5—what used to be called the 900 and 9000—are today just what they’ve always been: decent, solid, and competitive enough in their respective classes, as well as bizarre enough in detail and experience to never once make you think you’re sitting in anything but a Saab.
There is no growth potential in weirdness as a defining characteristic. Going for higher volume means less weirdness, which means cannibalizing other car lines, which means what’s the point?
Would it have been better off remaining a smallish automobile manufacturing arm of Saab, the aerospace company? Hmmm. Look around and show me a carmaker operating with a similar business model in 2009.
GM’s sins are numerous, but choking the life out of Saab isn’t one of them. Saab was going to die anyway.
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I agree that Saab owners are weird. I’ve always referred to them as Snaabs. There hasn’t been one body style that I’ve liked, and never understood the appeal.
If I were a Saab owner, I’d stock up on some basic maintenance parts, though. They were already ridiculously expensive to work on before this.
“I knew a guy who owned a Saab. And he saabed all the way to and from the repair shop.” -one of my elementary school friend’s dad
Saab fears Audi!!!
Cheryl: I liked the first-gen 900, particularly the convertible, all right. Not at all sure I’d have gone that way with cash in hand and ready to pony up, though. 🙂
‘seester: Won’t be too tough for late models, as most of them share powertrains with other GM products.
BamaDan: I think Audi is building the best-looking sedans in the world right now.