Spyker says it will rebuild Saab around core vehicles, 9-1 would be put on hold

One of the things the automotive industry was scheduled to leave in 2009 was the issue of Saab. However, General Motors said that it will extend the Dec. 31 deadline to sell or close Saab until Jan. 7, giving Spyker more time to come up with financing to buy the brand.

According to Spyker CEO Victor Muller, Spyker Cars will rebuild Saab around the 9-3, 9-5, and 9-4X models if it ends up buying the Swedish brand from GM. He said that plans for the entry-level Saab 9-1 will be put on hold.

In his interview with AOL Autos, Muller said that Saab would continue to maintain its headquarters, engineering and production in Trollhattan, Sweden, under Spyker’s ownership. Either way, Muller said that GM will continue to have close ties with GM. GM would continue to produce engines for Saab, and Saab would use GM parts in vehicles such as the 9-4X and 9-5, he said.

The Spyker boss said that he has cancelled plans to cut Saab’s U.S. dealerships from the current 218 stores down to 137 outlets.

How does purchasing Saab benefit Spyker? Muller said that Spyker would use Saab’s all-wheel-drive technology, other components and will sell Spyker cars through Saab dealerships.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

– By: Stephen Calogera